Corporations Flashcards
General partnership (UPA)
- Association of two or more people to carry on as co-owners of a business for profit forms a partnership
- Silent on intent
General partnership (RUPA)
- Association of two or more persons to carry on as co-owners of a business for profit forms a partnership
- Whether or not the person intends to form a partnership
Partnership property (general partnership)
Partnership can own, buy, and sell property
Formation (general partnership)
- Profit sharing is prima facie evidence of partnership
- Unless profit was received in payment of debt, wages, rent, interest on a loan, or consideration for the sale of the business or its assets
Personal liability (general partnership)
- Unlimited personal liability
Joint and several liability (general partnership; UPA)
- Joint liability for contracts
- Joint and several liability for torts
Joint and several liability (general partnership; RUPA)
Joint and several liability for all obligations
Indemnification (general partnership)
Partnership must indemnify a partner for expenses incurred by the partner in the ordinary course of partnership business
Contribution (general partnership)
Partners must contribute to the partnership if the partnership is unable to satisfy its obligations including any indemnification obligations
Duties (general partnership)
Partners must:
* Repay all contributions
* Share equally in profits and losses
* Unless parties decide otherwise
Ordinary business decisions (general partnership)
Decided by majority of all partners
Major business decisions (general partnership)
Requires consent of all partners
Order of repayment (general partnership)
- Non-partner creditors
- Partner creditors who are owed money for things other than return of capital or profits
- Return of capital
- Return of profits
Dissolution (at-will partnership)
- No definite term
- Power to leave anytime
Dissolution (term partnership)
- Parties agreed to definite term
- Power to leave but results in breach of contract
Narrow shield (LLP)
Protects against malpractice and tort claims
Full shield (LLP)
Protects against all claims
Formation (LLP)
- Documentation including “[name], LLP”
- Liability insurance
Liability (LLP)
Limited liability from the firm’s debt obligations
Restrictions (LLP)
Only lawyers, doctors, accountants, and architects can form LLPs
Structure (LP)
General partner
* At least one
Limited partner
* At least one
Control rule (LP)
If limited partner influence control of business in any way, they lose shield of liability
Formation (LP)
- Documentation including “[name], LP”
- Certification of limited partnership filed with secretary of state
Liability (LP)
General partner
* Unlimited liability
Limited partner
* No liability unless participating in control of business
Structure (LLLP)
Limited partnership where all partners have limited liability
Formation (LLLP)
Same as LP
Liability (LLLP)
- LLP is like general partner of LP
- LLP liable for debt of limited partnership
- Until funds of LLP exhausted
Operating agreement (LLC)
Includes management and control, buyout arrangements, voting, and compensation
Formation (LLC)
- Articles of organization filed with secretary of state
- Operating agreement
Piercing the veil (LLC, corporation)
No personal liability unless factors justify piercing the veil:
* Alter ego
o Commingling of funds and assets
o Failure to observe corporate formalities
o Undercapitalization
* Deception, misrepresentation, fraud
Manager-managed (LLC)
- Selected managers run business
- Only managers have authority to bind business
- Members do not have agency authority
Member-managed (LLC)
- Every member has management authority
- Members have authority to bind business
- Members are agents
Naming (corporation)
- Distinguishable
- Not likely to mislead
- Contains words or abbreviation indicating corporate status
De jure (corporation)
Legal corporation
De facto (corporation)
Corporation arises from good faith attempt to incorporate if there is a valid law under which corporation could be organized, the corporation attempted to organize, and the corporate franchise is actually used
Corporation by estoppel (corporation)
Third party who contracts with corporation is estopped from denying its existence
Powers (corporation)
What corporation has ability to do under the law
Purpose (corporation)
Why corporation is being created in the first place
Ultra vires (corporation)
- When corporation goes “beyond its [purpose]”
- Actions that go beyond purpose are void
Formation (corporation)
- Articles of incorporation filed with secretary of state
- Bylaws
Promoter liability (corporation)
Promoter has fiduciary duty to general creditors, co-promoters, corporations, shareholders, and future shareholders
Promoter (corporation)
Person who takes the initiative in founding/organizing a business
Pre-incorporation contracts (corporation)
- Promoter is generally liable unless they show contrary intent
- Types of pre-incorporation contracts
o Contract in name of promoter (promoter liable)
o Contract in name of corporation (promoter liable)
o Contract in name of corporation not yet formed (liability of promoter depends on what court finds to be parties’ intent) - Corporation is not liable unless contract adopted after incorporation
Express adoption (corporation)
Signed in writing
Implied adoption (corporation)
Adoption through action
Novation
Promoter only released from liability if corporation, promoter, and third party agree to remove name from contract
Defective incorporation (corporation)
Persons acting on behalf of corporation knowing there was no incorporation are jointly and severally liable
Watered stock liability (corporation)
- Stock issue for less than par value
- Shareholders who purchase watered stock are liable for difference between amount paid and what should have been paid
Board of directors (corporation)
- Managers
- Agents
Officers (corporation)
- CEO, COO
- Carry out decisions of managers
- Agents
Shareholders (agency relationships)
Not agents
Common shares (corporation)
- Right to vote for directors
- Right to distributions
Preferred shares (corporation)
- Preferred right to distributions
- No right to vote
Participating preferred (corporation)
Participate in both preferred and common payouts
Cumulative shares (corporation)
Any dividend not paid the year before accumulates
Non-cumulative shares (corporation)
Dividend disappears if not paid
Consideration for shares (MBCA 1969; corporation)
Labor or services to be performed and promissory notes not allowed
Consideration for shares (MBCA 2002; corporation)
Labor or services to be performed and promissory notes allowed
Conversion (corporation)
- Preferred shareholder can covert to common stock
- Common shareholders cannot cover to preferred
Liquidation preferences (corporation)
Preferred shareholders get paid first if corporation liquidates
Redemption rights (corporation)
Corporation can buy back (or “call”) redeemable share at predetermined price
Preemptive rights (corporation)
Shareholders have right to purchase new issuance of stock by the corporation before it is offered to the public in proportion to their existing stock