business associations Flashcards
Agency
fiduciary relationship where one person (the agent) represents another (the
principal) in dealings with third persons. Common agency relationships include employer and employee,
corporation and officer, client and lawyer, and partnership and general partner
Agency formation
an agency relationship is formed if (1) both parties agree to create the relationship (i.e.,
express or implied, oral, in writing, or through conduct) and (2) the principal has capacity to contract (e.g. is over age of majority)
but any person may be an agent.
an agency relationship is either actual or apparent. An agent is
authorized to do any acts the principal might do except for acts that the principal must do herself. An agent
may not engage in an act constituting fraud on the principal or disobey instructions unless doing so is clearly
in the principal’s best interest and there is no time to communicate with the principal
Ratification
occurs when the principal accepts the benefits of the agent’s act and:
(1) The act is one the principal could have authorized at the time;
(2) The purported agent was acting on the principal’s behalf; and
(3) The principal had full knowledge of all the material facts at the time of ratification.
ratification of any part of a transaction will constitute ratification of the whole transaction
Ratification’s effect on third parties
ratification is only effective as to a third party if it is done before the third party
withdraws from the transaction. Ratification will not be valid if it causes prejudice to a third
person without that person’s consent
Recision of ratification
ratification may be rescinded if (1) the principal did not have full knowledge of the
material facts of the transaction, or (2) the consent did not comply with the contract’s requirements.
Prior to ratification, the third party may rescind or withdraw from the transaction for any reason.
Actual agency authority
exists when the agent reasonably believes the agent has authority to act or refrain
from acting based on an express or implied agreement with the principal. May be Express or implied.
Express actual authority
s the actual authority the principal stated to the agent explicitly
Implied actual authority
is the agent’s authority (1) to do what is necessary, usual, or
proper in the ordinary course of business or to accomplish or perform the agent’s task and
(2) to act in a manner the agent believes the principal wishes the agent to act based on
the agent’s reasonable interpretation of the principal’s manifestations.
Apparent agency authority
arises when (1) due to the principal’s representations, the third party reasonably
believes an agency relationship exists; and (2) the third party reasonably and in good faith relies on such representations.
An agent’s delegation of authority
unless forbidden by the principal, an agent may delegate the agent’s powers where:
(1) The act to be done is purely mechanical;
(2) The agent cannot perform the act, but the subagent lawfully can;
(3) It is the usage or custom of the place to delegate such powers; or
(4) The principal specifically authorizes delegation.
* Limitations: an agent may not delegate any powers requiring the agent’s personal judgment
or discretion, and delegated authority cannot be further delegated.
Termination of agency relationship
an agency relationship is terminated upon:
(1) Expiration of the agency’s term;
(2) Extinction of the subject of the relationship;
(3) The agent’s death, renunciation of the agency, or incapacity to act as an agent;
(4) The principal’s death, revocation of the agency, or incapacity to contract, unless (a) the power of the agent is coupled with an interest or (b) the principal has given the agent an express,
written durable power of attorney that will allow the agent’s authority to continue in the event
of the death or incapacity of the principal; or
(5) The agent breaches a fiduciary duty the agent owes to the principal
Revocability of agency relationship
the principal may terminate, or the agent may withdraw from, the agency
relationship at any time, unless the agency relationship has become irrevocable.
Notice of termination of agency relationship requirement
the principal must notify the agent that the principal is terminating the agency relationship unless the relationship is terminating upon expiration of its term or extinction of the subject of the
agency. However, express notice is not required if the agent knew or had reason to know the agency relationship was terminated.
Termination of actual agency authority
an agent’s actual authority terminates upon termination of the agency relationship
or when the principal revokes the authority. Revocation of actual authority may be done in the same way that the actual authority was created, and the principal may change the actual authority.
Apparent agency authority termination
an agent’s apparent authority persists until the third party receives notice of circumstances that make it unreasonable for the third party to continue to believe that the agent has authority.
Agency liability to third parties
an agent represents the principal for all purposes within the scope of
the agent’s authority, and all rights and liabilities that would accrue to the agent within the limits of that
authority will accrue to the principal. If an agent exceeds the agent’s authority, the principal will be
bound to the authorized acts that can be separated from the unauthorized acts
Agency liabilty to third party for contract
a principal is bound to any contract the principal’s agent had authority to make,
unless the contract shows the parties had no intent to bind the principal
Agency liability to third party for K - undisclosed principal
: if an agent acts on behalf of a disclosed principal, the disclosed principal
may enforce the contract against the third party. The agent is not a party to the contract and may not enforce the contract against the third party and will not be liable to the third party unless the agent and the third party agree otherwise.
Partially disclosed or undisclosed principal
if an agent acts on behalf of a partially
disclosed or undisclosed principal, the agent is a party to the contract and will be able to
enforce the contract against the third party and will be liable to the third party unless the agent and the third party agree otherwise.
Agency liability for K warranty of authority
if an agent purports to act on behalf of a principal, the agent gives an
implied warranty to all who deal with the agent in that capacity that the agent has the authority the agent purports to have. If the agent does not in fact have such authority to bind the principal, the agent is in breach of the warranty and may be sued on the warranty by a third party.
Agency K liabiity, false statements
if the agent falsely represented that the agent had no principal, then the principal may not enforce the contract, and the third party may rescind.
Agent personal liability for K
an agent is personally liable to third parties for a contract if:
(1) Credit is given to the agent personally in a transaction with the agent’s consent;
(2) The agent enters into a contract on behalf of the principal, knowing there is no authority to do so; or
(3) The agent commits any wrongful acts, including torts
Tort liability for agent and principal
a principal is liable for the principal’s own tortious conduct. Similarly, an agent is liable
for the agent’s own tortious conduct, even if the agent committed it at the principal’s direction.
Agent’s liabilty for Principal’s tortious conduct
: an agent is not liable for the principal’s
conduct unless the agent knew of and participated in the conduct.
Principal’s liability for agent’s tortious conduct
a principal is liable for the agent’s conduct if:
(1) The principal directed, authorized, or ratified the conduct;
(2) The principal delegated a nondelegable duty to the agent that the agent failed to perform
properly; (3) The principal withheld information from the agent, causing the agent’s misrepresentation;
or (4) The doctrine of respondeat superior applies
Coagent liability
are not liable for the acts of other coagents, but an appointing agent may be
liable for the negligent hiring of a coagent.
Subagent liability
: the principal, not the appointing agent, will be liable to third parties for any torts
committed by an authorized subagent. The appointing agent may be liable to the principal for the
acts of the subagent, and the appointing agent may be liable for negligent hiring of the subagent.
Respondeat superior
r: a principal may be held liable for the agent’s acts even if the agent’s acts
exceeded the agent’s authority or were contrary to the principal’s instructions
Negligent conduct liability
a principal is liable for an agent’s negligent conduct if: (1) there is an
existing agency relationship at the time of the agent’s act, (2) the agent committed a negligent
act or omission in violation of the agent’s duty, and (3) the tortious act or omission was
committed within the scope of the agent’s employment
Employer’s vicarious liability for employee conduct
an employer is vicariously liable for an employee’s torts that are
committed within the scope of employment, but an employer generally is not vicariously
liable for the tortious acts of an independent contractor unless:
(1) The agent is hired to complete a nondelegable duty (i.e., a definite and affirmative
duty imposed by law due to the person’s relationship with others);
(2) The agent is participating in an inherently dangerous activity that creates a particular
or peculiar risk of harm to others even if special precautions are taken; or
(3) The tort is committed within the scope of control the employer had over the agent
Employee vs independentant contractor
an employer has authority over the result of the
employee’s work and the way the employee achieves that result. The following factors
make it more likely that the relationship is one of employer-independent contractor:
(1) The agent is engaged in a distinct occupation or business;
(2) The work typically is done by a specialist without supervision;
(3) The work requires a greater degree of skill;
(4) The agent supplies the tools to complete the work;
(5) The services are to be performed within a comparably brief period of time;
(6) The payment is by job, as opposed to the amount of time spent;
(7) The work is not a part of the regular business of the principal; or
(8) The parties did not intend to create an employer-employee relationship
Joint and several liability
a principal cannot be liable for the agent’s conduct if the agent
is not liable for the agent’s own conduct. However, if a verdict is silent as to an agent’s
liability, then the principal still may be held liable
Scope of employment
an act is within the scope of employment if:
(1) The act was required by the employer or incidental to the employee’s duties; or
(2) The employee’s misconduct was reasonably foreseeable by the employer.
– Breaks: an employer may be liable for torts committed during breaks.
Frolic vs. detour
a principal will not be liable for the agent’s torts that are committed
during a frolic (i.e., substantial deviation or departure from the scope of employment),
but a principal may be held liable for an agent’s torts that are committed during
a detour (i.e., the main purpose of the activity is the employer’s business, but the
employee engages in an incidental personal act or slight delay).
Employer liability for acts during commutes
Commutes are considered outside the scope of employment unless:
(1) Such time is considered within the scope of employment (e.g., where travel time
and/or expenses are paid by the employer or such travel is required for the
employment); or
(2) The trip has an incidental benefit to the employer
Intentional conduct liability
an employer is liable for the employee’s intentional torts and malicious
acts only if the acts have a causal nexus to the employee’s work.
Principal’s duties
a principal must:
(1) Perform the contract between the principal and agent;
(2) Pay the compensation agreed upon or that is reasonable for the agent’s performance;
(3) Deal with the agent fairly and in good faith;
(4) Not unreasonably interfere with the agent’s work;
(5) Provide the agent with necessary and reasonable information, including information
about risks of physical harm or pecuniary loss; and
(6) Indemnify the agent for conduct resulting from the good-faith and reasonable performance
of the agent’s duties
Agent’s duties
duty of care and duty of loyalty
Agent’s duty of care
) Act in accordance with any contract between the principal and agent;
(2) Act with the care, competence, and diligence normally exercised under the circumstances
or, where the agent has special skills or knowledge, normally exercised by agents with
such special skills or knowledge;
(3) Act within the scope of the agent’s actual authority;
(4) Obey all reasonable commands, except commands to engage in illegal or unethical conduct;
(5) Engage in good conduct and refrain from conduct that would damage the principal’s business;
(6) Maintain candor and inform the principal of any material information or information the
principal would reasonably want to know; and
(7) Keep the principal’s property and accounts in good order and not mingle the principal’s
property with another’s or give the appearance that the property belongs to the agent.
Agent’s duty of loyalty
: the agent must act in the best interest of the principal. Can’t engage in self dealing, engage with adverse parties, compete with principal, or use principal’s confidential information and property
Agent’s duty of loyalty self-dealing
occurs when an agent obtains a material benefit from a transaction engaged
in on the principal’s behalf, unless the principal knows and consents
Agent’s duty of loyalty adverse parties
an agent may not engage with the principal on behalf of adverse parties
connected with the transaction. But an agent may act as a dual agent if both parties have
knowledge of and consent to the dual agency.
competition
an agent may not compete with the principal or usurp a business opportunity of the
principal. In CA, noncompetition agreements generally are not enforceable except (1) when a person
sells the goodwill of a business, (2) when a partner agrees not to compete in anticipation of the
dissolution of a partnership, or (3) as necessary to protect trade secrets.
Agent’s duty of loyalty confidiental information and property
: an agent must not use the principal’s confidential
information or property for the agent’s own purposes or the purposes of a third party. The duty of
confidentiality continues after the employment relationship ends. However, a former employee may
use the skills learned from the former employer in future employment opportunities
General partnership formation
unlike other business entities, does not require a written agreement or a filing with the secretary of state. There are three ways to create a general partnership: by agreement, filing, estoppel
General partnership formation by agreement
requires (1) an agreement between two or more persons (2) to carry
on as co-owners of a business for profit. The parties’ intent to form, or not form, a general
partnership is immaterial. The agreement may be oral, written, or inferred from conduct.
o Sharing Profits: if profits are shared, there is a rebuttable presumption that a general
partnership was formed.
o Right to Manage and Control: if there is a right to manage and control the business,
even if it is unequal, it is more likely that a partnership was formed.
o Property Ownership: joint property ownership or sharing of returns from property or investments, alone, are insufficient to establish a partnership, but they are considered
when determining if a partnership was formed.
a general partnership may be created by filing a statement with the secretary
of state.
General partnership formation by estoppel
presenting oneself to another as a partner, either by words or conduct, or consenting to being represented by another as a partner.
o Liability: a purported partner is liable, as if that person were a general partner, to
any third party who (1) receives the representation, (2) relies on the representation,
and (3) enters into a transaction with the actual or purported partnership.
General partnership rights
general partners have both economic (e.g., share of profits and losses, right to receive
distributions) and governance rights (i.e., management, consent, information, and judicial intervention),
subject to an agreement otherwise.
General partnership rights to profits
each partner is entitled to an equal share of the partnership’s profits. But partners may
decide to divide profits in a manner other than equally.
general partnership right to losses
each partner is charged with contributing to partnership losses in proportion to the
allocation of profits the partner otherwise would take