State ex rel. Pillsbury v. Honeywell, Inc.
Minnesota Supreme Court
191 N.W.2d 406 (Minn. 1971)
Relevant factsFree
Pillsbury (plaintiff), opposed to the Vietnam War, purchased 100 shares of Honeywell (defendant) solely to gain standing to demand access to its shareholder ledgers and munitions-related corporate records, hoping to persuade the board and fellow shareholders to stop producing war munitions; when Honeywell refused, Pillsbury sought a writ of mandamus compelling production, and the district court denied the writ, leading to his appeal.
IssueFree
Whether a shareholder may inspect corporate records if his sole purpose in doing so is to convince the corporation to adopt his political concerns, without any regard for his financial interest in the corporation.