1) Different Business Models Flashcards
Different legal forms of business
- Sole trader
- Partnership
- Limited partners
- Limited liability partnership
Why businesses raise finance
- Purchase premises
- Employ staff
- Obtain advice (oft accountants)
- Expand and grow (by acquiring other businesses, marketing)
How businesses raise finance
- Owners may invest in it by making contributions of capital
- Outside investors may make capital contribution to the business to share in its profits.
- Business may borrow money
- Retention of profit.
Sole traders
- No set up costs or formalities
- Not a separate legal entity
- Unlimited personal liability
- No formal structure
- No Companies House filing or procedural element
- Complete privacy - no publicly filed accounts
Partnership - Overview
- No set up costs
- Not a separate legal entity
- Unlimited personal liability
- No CH filing
- Privacy
Governed by the provisions of the Partnership Act 1890
Partnerships - Formation
- No formalities
- There does not need to be intention - two or more people working together with the intention of creating profit = a partnership
s1(1) PA 1890
“…the relation which subsists between persons carrying on a business in a common view to profit”
No need for intention
Section 2 PA 1890
- Rules for determining the existence of a partnership
- Profits/losses shared = conclusive
- Loan between partners
- Property jointly held
Does a partnership exist
- No one factor suffices - consider all the facts
Northern Sales (1963) Limited v Ministry of National Revenue (1973)
Agreement to share losses as well as profits = partnership more likely
Walker v Hirsch 1884
Clerk lent money to the partnership, was paid a fixed salary and took 1/8th of the profits/losses but **was never held out **as a partner.
No partnership found to exist.
Terms of Partnership
Nothing required in terms of formalities - advisable to have an agreement drawn up by a solicitor.
Otherwise partnership governed by the default provisions of the PA
Standard Clauses of the PA 1890
Section 24(1) Profits and Losses
Section 24(6) Renumeration
Section 24(8) Decision making
Section 25 Expulsion
PA 1890 Section 24(1)
- Section 24(1) Profits and Losses
Partners entitled to share equally in the profits of the business, share equally in the losses - Even if capital has been contributed unequally.
Recommend express provision of profit sharing ration
PA 1890 Section 24(6)
Renumeration
Partners are not entitled to a salary
PA 1890 Section 24(8)
Decision making
Decisions arising during the ordinary course of the business are decided by a majority.
Except for any change to the nature of the partnership business which requires unanimity.
PA 1890 Section 25
Expulsion
A partner cannot be expelled by majority vote unless all partners have previously expressly agreed a majority can do this.
Partnership Agreements
Can be varied by unanimous consent (s19 PA)
Legal advice recommended.
Sleeping Partners
Not involved in the management of the business.
Limited liability unless become involved in business
General Partners
Run the business and have unlimited liability
Limited Partnerships - Overview
- At least one limited and one general partner
- Governed by the Limited Partnership Act 1907
- Must be registered at Companies House,
- but have no requirement to file accounts.
- Not commonly used for general business - usually used for investment vehicles.
What structure is usually used for investment vehicles?
Popular** joint venture business structures** where an investor (limited partner) puts money into a business run by the general partner.
Subcategory of private fund limited partnership also created.
Limited Liability Partnership - Key Characterstics
- LLPs were introduced by the LLP Act 2000
**Separate legal personality. **
Treated as a partnership for tax purposes.
All partners has limited liability - limited to the amount that they have agreed to pay under the terms of their Partnership Agreement
Registered at CH in the same way as companies
Required to file annual accounts
LLPs are in effect a hybrid
Between a traditional partnership (procedural flexibility) and a company (with limited liability).
Companies Key Characteristics
- Separate legal entity
- Limited liability - the liability of shareholders is limited to the amount unpaid on their shares
Key considerations in choosing a business model
Costs
Risk
Structure
Formalities
Privacy
Finance
Companies - key charateristics
- Separate legal entity
- Limited liability - limited to the amount unpaid on their shares
- Governed by Companies Act 2006
Shareholders /Members
- Owners of the company
- Invest money
- Receive dividends
- Have voting rights
Subscribers
Name given to the first shareholders in a company who invest.
Directors
Officers/managers of the company
Day-to-day running
= The Board
Often shareholders
Persons with Significant Control
Must be provided to Companies House
Shareholders with over 25% of shares
Other stakeholders
Anyone interested in the company such as employees or creditors.
Companies Act 2006
Replaced Companies Act 1985.
* Removal of the requirement of private companies to hold AGM or submit Annual Returns.
* Codification of directors’ duties
* Allowing private companies to pass shareholders resolutions in writing
Private Limited Company
Section 4(1) CA 2006
“a private company is any company that is not public”
Name ends with Ltd (s59(1)
Types of Private Companies
- Limited by shares
- Limited by guarantee
- Unlimited companies
Limited by shares
- Most common type of company
- No minimum share capital
- Prohibited from offering shares to public
- Can be formed by one person
Limited by guarantee
- No share capital
- Liability limited to the amount that they agreed to contribute in the event of winding up.
- Membership non-transferable
- Rare companies
Unlimited companies
- The liability of members is unlimited
- Rare type of company
Public Limited Company
- section 4(2) CA 2006
- “company whose certificate of incorporation states that it is a public company”
- Ends plc
- Can offer shares to public eg LSE
- More onerous requirements
Public Companies limited by shares
plc
* Minimum of 2 directors
* Minimum share capital requirement of £50k (s763 CA 2006)
* Requires a trading certificate before it can trade (s761)
Listed companies
- Only public companies can be listed.
- Not all companies are
- Listed means admitted on a regulated investment exchange
Reasons to list a company
- Raise greater funds
- Stock exchange listing allows investors to deal freely.
Should not assume that a company whose name ends in “plc” is….
Should not assume that a company whose name ends in “plc” is a listed company.
Differences between private and public - NAME
Plc v Ltd
Differences between private and public - SHARE CAPITAL
- Private: No specific minimum share capital (eg £1)
- Public: Nominal value of at least £50k, at least 1/4 must be paid. (s586 & s763 CA 2006)
Differences between private and public - DIRECTORS
Private: Need only have one director
Public: Need to have two directors (s154 CA 2006)
Differences between private and public - COMPANY SEC
Private: May choose to have a CoSec S270(1)
Public: Must have a CoSec s271. Must hold one of the qualifications specified s273(2)
Differences between private and public - AGM
Public: Required to have one AGM per year s336
= Opportunity to question directors and finances.
Private: Not required to hold an AGM, may do if wish.
Company’s Constitution
Made up from the following docs:
- Memorandum
- Articles of Association
Constitutional Docs following CA 2006
- Memorandum no longer forms part of the company’s constitution
- Only required as part of the procedure for Companies House
- = declaration that subscribers want to form a company
- s17 CA
Memorandum Under Companies Act 1985
- Constitutional restrictions
- Object clause = the purpose of a company
- Acting outside the company’s purpose = ultra vires
Companies formed under CA 2006 - objects
Have unrestricted objects (s31 CA), unless specifically restricted in the company’s
For companies incorporated under the CA 1985
s28 CA 2006
Any provisions m in the memorandum to be treated as Company’s Articles
For companies incorporated under the CA 1985
- OBJECTS
The Objects Clause continues in force as an Article, until Articles amended to remove clause
s28 CA 2006
Articles of Association
s18
= main constitutional document.
Legality Test
Articles must comply with the minimum provisions of CA 2006
Check whether procedures set out in the relevant legislation and in Articles
Certain provisions cannot be overidden. Eg Right to demand a poll s321 CA
Three choices as to form of Articles
- Model Articles / Table A
- Amended MA
- Tailor made Articles
Model Articles /
Table A
- SoS prescribed MA for different companies s19
- MA will be default if no Articles registered s20(1)
- 1985 = Table A
Amended MA
- Adopt the MA and elect/exclude/modify certain ones
Tailor Made Articles
- Eg law firms
- But time consuming and costly to do.
- Most small companies adopt MA
Amending the Articles
- Alter them by special resolution (s21(1))
- Entrenchment possible by rare (s22) - can only be repealed if conditions met, all members agree, or court order.
Entrenched Articles
Amended only by
* Conditions being met
* Agreement of all members
* Court order (s22(3))
Basic case law rule for amending articles
To be valid any alteration must be made bona fide in the interests of the company as a whole.
Allen v Gold Reefs (1900)
Allen v Gold Reefs (1900)
To be valid any alteration must be made bona fide in the interests of the company as a whole.
Shuttleworth v Cox (1927)
An amendment to the Articles is not valid if no reasonable man could consider it to be for the benefit of the company.
Sidebottom v Kershaw 1920
- Fair price buy out provision for competitors
- CoA initiated in good faith and bona fide interests of the company
- Allowed to stand to protect the company.
Re Charterhouse Capital Ltd 2015
- Amendment of articles to permit the shares of minority shareholder to be compulsorily acquired
- Held to be valid as consistent with shareholders agreement = “tidying up exercise”
- Not in bad faith, no improper motive = no basis for challenge
Legal effect of Articles
s33(1)
* Articles bind as a covenant.
Predecessor to s33(1) CA 2006
s14 CA 1985
Much case law
Est rule = Articles evidence a contract between company and members
Hickman v Kent or Romney Marsh Sheep-Breeders’ Association 1915
Est rule = Articles evidence a contract between company and members in their capacity as members and with respect to their rights and obligations as members.
Articles as contract
- Between company and members
- Courts have been willing to intercede with an injunction
- Member may not enforce rights contained in the Articles against the company that are not relevant to their capacity
- Members would be able to enforce right to vote, and dividend after declaration (s33)
Member may not enforce any rights….
Member may not enforce any rights contained in the Articles against the company that are not relevant to their capacity as a member
Members’ rights enforceable under s33 CA
- Right to vote
- Right to receive a final dividend.
Eley v Positive Government Security Life Assurance Company
1876
- A member who inserted the right for him to be employed for life as company’s solicitor
- could not enforce the provision
- not a right held in capacity as a member , rather as the solicitor
Articles as a contract between members
- Articles = contract between members and between company and members
- Conflicting authority as to whether one member may enforce Articles against another member directly
- or through the company itself
Members enforcing against members - CASES
Rayfield v Hands 1960
vs
Welton v Saffery 1897
Rayfield v Hands 1960
- If members accept personal obligations to another member through the Articles (eg transfer shares)
- Then can directly enforce
If members accept personal obligations to another member through the Articles
- If members accept personal obligations to another member through the Articles (eg transfer shares)
- Then can directly enforce
- Otherwise through the company.
Rayfield v Hands 1960
Welton v Saffery 1897