Agency & Partnership Flashcards
Agency - Creation Requirements
- both parties assent to relationship
- agent is acting on principal’s behalf
- principal has the right to control the agent’s actions
Determining Assent
- courts look at persons’ words and actions (objective standard)
- principal must be of age of majority, mentally competent, and not incapacitated; agent needs on minimal capacity (can be a minor)
- no formalities required UNLESS agency relationship is within statute of frauds (more than a year) in which case need a signed writing
Multiple Principals
two or more persons may serve as co-principals by appointing agent to act for them in the same manner
Dual Agency
agent may represent more than one principal if the agent has provided full disclosure to both parties, and both parties consent to dual representation
Types of Principals
- disclosed principal: principal’s existence and identity are known to 3P
- partially disclosed principal: principal whose existence, but not identity, is known to 3P
- undisclosed principal: principal whose existence and identity are not known to 3P
Types of Agents
- general: authorized to conduct series of transactions that involve continuity of service
- special: authorized to conduct specific transaction or series of transactions that do not involve continuity of service
- cogent: agent appointed by principal
- subagent: person appointed by agent to perform acts that agent has consented to perform on behalf of agent’s principal
Termination
- accomplishment of agency’s purpose
- expiration of specific term, and if not specified, within a reasonable time
- termination of relationship by either party
- illegality of agency relationship
- change in circumstances that leads agent to reasonably conclude principal would no longer consent to agent acting on principal’s behalf
- serious neglect, dishonesty, or breach of duty by the agent
- death or mental incapacity of either principal or agent (some states require actual knowledge)
Termination - Exceptions
will not terminate upon principal’s death, insanity, or insolvency IF:
- agency is irrevocable (coupled with interest) OR
- principal specified that agent has authority to bind the principal, even upon principal’s disability/incapacity
Authority to bind
- actual authority
- apparent authority
- inherent agency power
- ratification by principal
Actual authority
- communication by principal to agent and
- agent’s reasonable understanding that communication grants authority
Actual Authority - Express
agent reasonably understood principal’s oral or written words conferred power to act on their behalf
Actual Authority - Implied
perform actions that are reasonably necessary, usual, and proper for accomplishing the task the principal requested to be done. Can arise from:
- prior dealings between principal and agent
- general custom or usage in industry or community
- position occupied by agent
- situations in which principal knowingly acquiesces to agent’s acts that affirm exercise of authority
Actual Authority - Scope
based on agent’s reasonable belief or understanding of principal’s manifestations to agent
Actual Authority - Delegation
cannot delegate authority to others unless:
- express authorization from principal
- purely mechanical acts
- something agent cannot perform but subagent can lawfully perform
- commonly delegated in industry or business
Actual Authority - Termination
- upon termination of agency relationship
- revocation by principal
- principal changes actual authority
Apparent Authority
- principal holds out or represents to a 3P that agent possesses authority and
- 3P reasonably believes such authority exists
Apparent Authority - Reasonable Belief
Considerations:
- whether principal’s communications authorized agent to act in relation to proposed transaction or contract
- whether agent’s actions appear related to principal’s established business
- agent’s title or position within principal’s business and whether agent’s actions appear customarily related to agent’s title or position with principal
- whether purported agent appears to be acting in accordance with specific industry’s customs or practices AND
- whether principal disclosed, partially disclosed, or undisclosed (e.g., if believe dealing directly with principal, undisclosed principal only liable for authorized acts unless liability found inherent agency power)
Apparent Authority - Termination
ends when 3P receives notice of circumstances that make it unreasonable for 3P to continue to believe agent has authority
Inherent Agency Power
when agent did not possess actual or apparent authority, court balances interests of all parties to determine whether principal liable to 3P.
Courts tend to protect innocent 3Ps.
Ratification
- act was one principal could have legally performed or authorized at time it was executed;
- act performed for principal’s benefit;
- principal existed at time act was performed;
- at time of ratification, principal possessed same capacity required to establish agency relationship; AND
- ratification encompassed entire act (cannot ratify just a portion of act)
Ratification - Exception
not ratified if 3P manifested intent to withdraw from transaction or otherwise not be bound by contract before ratification
Ratification - Revocation
once ratified, principal cannot unilaterally revoke transaction or contract
Ratification - Methods
- principal expressly approves unauthorized action through oral or written words
- principal’s conduct is consistent with approving unauthorized action (implied)
Contractual Liability - Principal
liable to 3P if:
- agent possessed authority to enter into contract on agent’s behalf
- principal ratified OR
- court estops principal from denying agency
Contractual Liability - Agency
If principal partially disclosed or undisclosed, both agent and principal liable.
If principal disclosed, agent not liable UNLESS:
- contracting parties intended for agent to be a party to contract as per its terms OR
- agent acted without authority (damages generally limited to actual harm incurred by 3P)
Tort Liability - Principal
directly liable for principal’s own acts under theories like negligence / intentional torts (negligent hiring/supervision)
vicariously liable for acts of agent IF:
- agency relationship characterized by employer-employee agency (control over agent’s work) AND
- tort committed within scope of employment
vicariously liable for acts of independent contractor if activity they were hired to perform is inherently dangerous
Tort Liability - Employee v. Independent Contractor Factors
- whether work requires greater skill level or specialized training
- whether agent has multiple clients or independent business or distinct occupation separate from principal’s business
- whether agent bring agent’s own specialized tools to perform work
- whether agent paid by job rather than salary or ongoing hourly rate
- how the parties characterize the relationship in agreement with respect to extent of control principal exercises over details of work AND
- actions of parties to determine whether principal controls details of agent’s work or has control over only the final result
Tort Liability - Intentional Torts
liable if employee’s conduct
- is of the kind the employee was employed to perform
- occurred within time and space limits of employment
- was motivated by desire to serve employer
Tort Liability - Criminal Conduct
serious crimes are outside the scope of employment
Tort Liability - Unassigned Task
travel to and from work and frolics are outside the scope BUT detours that serve principal are within scope (de minimum deviations from assigned tasks)
Tort Liability - Agents
directly liable under tort theories like negligence or intentional tort
Agent’s Fiduciary Duties
- duty of loyalty
- duty of care
- duty of obedience
- duty to act within authority
- duty to disclose information
- duty of good conduct
- duty to account
Agent - Duty of Loyalty
agent may not:
- compete with principal
- receive material benefit that might interfere with principal’s interest
- act on behalf of party with interests adverse to principal
- UNLESS obtains principal’s consent in advance
Agent - Duty of Loyalty - Consent
requires agent to
- act in good faith
- disclose all material information to principal and
- deal fairly with principal
Agent - Duty of Care
duty to act with reasonable care, competence, and diligence of similarly situated agent
Agent - Duty of Obedience
must follow principal’s lawful instructions and cannot exceed authority given by principal, even if agent does not think principal’s instruction are best way to proceed
Agent - Duty to Act Within Authority
agent must act within authority given by principal
Agent - Duty to Disclose Information
agent must disclose to principal information that agent knows or has reason to know the principal would want to know
Agent - Duty of Good Conduct
agent must refrain from damaging the principal’s reputation or business
Agent - Duty to Account
agent must account for all matters within scope of agency
Principal’s Fiduciary Duties
- duty to indemnify agent for any payments made or losses incurred by agent consistent with terms of agency relationship
- duty to act in accordance with terms of any contract the principal has with an agent
General Partnership - Creation
- two or more persons
- voluntarily carry on a business for profit as co-owners and
- all persons have capacity to contract