Wilmington, DE — In the annals of Delaware’s legal history, 2025 may very well be remembered as the year a translation company’s name transcended its corporate identity to enter the lexicon of courtroom vernacular. “Gone all TransPerfect” is the phrase of the moment, as used in a recent story by Chancery Court reporter Jeff Montgomery at Law360, a shorthand for legal fireworks, acrimonious corporate disputes, and the occasionally surreal twists of the Delaware Chancery Court.
A Decade-Old Feud Becomes Folklore
The phrase harks back to the difficult battle that engulfed TransPerfect, a global translation/language services company, and Delaware’s Chancery Court. In 2015, the court, citing irreconcilable differences between the company’s co-founders, took the unprecedented step of appointing a custodian to oversee its sale. What followed was a contentious legal saga that saw one co-founder accuse the court of corruption, mount public campaigns, and ultimately reincorporate the company in Nevada.
The scars of that feud linger to this day, with the TransPerfect case regularly invoked as a symbol of Delaware’s complex corporate law ecosystem. This year, a University of Pennsylvania law professor, Mark Lebovitch, brought the term into the spotlight, quipping that Elon Musk had “gone all TransPerfect on the court” after a bruising legal defeat.
Lebovitch’s remark referred to Musk’s ongoing battle with the Delaware Court of Chancery, which struck down his $56 billion Tesla compensation plan and awarded $345 million in attorney fees to shareholders. Musk, never one to shy away from a public spat, responded with a flurry of accusations, calling the court “absolutely corrupt” and its chancellor a “radical far-left activist cosplaying as a judge.”
The resemblance to TransPerfect’s theatrics is uncanny: high-stakes corporate drama, public denouncements of Delaware’s judiciary, and a larger-than-life protagonist railing against perceived injustices. The phrase “gone all TransPerfect” captures the essence of this chaotic, adversarial spirit.
A Verb is Born
Legal scholars and practitioners in Delaware have embraced the phrase with a mix of humor and trepidation. “When someone says a party has ‘gone all TransPerfect,’ you know it’s going to be a long and colorful case,” said Marina Oswald, a corporate law professor at Tulane University. “It’s shorthand for a scorched-earth strategy, complete with public appeals, accusations of bias, and a general disdain for judicial decorum.”
The term has even inspired a wave of memes among legal insiders, depicting litigants “gone TransPerfect” as courtroom gladiators, wielding press releases and social media campaigns alongside legal briefs.
The Delaware Chancery Court’s Complex Legacy
The TransPerfect saga—and its new verb—also underscores the unique pressures faced by Delaware’s Chancery Court. As the nation’s premier venue for corporate disputes, the court must navigate complex legal questions while balancing its reputation as a fair and impartial arbiter. High-profile cases like TransPerfect and Musk’s Tesla litigation attract intense scrutiny, often placing judges under a harsh spotlight.
“The court’s decisions carry enormous weight,” said Joseph Swanson, who practices corporate governance in Delaware. “But when a case spirals into a public relations battlefield, it complicates the court’s ability to focus on the law.”
In recent years, Delaware lawmakers have even debated reforms to the state’s corporate governance laws, partly in response to criticism from high-profile litigants. Some fear these changes could undermine the court’s authority, while others argue they’re necessary to maintain Delaware’s status as a corporate haven.
From Boardrooms to Pop Culture
The rise of “gone all TransPerfect” reflects a broader cultural fascination with corporate courtroom drama. Shows like HBO’s Succession and Netflix’s The Laundromat have tapped into the intrigue of high-stakes legal battles, turning boardroom disputes into compelling entertainment.
In Delaware, the phrase has already found its way into casual conversations among attorneys, corporate executives, and even state lawmakers. “I had a client tell me they didn’t want to ‘go TransPerfect’ on a merger negotiation,” said Jeremy Cleveland, a law partner who practices Chancery law. “It’s amazing how quickly it’s entered the vernacular.”
What’s Next for TransPerfect’s Legacy?
As 2025 unfolds, the TransPerfect story continues to evolve. The company remains a Nevada entity, thriving under its contentious co-founder’s leadership, while Delaware’s courts face a growing docket of high-profile cases. Meanwhile, “gone all TransPerfect” serves as a reminder of the dramatic, unpredictable nature of corporate litigation.
“It’s a fitting legacy for a case that was as much about personalities as it was about legal principles,” said Oswald. “If nothing else, it’s proof that the law can be just as theatrical as anything on TV.”
For now, Delaware’s legal community seems content to let the phrase run its course, embracing the humor while bracing for the next case that truly “goes TransPerfect.”