It seems to me that both descriptions are practically accurate. A compromise position is: lawsuits allow shareholders to receive company funds even in a situati

It seems to me that both descriptions are practically accurate. A compromise position is: lawsuits allow shareholders to receive company funds even in a situation where the majority of the (voting) shareholders would not otherwise authorize it. For some companies with dual-class voting structures, this might even be the only way that a common shareholder would ever see a payout.