judicial appraisal; costs; attorney fees

HB 2047 modifies Arizona law governing costs and attorney fees in corporate appraisal proceedings, primarily affecting shareholders (dissenters) and corporations involved in mergers or acquisitions. The bill gives courts authority to assign costs and legal fees based on whether dissenters' demands for payment were reasonable or if the corporation followed proper procedures. Specifically, courts can order corporations to pay dissenters' fees if the corporation failed to comply with appraisal rules, or require dissenters to pay fees if their demands were unreasonable or made in bad faith. It also allows courts to award fees to attorneys who helped multiple dissenters, paid from the settlement funds. The changes aim to clarify cost allocation without altering the core appraisal process.