2021 Oregon Revised Statutes
Chapter 060 - Private Corporations
Section 60.001 - Definitions.


(1) "Anniversary" means the day each year that is exactly one or more years after:
(a) The date on which the Secretary of State files the articles of incorporation for a domestic corporation.
(b) The date on which the Secretary of State files an application for authority to transact business for a foreign corporation.
(2) "Articles of incorporation" means the articles described in ORS 60.047, amended and restated articles of incorporation, articles of conversion or articles of merger.
(3) "Authorized shares" means the shares of all classes that a domestic or foreign corporation is authorized to issue.
(4) "Conspicuous" means written, printed, typed, displayed or otherwise presented so that a reasonable person against whom a writing is to operate should have noticed the writing as a consequence of a use of a method to draw attention to the writing, such as italics, boldface, contrasting color, capitalization or underlining.
(5) "Corporation" or "domestic corporation" means a corporation for profit that is incorporated under or subject to the provisions of this chapter and that is not a foreign corporation.
(6) "Delivery" means any method of delivery used in conventional commercial practice, including by hand, mail, commercial delivery and, in accordance with ORS 60.034, electronic transmission.
(7) "Distribution" means a direct or indirect transfer of money or other property, except of a corporation’s own shares, or a corporation’s incurrence of indebtedness to or for the benefit of the corporation’s shareholders in respect of any of the corporation’s shares, in the form of a declaration or payment of a dividend, a purchase, redemption or other acquisition of shares, a distribution of indebtedness, or otherwise.
(8) "Document" means:
(a) A medium that embodies information in tangible form, including any writing or written instrument; or
(b) An electronic medium that embodies information that a person may retain, retrieve and reproduce, in tangible form or otherwise, by means of an automated process that is used in conventional commercial practice, except as otherwise provided in ORS 60.034 (4)(c).
(9) "Domestic limited liability company" means an entity that is an unincorporated association that has one or more members and that is organized under ORS chapter 63.
(10) "Domestic nonprofit corporation" means a corporation not for profit that is incorporated under ORS chapter 65.
(11) "Domestic professional corporation" means a corporation that is organized under ORS chapter 58 for the purpose of rendering professional services and for the purposes provided under ORS chapter 58.
(12) "Electronic notice revocation" means a notice in which a person states that the person will not accept delivery of certain communications by means of electronic transmission.
(13) "Electronic signature" has the meaning given that term in ORS 84.004.
(14) "Electronic transmission" means a form or process of communication that does not directly involve physically transferring paper or another tangible medium and that enables a recipient to retain, retrieve and reproduce information by means of an automated process that is used in conventional commercial practice, except as provided in ORS 60.034 (4)(c).
(15) "Employee" includes an officer but not a director, unless the director accepts duties that make the director also an employee.
(16) "Entity" means a corporation, foreign corporation, nonprofit corporation, profit or nonprofit unincorporated association, business trust, partnership, two or more persons that have a joint or common economic interest, any state, the United States, a federally recognized Native American or American Indian tribal government and any foreign government.
(17) "Foreign corporation" means a corporation for profit that is incorporated under laws other than the laws of the state.
(18) "Foreign limited liability company" means an entity that is an unincorporated association organized under laws other than the laws of the state and that is organized under a statute under which an association may be formed that affords to each of the entity’s members limited liability with respect to liabilities of the entity.
(19) "Foreign nonprofit corporation" means a corporation not for profit that is organized under laws other than the laws of the state.
(20) "Foreign professional corporation" means a professional corporation that is organized under laws other than the laws of the state.
(21) "Governmental subdivision" includes an authority, county, district and municipality.
(22) "Individual" means a natural person or the estate of an incompetent individual or a deceased individual.
(23) "Office," when used to refer to the administrative unit directed by the Secretary of State, means the office of the Secretary of State.
(24) "Person" means an individual or entity.
(25)(a) "Principal office" means the physical street address of an office, in or out of this state, where the principal executive offices of a domestic or foreign corporation are located and designated in the annual report or in the application for authority to transact business in this state.
(b) "Principal office" does not include a commercial mail receiving agency, a mail forwarding business or a virtual office.
(26) "Proceeding" means a civil, criminal, administrative or investigatory action.
(27) "Record date" means the date established under this chapter on which a corporation determines the identity of the corporation’s shareholders and their shareholdings for purposes of this chapter.
(28) "Remote communication" means any method by which a person that is not physically present at the location at which a meeting occurs may nevertheless hear or otherwise communicate at substantially the same time with other persons at the meeting and have access to materials necessary to participate or vote in the meeting to the extent of the person’s authorization to participate or vote.
(29) "Share" means a unit into which the proprietary interest in a corporation is divided.
(30) "Shareholder" means a person in whose name a share is registered in the records of a corporation or the beneficial owner of a share to the extent of the rights granted by a nominee certificate on file with a corporation.
(31) "Shell entity" means an entity that has the characteristics described in ORS 60.661 (1)(a)(C)(i).
(32) "Sign" means to indicate a present intent to authenticate or adopt a document by:
(a) Affixing a symbol to the document;
(b) Inscribing or affixing a manual, facsimile or conformed signature on the document; or
(c) Attaching to, or logically associating with, an electronic transmission any electronic sound, symbol or process, including an electronic signature.
(33) "Signature" means any embodiment of a person’s intent to sign a document.
(34) "Single voting group" means a voting group, the shares of which are entitled by the articles of incorporation or this chapter to vote generally on a matter.
(35) "State," when referring to a part of the United States, means a state, commonwealth, territory or insular possession of the United States and the agencies and governmental subdivisions of the state, commonwealth, territory or insular possession.
(36) "Subscriber" means a person who subscribes for shares in a corporation, whether before or after incorporation.
(37) "United States" means the federal government or a district, authority, bureau, commission, department or any other agency of the United States.
(38) "Voting group" means all shares of one or more classes or series that under the articles of incorporation or this chapter are entitled to vote and be counted together collectively on a matter at a meeting of shareholders.
(39) "Written" means embodied as a document. [1987 c.414 §64; 1989 c.1040 §2; 1999 c.362 §3; 1999 c.371 §2; 2001 c.104 §16; 2001 c.315 §32; 2003 c.80 §1; 2005 c.107 §1; 2009 c.14 §1; 2009 c.294 §4; 2013 c.158 §19; 2013 c.274 §1; 2017 c.705 §§8,8a]

Structure 2021 Oregon Revised Statutes

2021 Oregon Revised Statutes

Volume : 02 - Business Organizations, Commercial Code

Chapter 060 - Private Corporations

Section 60.001 - Definitions.

Section 60.004 - Filing requirements.

Section 60.011 - Effective time and date of document.

Section 60.014 - Correcting filed document.

Section 60.017 - Filing duty of Secretary of State.

Section 60.024 - Evidentiary effect of copy of filed document.

Section 60.027 - Certificate of existence or authorization.

Section 60.032 - Investigations of violations of chapter; confidentiality; penalties; administrative dissolution; rules.

Section 60.034 - Notice.

Section 60.047 - Articles of incorporation.

Section 60.051 - Incorporation.

Section 60.057 - Organization of corporation.

Section 60.061 - Bylaws.

Section 60.064 - Emergency bylaws.

Section 60.074 - Purposes; prohibition on illegal purposes.

Section 60.077 - General powers.

Section 60.081 - Emergency powers.

Section 60.084 - Challenges to validity of corporate acts.

Section 60.094 - Corporate name.

Section 60.097 - Reserved name.

Section 60.101 - Registered name.

Section 60.111 - Registered office and registered agent.

Section 60.114 - Change of registered office or registered agent.

Section 60.117 - Resignation of registered agent.

Section 60.121 - Service on corporation.

Section 60.131 - Authorized shares.

Section 60.134 - Terms of class or series determined by board of directors.

Section 60.137 - Issued and outstanding shares.

Section 60.141 - Fractional shares.

Section 60.144 - Subscription for shares before incorporation.

Section 60.147 - Issuance of shares.

Section 60.151 - Liability of shareholders.

Section 60.154 - Share dividends.

Section 60.157 - Share rights, options, warrants and other equity compensation; designation by officers.

Section 60.161 - Form and content of certificates.

Section 60.164 - Shares without certificates.

Section 60.167 - Restriction on transfer of shares and other securities.

Section 60.174 - Preemptive rights of shareholders.

Section 60.177 - Corporation’s acquisition of its own shares.

Section 60.181 - Distributions to shareholders.

Section 60.201 - Annual meeting.

Section 60.204 - Special meeting.

Section 60.207 - Court-ordered meeting.

Section 60.209 - Meeting chairperson; closing of polls.

Section 60.211 - Action without meeting.

Section 60.214 - Notice of meeting.

Section 60.217 - Waiver of notice.

Section 60.221 - Record date.

Section 60.222 - Participation at meeting.

Section 60.223 - Meeting inspectors; duties.

Section 60.224 - Shareholders’ list for meeting.

Section 60.227 - Voting entitlement of shares.

Section 60.231 - Proxies.

Section 60.234 - Shares held by nominees.

Section 60.237 - Corporations’ acceptance or rejection of votes, consents, waivers or proxy authorizations.

Section 60.241 - Quorum and voting requirements for voting groups.

Section 60.244 - Action by single and multiple voting groups.

Section 60.247 - Modification of quorum or voting requirements.

Section 60.251 - Voting for directors.

Section 60.254 - Voting trusts.

Section 60.257 - Voting agreements.

Section 60.261 - Derivative proceedings.

Section 60.265 - Validity of shareholder agreements inconsistent with chapter; purposes; notice of agreement; effect on liability.

Section 60.270 - Definitions for ORS 60.270 to 60.291.

Section 60.273 - Defective corporate action; ratification or validation; effective date.

Section 60.276 - Ratification by board of directors; procedure; submission to shareholders.

Section 60.279 - Quorum; notice to shareholders of proposed ratification.

Section 60.282 - Notice of ratification by board of directors.

Section 60.285 - Corrected corporate action; validity; effective date.

Section 60.288 - Articles of validation; filing with Secretary of State.

Section 60.291 - Judicial review of corporate action; persons permitted to seek review.

Section 60.301 - Requirement for and duties of board of directors.

Section 60.307 - Number and election of directors.

Section 60.314 - Terms of directors generally.

Section 60.317 - Staggered terms for directors.

Section 60.321 - Resignation of directors.

Section 60.324 - Removal of directors by shareholders.

Section 60.327 - Removal of directors by judicial proceeding.

Section 60.331 - Vacancy on board.

Section 60.337 - Meetings.

Section 60.341 - Action without meeting.

Section 60.344 - Notice of meeting.

Section 60.347 - Waiver of notice.

Section 60.351 - Quorum and voting.

Section 60.354 - Committees; powers; limitations.

Section 60.357 - General standards for directors.

Section 60.361 - Conflict of interest.

Section 60.364 - Loans to directors.

Section 60.367 - Liability for unlawful distributions.

Section 60.371 - Required officers.

Section 60.377 - Standard of conduct for officers.

Section 60.381 - Resignation and removal of officers.

Section 60.384 - Contract right of officers.

Section 60.387 - Definitions for ORS 60.387 to 60.414.

Section 60.391 - Authority to indemnify directors.

Section 60.397 - Payment of director’s expenses in connection with proceeding.

Section 60.401 - Court-ordered indemnification.

Section 60.404 - Determination and authorization of indemnification.

Section 60.407 - Indemnification of officers, employees and agents.

Section 60.414 - Application of ORS 60.387 to 60.411.

Section 60.431 - Authority.

Section 60.434 - Amendment by board of directors.

Section 60.437 - Amendment by board of directors and shareholders.

Section 60.441 - Voting on amendments by voting groups.

Section 60.447 - Articles of amendment.

Section 60.451 - Restated articles of incorporation.

Section 60.454 - Amendment pursuant to reorganization.

Section 60.461 - Amendment or repeal by board of directors or shareholders.

Section 60.464 - Bylaw increasing quorum or voting requirement for shareholders.

Section 60.467 - Bylaw increasing quorum or voting requirement for directors.

Section 60.470 - Definitions for ORS 60.470 to 60.501.

Section 60.472 - Conversion.

Section 60.474 - Action on plan of conversion.

Section 60.476 - Articles and plan of conversion.

Section 60.478 - Effect of conversion; assumed business name.

Section 60.481 - Merger.

Section 60.484 - Share exchange.

Section 60.487 - Action on plan of merger or share exchange.

Section 60.491 - Merger with subsidiary.

Section 60.494 - Articles and plan of merger or share exchange.

Section 60.497 - Effect of merger or share exchange.

Section 60.501 - Merger or share exchange with foreign corporation.

Section 60.531 - Sale of assets in regular course of business; mortgage of assets.

Section 60.534 - Sale of assets other than in regular course of business.

Section 60.551 - Definitions for ORS 60.551 to 60.594.

Section 60.554 - Right to dissent.

Section 60.557 - Dissent by nominees and beneficial owners.

Section 60.561 - Notice of dissenters’ rights.

Section 60.564 - Notice of intent to demand payment.

Section 60.567 - Dissenters’ notice.

Section 60.571 - Duty to demand payment.

Section 60.574 - Share restrictions.

Section 60.577 - Payment.

Section 60.581 - Failure to take action.

Section 60.584 - After-acquired shares.

Section 60.587 - Procedure if shareholder dissatisfied with payment or offer.

Section 60.591 - Court action.

Section 60.594 - Court costs and counsel fees.

Section 60.621 - Dissolution by incorporators or initial directors.

Section 60.627 - Dissolution by board of directors and shareholders.

Section 60.631 - Articles of dissolution.

Section 60.634 - Revocation of dissolution.

Section 60.637 - Effect of dissolution.

Section 60.641 - Known claims against dissolved corporation.

Section 60.644 - Unknown claims against dissolved corporation; use of insurance assets of dissolved corporation.

Section 60.645 - Enforcement of claims against dissolved corporation.

Section 60.647 - Grounds for administrative dissolution.

Section 60.651 - Procedure; effect of administrative dissolution.

Section 60.654 - Reinstatement following administrative dissolution.

Section 60.657 - Appeal from denial of reinstatement.

Section 60.661 - Grounds for judicial dissolution; finding that corporation is shell entity; prima facie showing by Attorney General; effects; affirmative defenses.

Section 60.664 - Procedure for judicial dissolution.

Section 60.667 - Receivership or custodianship.

Section 60.671 - Judgment of dissolution.

Section 60.701 - Authority to transact business required.

Section 60.704 - Consequences of transacting business without authority.

Section 60.707 - Application for authority to transact business.

Section 60.711 - Amendment to application for authority.

Section 60.714 - Effect of authority.

Section 60.717 - Corporate name of foreign corporation.

Section 60.721 - Registered office and registered agent of foreign corporation.

Section 60.724 - Change of registered office or registered agent of foreign corporation.

Section 60.727 - Resignation of registered agent of foreign corporation.

Section 60.731 - Service on foreign corporation.

Section 60.734 - Withdrawal of foreign corporation.

Section 60.737 - Grounds for revocation.

Section 60.741 - Procedure for and effect of revocation.

Section 60.747 - Reinstatement of authority.

Section 60.750 - Definitions for ORS 60.750 to 60.770.

Section 60.752 - Application of benefit company laws.

Section 60.754 - Status as benefit company; election to become benefit company; election to become other entity; votes required.

Section 60.756 - Minimum status vote required to approve certain actions; voting requirements.

Section 60.758 - Benefit company purposes and powers.

Section 60.760 - Duties of, standard of conduct for and liabilities of governor of benefit company.

Section 60.762 - Benefit company board of governors; benefit governor; duties, powers and liabilities.

Section 60.764 - Duties of, standard of conduct for and liabilities of officers and managers of benefit company.

Section 60.766 - Proceedings against benefit company; when allowed; who may commence.

Section 60.768 - Benefit report; contents required; delivery and posting.

Section 60.770 - Assessment of public benefit.

Section 60.771 - Corporate records.

Section 60.774 - Inspection of records by shareholders.

Section 60.777 - Scope of inspection right.

Section 60.781 - Court-ordered inspection.

Section 60.787 - Annual report; updates; rules.

Section 60.801 - Definitions for ORS 60.801 to 60.816.

Section 60.804 - Applicability of ORS 60.801 to 60.816.

Section 60.807 - Voting rights of control shares.

Section 60.810 - Acquiring person statement; shareholder meeting.

Section 60.813 - Dissenters’ rights.

Section 60.816 - Short title.

Section 60.825 - Definitions for ORS 60.825 to 60.845.

Section 60.830 - Ownership of shares.

Section 60.835 - Prohibited business combinations.

Section 60.840 - Exceptions to ORS 60.835.

Section 60.952 - Court proceeding by shareholder in close corporation; conditions; court-ordered remedies; share purchase; expenses.

Section 60.964 - Saving provisions.

Section 60.992 - Penalty for signing false document.

Section 60.994 - Liability for certain actions in connection with operation of shell entity; actions as false claim; enforcement by civil action.