Chapter 6: Business Organizations Flashcards
sole proprietorship
- the business has a person doing business for himself.
- oldest and simplest form of business
- capital must come from the owner’s own resources or borrowed
- 2 dis: limited alternatives exist for raising capital & owner is liable for all debts
partnership
- an association of 2 or more persons to carry on a business as co-owners for a profit.
- general partners share control over business’s operations and profits
- Common law: Not an independent legal entity -> a case could not be brought against business. The partner had to sue or be sued individually ..
- state law, fed law: partnership may be treated as legal entity.
- Partnership law is codified in the Uniform Partnership Act and Revised Uniform Part. Act.
written agreement of partnership
- basics: names place/date of formation, state law that applies
- finances: contributions of partners, when payments due, how additional capital contributions to be handled, allocation of ownership shares, acctg rules, distribution of profit, priority rights in payments.
- management: voting right of partners, appointment of managing partners, compensation committee.
- dissolution: procedures to followed if partnership is terminates, right to leave partnership, procedure to follow if partners die, how part. shares be valued, limits on transfers of part. shares, requirement to go to arbitration in case of dispute among partners.
No specific agreement of part.
UPA specifies and governs the rlts of parties
- Law does not require part. has a name or be registered -> ousiders might not know of its existence or who’s involved.
Duty of part.
Partners owe a fiduciary duty to one another.
fiduciary duty
ea partner act in good faith for the benefit of the part. The partners must place their personal interests beneath those of part.
Control by Partners
- Each partner has equal voice
- Regardless of who runs a part., the partners have duty to one another to disclose all financial aspects of the business and to be completely honest.
termination of Part.
- unwillingness or an inability to continue with business may bring an end
dissolution (part)
- occurs when an events take place that precludes the partners from engaging in any new business
- change in composition of the partners results in a new partnership and dissolution of the old one.
- withdrawal/death/bankrupt of a partner can cause diss.
- —->expensive so the part. would purchase life insurance on the partners, with the proceeds to be used to buy back the interests of a deceased partner from her estate.
winding up (part)
involves completing any unfinished business and then collecting and distributing the partnership’s assets
limited partnership
is a business organization made up of 2 or more persons who have entered into an agreement to carry on a business venture for a profit.
- not all partners can participate/not all liable for part. debts.
Uniform limited partnership act/ Revised Uniform Limited Partnership act (ULPA)
applied for Ltd Part.
certificate of LP
- Name of business, include L.P. or similar
- Type or character
- Address of an agent who receives legal process
- Names and addresses of ea general and limited partner
- Contributions
- Duration of LP
- The rights for personnel changes in the partnership and the continuance of the partnership upon those changes
- The proportion of the profits or other compensation that ea partner is entitled to receive.
Relationship of parties (LP)
- 1 general partner & 1 or more LIMITED PARTNERS.
- General part: same as partners in general part. (responsibility & liability)
- limited partners: investors. Can see partnership books/participate in dissolution. Not: liable.
Termination of LP
- Bankruptcy does not dissolve LP.
- Winding up: business continues to operate but not enter any new commitments.
- Fnal dispersal: creditors’ rights precede partners’ rights.
Corporation
- artificial person, legal entity.
- incorporation is now available to business regardless of field, size….
corporate charters
- State gov issues this to select business.
- intense competition
- might give business exclusive privilege.
Articles of incorporation
- Name, address
- Name, address of corp’s registered agent
- Purpose of the business
- The class of stock to be issued and their par value
- Names and addresses of incorporators
Certificate of incorporation
- received after sent application.
- incorporators wait until the state has issued the certificate before holding their first formal organizational meeting.
- At the meeting: 1. elect board of directors, enact bylaws, issue stocks.
bylaws
are rules that regulate and govern the internal operations of the corp.