Partnerships Flashcards
What is RUPA?
Revised Uniform Partnership Act – governs business partnerships in the U.S.
Does a partnership involve an agency relationship?
Yes – there is a fiduciary relationship among all partners and between each partner and the partnership, so each partner can act as an agent for other partners or for the partnership
Who has the capacity to be a partner?
Anyone who has the capacity to contract
This includes infants, though the same rules for contracts apply (i.e. they are often voidable)
When would an infant be unable to withdraw from a partnership?
Insofar as a partnership is liable to a creditor(s)
Infants’ liability is limited to their contribution
Can a corporation become a partner?
Only if state law permits
Can a partnership become a partner of another partnership?
Yes, so long as all partners consent to it
What does it mean to say that a partnership is a separate legal entity?
Property acquired by the partnership belongs to it as a whole, not to any individual partners
What makes a partnership to be established as a separate legal entity?
If the partnership has the status of “employer” for workers’ compensation, then it is recognized as a separate entity
How is a partnership usually taxed?
NOT as a separate entity – partners are individually taxed according to their share of profit or loss (irrespective of any transfers of property within the partnership)
Is writing needed to establish a partnership?
Not necessarily – only as the Statute of Frauds requires
What is included in the articles of a partnership?
- name of partnership
- names/addresses of partners
- date partnership becomes effective
- intended duration of partnership
- description of partnership activity
- procedure to admit new partners
- how to share profits, losses, and interest on capital
- rights and duties of partners
- procedure to dissolve partnership, including distribution of surplus
What must be done if a partnership is formed under a fictitious name (i.e. a name besides an actual person)?
A certificate must be filed with the state’s secretary of state
Must list names and addresses of partners
Can a partnership still exist without having filed the appropriate certificate to the secretary of state?
Yes – it is not strictly required for existence, but the partnership can still be fined for noncompliance
Does the sharing of revenues establish a partnership?
No, it must also be established that they were not received as payment or consideration for something else
Does joint ownership establish a partnership?
No, even if the co-owners share profits through the shared property
What else does not establish a partnership?
Different people contributing capital to a single enterprise
Designating a business as a partnership
What is sufficient to determine what establishes a partnership?
Whether the parties intend to carry on, as partners, a business for profit – intending joint responsibility in running the business and profit- and loss-sharing
What occurs if a partner falsely presents another person as a partner, and that person then enters into agreements with a third party?
The fake partner can bind the actual partner into agreements with the third party – he is effectively an agent
This applies also to any other real partners who consented to the false presentation
What is a general partnership?
An ordinary partnership which consists solely of general partners
What is a limited partnership?
A partnership with at least one general partner and at least one limited partner
Created through the Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act (RULPA)
What is the difference between a general partner and a limited partner?
General partners share in running the business and the profits, but have unlimited liability
Limited partners contribute capital without helping to run the business, and have limited liability
What is a silent partner?
A partner with unlimited liability who nonetheless takes no part in running the business
What is an ostensible partner?
Someone who is not officially a partner but who, because he acts like one, could become a partner by estoppel
Also called a nominal partner
What is a dormant partner and a secret partner?
Dormant = partner who has the right to run the business but remains undisclosed and inactive
Secret = partner who is involved in running the business but remains undisclosed
Both partners, upon disclosure, attain unlimited liability
What is a limited liability partnership (LLP)?
A partnership where the general partners themselves have limited liability
Given that the partnership itself has property rights in the property it acquires and owns, what are the property rights of the partners themselves?
Their property is (1) the interest in the partnership and (2) the right to participate in running the partnership
What generally does NOT serve to indicate that property is owned by the partnership?
(1) the title is held in the partnership’s name
(2) the property was improved by partnership funds
What generally does serve to indicate that property is owned by the partnership?
(1) the property is used in the business
(2) it is tied with the partnership’s operations
How are profits and losses shared by partners?
Unless specified, profits are equally shared, even if capital is contributed unequally
And unless specified, losses are shared however the profits are
Can a partner’s interest in the partnership be assigned to someone else?
Yes, but this assignment would consist only of the rights to profit and capital – it would not make the assignee a partner or make the assignor a non-partner
Assignor is still liable for partnership debts
Can the creditor for a partner make claims upon partnership assets?
No, at most he can make claims against the partner’s interest in the partnership
How do partners have rights to manage the partnership?
Barring an agreement to the contrary, all partners have equal rights to manage/operate the business
How do partners have rights to use partnership property?
Each partner has rights to use partnership property for the sake of the business
This right is not part of the partner’s interest in the partnership, so it is not assignable, claimable by creditors, etc.
Can a partnership agreement waive the partners’ duties of loyalty and care to the partnership?
No, though they can provide ways to measure those duties
What are some things which RUPA forbids a partnership agreement from doing?
- unreasonably restricting partners’ access to records
- changing requirements for filing partnership statements
- permitting negligence by partners (i.e. reducing their duty of care unreasonably)
- removing the duty of good faith & fair dealing
- removing a partner’s right to withdraw at any time
- changing the rights of partners to have the partnership dissolved
What happens if a partnership does not have a particular rule (or any rules) outlined in its agreement?
RUPA has default rules which apply