A. In the case of a domestic corporation that is a party to a merger, where the members of any merging corporation have voting rights the plan of merger shall be adopted by the board of directors. Except as provided in subsection F, after adopting a plan of merger, the board of directors shall submit the plan to the members for their approval.
The board of directors shall also transmit to the members a recommendation that the members approve the plan, unless the board of directors makes a determination that because of conflicts of interest or other special circumstances it should not make such a recommendation, in which case the board of directors shall transmit to the members the basis for that determination.
B. The board of directors may condition its submission of the plan of merger to the members on any basis.
C. If the plan of merger is required to be approved by the members, and if the approval is to be given at a meeting, the corporation shall notify each member, whether or not entitled to vote, of the meeting of members at which the plan is to be submitted for approval. The notice shall state that the purpose, or one of the purposes, of the meeting is to consider the plan and contain or be accompanied by a copy or summary of the plan. If the corporation is to be merged into an existing domestic or foreign corporation or eligible entity and its members are to receive membership or other interests in the surviving corporation or eligible entity, the notice shall also include or be accompanied by a copy or summary of the articles of incorporation or organic document of that corporation or eligible entity. If the corporation is to be merged into a domestic or foreign corporation or eligible entity that is to be created pursuant to the merger and its members are to receive membership or other interests in the surviving corporation or eligible entity, the notice shall include or be accompanied by a copy or a summary of the articles of incorporation or organic document of the new domestic or foreign corporation or eligible entity.
D. Unless the articles of incorporation or the board of directors acting pursuant to subsection B, requires a greater vote, the plan of merger to be authorized shall be approved by each voting group entitled to vote on the plan by more than two-thirds of all the votes cast by that voting group at a meeting at which a quorum of the voting group exists. The articles of incorporation may provide for a greater or lesser vote than that provided for in this subsection or a vote by separate voting groups so long as the vote provided for is not less than a majority of all the votes cast on the plan by each voting group entitled to vote on the transaction at a meeting at which a quorum of the voting group exists.
E. Separate voting by voting groups is required:
1. On a plan of merger by each class of members:
a. Whose membership interests are to be converted under the plan of merger into membership interests in a different domestic or foreign corporation, or eligible interests or other securities, obligations, rights to acquire membership interests, eligible interests or other securities, cash, other property, or any combination of the foregoing; or
b. Who would be entitled to vote as a separate group on a provision in the plan that, if contained in a proposed amendment to the articles of incorporation, would require action by separate voting groups under § 13.1-887.
2. On a plan of merger, if the voting group is entitled under the articles of incorporation to vote as a voting group to approve a plan of merger.
F. Unless the articles of incorporation otherwise provide, approval by the corporation's members of a plan of merger is not required if:
1. The corporation will survive the merger;
2. Except for amendments permitted by subsection B of § 13.1-885, its articles of incorporation will not be changed; and
3. Each person who is a member of the corporation immediately before the effective time of the merger will retain the same membership interest with identical designation, preferences, limitations, and rights immediately after the effective time of the merger.
G. Where any merging corporation has no members, or no members having voting rights, a plan of merger shall be adopted at a meeting of the board of directors of such corporation upon receiving the vote of a majority of the directors in office.
H. If as a result of a merger one or more members of a domestic corporation would become subject to owner liability for the debts, obligations, or liabilities of any other person or entity, approval of the plan of merger shall require the execution by each member of a separate written consent to become subject to such owner liability.
Code 1950, § 13.1-242; 1956, c. 428; 1985, c. 522; 2002, c. 607; 2007, c. 925; 2015, c. 611.
Structure Code of Virginia
Chapter 10 - Virginia Nonstock Corporation Act
§ 13.1-802. Reservation of power to amend or repeal
§ 13.1-804. Filing requirements
§ 13.1-804.1. Filing with the Commission pursuant to reorganization
§ 13.1-805. Issuance of certificate by Commission; recordation of documents
§ 13.1-806. Effective time and date of document
§ 13.1-807. Correcting filed articles
§ 13.1-808. Evidentiary effect of copy of filed document
§ 13.1-809. Certificate of good standing
§ 13.1-810. Notices and other communications
§ 13.1-810.1. Number of members
§ 13.1-811. Penalty for signing false documents
§ 13.1-812. Unlawful to transact or offer to transact business as a corporation unless authorized
§ 13.1-813. Hearing and finality of Commission action; injunctions
§ 13.1-814. Shares of stock and dividends prohibited
§ 13.1-814.1. Special provisions for community associations
§ 13.1-815.1. Charter and entrance fees for corporations
§ 13.1-816. Fees for filing documents or issuing certificates
§ 13.1-819. Articles of incorporation
§ 13.1-820. Issuance of certificate of incorporation
§ 13.1-821. Liability for preincorporation transactions
§ 13.1-822. Organization of corporation
§ 13.1-833. Registered office and registered agent
§ 13.1-834. Change of registered office or registered agent
§ 13.1-835. Resignation of registered agent
§ 13.1-836. Service on corporation
§ 13.1-840. Court-ordered meeting
§ 13.1-841. Corporate action without meeting
§ 13.1-844.1. Conduct of the meeting
§ 13.1-844.2. Remote participation in annual and special meetings
§ 13.1-845. Members' list for meeting
§ 13.1-846. Voting entitlement of members
§ 13.1-847.1. Voting procedures and inspectors of elections
§ 13.1-848. Corporation's acceptance of votes
§ 13.1-849. Quorum and voting requirements for voting groups
§ 13.1-850. Action by single and multiple voting groups
§ 13.1-851. Change in quorum or voting requirements
§ 13.1-852. Voting for directors; cumulative voting
§ 13.1-852.1. Member or director agreements
§ 13.1-852.2. Voting agreements
§ 13.1-853. Requirement for and duties of board of directors
§ 13.1-854. Qualification of directors
§ 13.1-855. Number and election of directors
§ 13.1-856. Election of directors by certain classes of members
§ 13.1-857. Terms of directors generally
§ 13.1-858. Staggered terms of directors
§ 13.1-859. Resignation of directors
§ 13.1-860. Removal of directors
§ 13.1-861. Judicial review of elections
§ 13.1-862. Vacancy on board of directors
§ 13.1-863. Compensation of directors
§ 13.1-864. Meetings of the board of directors
§ 13.1-865. Action without meeting of board of directors
§ 13.1-866. Notice of board of directors' meetings
§ 13.1-867. Waiver of notice by director
§ 13.1-868. Quorum and voting by directors
§ 13.1-870. General standards of conduct for directors
§ 13.1-870.1. Limitation on liability of officers and directors; exception
§ 13.1-870.2. Limitation on liability of officers and directors; additional exception
§ 13.1-871. Director conflict of interests
§ 13.1-871.1. Business opportunities
§ 13.1-873. Duties of officers
§ 13.1-874. Resignation and removal of officers
§ 13.1-876. Authority to indemnify
§ 13.1-877. Mandatory indemnification
§ 13.1-878. Advance for expenses
§ 13.1-879.1. Court orders for advances, reimbursement or indemnification
§ 13.1-880. Determination and authorization of indemnification
§ 13.1-881. Indemnification of officers
§ 13.1-883. Application of article
§ 13.1-884. Authority to amend articles of incorporation
§ 13.1-885. Amendment of articles of incorporation by directors
§ 13.1-886. Amendment of articles of incorporation by directors and members
§ 13.1-887. Voting on amendments by voting groups
§ 13.1-887.1. Amendment prior to organization
§ 13.1-888. Articles of amendment
§ 13.1-889. Restated articles of incorporation
§ 13.1-891. Effect of amendment of articles of incorporation
§ 13.1-892. Amendment of bylaws by board of directors or members
§ 13.1-893. Bylaw provisions increasing quorum or voting requirements for directors
§ 13.1-895. Action on plan of merger
§ 13.1-896. Articles of merger
§ 13.1-897.1. Abandonment of a merger
§ 13.1-898.3. Action on plan of domestication by a domestic corporation
§ 13.1-898.4. Articles of domestication
§ 13.1-898.5. Surrender of articles of incorporation upon domestication
§ 13.1-898.6. Effect of domestication
§ 13.1-898.7. Abandonment of domestication
§ 13.1-899. Sale of assets in regular course of business
§ 13.1-900. Sale of assets other than in regular course of business
§ 13.1-901. Sale of certain real property by incorporated educational institutions
§ 13.1-902. Dissolution by directors and members
§ 13.1-903. Dissolution by directors
§ 13.1-904. Articles of dissolution
§ 13.1-905. Revocation of dissolution
§ 13.1-906. Effect of dissolution
§ 13.1-907. Distribution and plan of distribution of assets
§ 13.1-908. Known claims against dissolved corporation
§ 13.1-908.1. Other claims against dissolved corporation
§ 13.1-908.2. Court proceedings
§ 13.1-909. Grounds for judicial dissolution
§ 13.1-910. Receivership or custodianship
§ 13.1-911. Decree of dissolution
§ 13.1-912. Articles of termination of corporate existence
§ 13.1-913. Termination of corporate existence by incorporators or initial directors
§ 13.1-914. Automatic termination of corporate existence
§ 13.1-915. Involuntary termination of corporate existence
§ 13.1-916. Reinstatement of a corporation that has ceased to exist
§ 13.1-917. Survival of remedy after termination of corporate existence
§ 13.1-919. Authority to transact business required
§ 13.1-920. Consequences of transacting business without authority
§ 13.1-921. Application for certificate of authority
§ 13.1-922. Amended certificate of authority
§ 13.1-923. Effect of certificate of authority
§ 13.1-924. Corporate name of foreign corporation
§ 13.1-925. Registered office and registered agent of foreign corporation
§ 13.1-926. Change of registered office or registered agent of a foreign corporation
§ 13.1-927. Resignation of registered agent of foreign corporation
§ 13.1-928. Service of process on foreign corporation
§ 13.1-928.1. Merger of foreign corporation authorized to transact business in Commonwealth
§ 13.1-929. Withdrawal of foreign corporation
§ 13.1-930. Automatic revocation of certificate of authority
§ 13.1-931. Involuntary revocation of certificate of authority
§ 13.1-933. Inspection of records by members
§ 13.1-934. Scope of inspection right
§ 13.1-935. Court-ordered inspection
§ 13.1-935.1. Inspection of records by directors
§ 13.1-936. Annual report of domestic and foreign corporations
§ 13.1-936.2. Collection of unpaid bills for registration fees
§ 13.1-937. Application to existing corporations
§ 13.1-944.2. Entity conversion
§ 13.1-944.3. Plan of entity conversion
§ 13.1-944.4. Action on plan of entity conversion
§ 13.1-944.5. Articles of entity conversion
§ 13.1-944.6. Effect of entity conversion
§ 13.1-944.7. Abandonment of entity conversion