Ross v. Bernhard, 396 U.S. 531 (1970), held that "the Seventh Amendment preserves to the parties in a stockholder's suit the same right to a jury trial that historically belonged to the corporation and to those against whom the corporation pressed its legal claims." Bernhard explained that the preliminary question whether the derivative shareholder action may proceed is a question in equity to be decided by the trial court. 396 U.S. at 538. Once that question is answered, the corporation becomes the real party in interest and the jury may decide the legal issues: "The heart of the action is the corporate claim. If it presents a legal issue, one entitling the corporation to a jury trial under the Seventh Amendment, the right to a jury is not forfeited merely because the stockholder's right to sue must first be adjudicated as an equitable issue triable to the court." Bernhard, 396 U.S. at 538-39. Thus, under Bernhard, equitable issues are still to be determined by the trial court. Once the equitable issues are determined, the legal claims are submitted to the jury for its determination. 396 U.S. at 539-40.