Exam 3 Flashcards
What is Corporate Personhood?
A business entity possess similar, but not all, right to a natural person. It can be sued/sue, enter contracts, and donate to political campaigns
What can’t a corporation do under Corporate Personhood?
Cannot give an Affidavit
What are the main factors of choice in choosing a type of business organization?
- Limited Liability
- Formalities
- Ease of Financing
- Management
- Taxes
What is a Sole Proprietorship?
An extension of the business owner with the intention to carry a commercial enterprise to make a profit.
What are optional things a sole proprietor can do?
- Register a DBA
- Create a business plan
- Financing activities
When referring to Partnerships, what should be assumed unless otherwise specified?
We are referring to General Partnerships
What is required for a Partnership?
2 or more individuals with the intent to make profit.
Is an Expressed Agreement required in a Partnership?
No, it’s not necessary
Against whom are liabilities and contracts enforceable in a Sole Proprietorship?
The owner
Against whom are liabilities and contract enforceable in a Partnership?
All parties (owners) and/or the partnership (business) itself
What is joint and several liability?
Someone who is suing the partnership can sue each individual partner or as a group (whether whole or not)
What is a trade name? How is it created?
trade name is a “DBA” for partnerships and filed through notice in Superior Court and notice in the newspaper.
What is a Partnership Agreement?
Also called Articles of Partnership. It is a contract between all partners that outlines how the partnership is run (ex. profit distribution, ownership %, death of a partner)
What vote is required to transact business?
Ordinary course = Majority
Non-ordinary = Unanimous
What is Express Authority?
The principal defines an agent’s express authority.
What is Implied Authority?
Authority that is not expressed but is implied through the nature of the agency-principal relationship.
What is Apparent Authority?
Causes a third person reasonably to believe that another has the authority to act for the principal.
What is the exception for a third party’s
defense of Apparent Authority?
When the third party known or should have reasonably known the agent had no authority.
What does “Respondeat Superior” mean?
“Let the master answer”
What Legal Duties to partners owe each other in a Partnership?
- Duty of Loyalty
- Duty of Good Faith
- Duty of Care
- Duty to Inform
- Duty to Account
What are the basic types of partnerships?
- General
- Limited Partnership (LP) where partners are split into general (no limited liability) and limited (limited liability)
- Limited Liability Limited Partnership (LLLP) where both types of partners enjoy limited liability
What is stock?
Ownership in a corporation
Who issues stock of a corporation?
The Board of Directors
Who is liable for corporate contracts, liabilities, and debts?
The corporation only
What is piercing the corporate veil?
Shareholders can still be held liable beyond the corporate entity
How is piercing the corporate veil commonly achieved?
- Co-mingling of personal and corporate assets
- Treating corporation as alter ego
What are Municipal Corporations?
Corporations formed by legislature by the State
What is a Close Corporation?
Small corporation in which shareholders share a relationship with each other. Typically not publicly traded.
What is the basic structure of a corporation?
- Officers (day-to-day)
- Board of Directors (elect Officers)
- Shareholders (elect Board of Directors)
If a corporation has only one class of stock, what is it called?
Common
If a person purchases stock from a corporation, they are said to…
Subscribe to the stock
What rights do shareholders have?
- Inspection
- Elect board of directors
- Receive dividends
What is treasury stock?
Stock owned by the corporations either because they have not been issued or they purchased them back.
What meetings must be held for shareholders?
Annual meetings
What is Proxy voting?
Granting authority to another shareholder to vote on your behalf.
What is Cumulative voting?
Using number of votes for certain issues. This must be in the by-laws.
What are dividends?
Distribution of profits to shareholders
How are dividends calculated?
- Knowing the # of owned shares to # of shares outstanding and the profit
- Other classes (such as preferred) an effect this calculation
What is the role of the Board of Directors?
- Decide to issue dividends
- Elect officers
- Set price of stock
- Buy/lease/sell company property in ordinary course of business
What are Officers and what do they do in a corporation?
Officers are agents of the corporations and manage the dat-to-day operations of the corporation
What duties to Officers and Directors owe to the corporation?
- Loyalty
- Care
- Good Faith
How is a corporation formed?
- Pre-Incorporation
- promoters
- optional name reservation
- choice of State - Articles of Incorporation (w/ Secretary of State)
- pertinent information
- registered agent - Organizational Meeting
- Adopt governing doc’s
- ratify actions - Governing Documents
- Articles of Incorporation.
- Bylaws - Issue Shares
- Board of Directors