Merger of equals

Five years ago Daimler-Benz and Chrysler merged to form Daimler-Chrysler.  On December 1, 2003, a trial began in Wilmington, Delaware in which Kirk Kerkorian, a large Chryler shareholder at the time of the merger, is seeking $1 billion to $2 billion damages from Daimler-Chrysler.   The New York Times said:  "Not since John and Horace Dodge sued Henry Ford in 1916 have such prominent shareholders confronted a captain of the auto industry in court."  The apparent heart of the case lies in the term "merger of equals."  Do a little on-line research on this case.  Then write a short paragraph (no more than 200 words) that delineates the key financial attribute of a "merger of equals" and describes the basis for Kerkorian's claim.