(a) The certificate of incorporation shall set forth any classes of shares and series of shares within a class, and the number of shares of each class and series, that the corporation is authorized to issue. If more than one class or series of shares is authorized, the certificate of incorporation shall prescribe a distinguishing designation for each class or series and must describe, prior to the issuance of shares of a class or series, the terms, including the preferences, rights and limitations, of such class or series. Except to the extent varied as permitted by this section, all shares of a class or series shall have terms, including preferences, rights and limitations, that are identical with those of other shares of the same class or series.
(b) The certificate of incorporation shall authorize (1) one or more classes or series of shares that together have unlimited voting rights, and (2) one or more classes or series of shares, which may be the same class or classes as those with voting rights, that together are entitled to receive the net assets of the corporation upon dissolution.
(c) The certificate of incorporation may authorize one or more classes or series of shares that: (1) Have special, conditional or limited voting rights, or no right to vote, except as otherwise provided by sections 33-600 to 33-998, inclusive; (2) are redeemable or convertible as specified in the certificate of incorporation (A) at the option of the corporation, the shareholder or another person or upon the occurrence of a specified event, (B) for cash, indebtedness, securities or other property, and (C) at prices and in amounts specified or determined in accordance with a formula; (3) entitle the holders to distributions calculated in any manner, including dividends that may be cumulative, noncumulative or partially cumulative; or (4) have preference over any other class or series of shares with respect to distributions, including distributions upon the dissolution of the corporation.
(d) Terms of shares may be made dependent upon facts objectively ascertainable outside the certificate of incorporation in accordance with subsection (l) of section 33-608.
(e) Any of the terms of shares may vary among holders of the same class or series as long as such variations are expressly set forth in the certificate of incorporation.
(f) The description of the preferences, rights and limitations of classes or series of shares in subsection (c) of this section is not exhaustive.
(P.A. 94-186, S. 39, 215; P.A. 96-271, S. 31, 254; P.A. 03-158, S. 6.)
History: P.A. 94-186 effective January 1, 1997; P.A. 96-271 replaced “articles” of incorporation with “certificate” of incorporation where appearing, effective January 1, 1997; P.A. 03-158 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “shall prescribe the classes” with “shall set forth any classes”, adding provisions re series of shares within a class and revising provisions re terms, preferences, rights and limitations of classes or series, amended Subsec. (b) by adding references to series, amended Subsec. (c) by adding references to series, replacing “except to the extent prohibited” with “except as otherwise provided”, replacing “designated event” with “specified event”, replacing provision re designated amount or amount determined in accordance with designated formula or reference to extrinsic data or events with provision re prices and amounts specified or determined in accordance with formula and making technical changes, added new Subsecs. (d) and (e) re terms dependent upon facts objectively ascertainable outside certificate of incorporation and re variation of terms of shares among holders, redesignated existing Subsec. (d) as Subsec. (f) and amended same by deleting provisions re designations and relative rights and adding provisions re rights of classes or series of shares.
Structure Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 601 - Business Corporations
Section 33-600. - Short title: Connecticut Business Corporation Act.
Section 33-601. - Construction of statutes.
Section 33-602. - Definitions.
Section 33-603. - Notices and other communications.
Section 33-603a. - Householding.
Section 33-604. - Number of shareholders.
Section 33-605. - Qualified director.
Section 33-606. - Defective corporate actions. Definitions.
Section 33-606a. - Defective corporate action not void or voidable, when.
Section 33-606b. - Ratification of defective corporate actions.
Section 33-606c. - Action on ratification.
Section 33-606d. - Notice requirements re action on ratification.
Section 33-606e. - Effect of ratification.
Section 33-606g. - Judicial proceeding re validity of corporate action.
Section 33-608. - Filing requirements.
Section 33-609. - Forms. Mailing address.
Section 33-610. - Effective time and date of document.
Section 33-611. - Correcting filed document.
Section 33-612. - Filing duty of Secretary of the State.
Section 33-613. - Appeal from Secretary of the State's refusal to file document.
Section 33-614. - Evidentiary effect of copy of filed document.
Section 33-615. - Certificate of existence or authorization.
Section 33-616. - Penalty for signing false document.
Section 33-617. - Fees payable to Secretary of the State.
Section 33-618. - Franchise tax.
Section 33-622. - Powers of Secretary of the State.
Section 33-623. - Regulations regarding electronic filing.
Section 33-624. - Interrogatories by Secretary of the State.
Section 33-635. - Incorporators.
Section 33-636. - Certificate of incorporation.
Section 33-637. - Incorporation.
Section 33-638. - Liability for preincorporation transactions.
Section 33-639. - Organization of corporation.
Section 33-641. - Emergency bylaws.
Section 33-646. - Authorization to form corporation to transact insurance business.
Section 33-647. - General powers.
Section 33-648. - Emergency powers.
Section 33-649. - Ultra vires.
Section 33-655. - Corporate name.
Section 33-656. - Reserved name.
Section 33-657. - Registered name.
Section 33-660. - Registered office and registered agent.
Section 33-661. - Change of registered office or registered agent.
Section 33-662. - Resignation of registered agent.
Section 33-663. - Service of process on corporation.
Section 33-665. - Authorized shares.
Section 33-666. - Terms of class or series of shares.
Section 33-667. - Issued and outstanding shares.
Section 33-668. - Fractional shares.
Section 33-671. - Subscription for shares before incorporation.
Section 33-672. - Issuance of shares.
Section 33-673. - Liability of shareholders.
Section 33-673a. - Definitions.
Section 33-674. - Share dividends.
Section 33-675. - Share options and other equity compensation awards.
Section 33-676. - Form and content of certificates.
Section 33-677. - Shares without certificates.
Section 33-678. - Restriction on transfer of shares and other securities.
Section 33-679. - Expense of issue.
Section 33-680. - Surrender of share certificates.
Section 33-683. - Shareholder's preemptive rights.
Section 33-684. - Corporation's acquisition of its own shares.
Section 33-687. - Distributions to shareholders.
Section 33-695. - Annual meeting.
Section 33-696. - Special meeting.
Section 33-697. - Court-ordered meeting.
Section 33-698. - Action without meeting.
Section 33-699. - Notice of meeting.
Section 33-700. - Waiver of notice.
Section 33-701. - Record date.
Section 33-702. - Chairperson to preside.
Section 33-703. - Remote participation in annual and special meetings.
Section 33-704. - Shareholders' list for meeting.
Section 33-705. - Voting entitlement of shares.
Section 33-707. - Shares held by nominees.
Section 33-708. - Corporation's acceptance or rejection of votes.
Section 33-709. - Quorum and voting requirements for voting groups.
Section 33-710. - Action by single and multiple voting groups.
Section 33-711. - Greater quorum or voting requirement.
Section 33-712. - Voting for directors. Cumulative voting.
Section 33-715. - Voting trust.
Section 33-716. - Voting agreement.
Section 33-717. - Shareholder agreement.
Section 33-720. - Derivative proceedings. Definitions.
Section 33-723. - Stay of proceedings.
Section 33-725. - Discontinuance or settlement.
Section 33-726. - Payment of expenses.
Section 33-727. - Applicability to foreign corporations.
Section 33-735. - Requirements for and duties of board of directors.
Section 33-736. - Qualifications for directors or nominees for directors.
Section 33-737. - Number and election of directors.
Section 33-738. - Election of directors by certain classes of shareholders.
Section 33-739. - Terms of directors generally.
Section 33-740. - Staggered terms for directors.
Section 33-741. - Resignation of directors.
Section 33-742. - Removal of directors by shareholders.
Section 33-743. - Removal of directors by judicial proceeding.
Section 33-744. - Vacancy on board of directors.
Section 33-745. - Compensation of directors.
Section 33-749. - Action without meeting.
Section 33-750. - Notice of meeting.
Section 33-751. - Waiver of notice.
Section 33-752. - Quorum and voting.
Section 33-754. - Submission of matters for shareholder vote.
Section 33-756. - General standards of conduct for directors.
Section 33-757. - Liability for unlawful distribution.
Section 33-758. - General standards of liability for directors.
Section 33-764. - Functions of officers.
Section 33-765. - Standards of conduct for officers.
Section 33-766. - Resignation and removal of officers.
Section 33-767. - Contract rights of officers.
Section 33-770. - Definitions.
Section 33-771. - Permissible indemnification.
Section 33-772. - Mandatory indemnification.
Section 33-773. - Advance for expenses.
Section 33-774. - Court-ordered indemnification and advance for expenses.
Section 33-775. - Determination and authorization of indemnification.
Section 33-778. - Variation by corporate action.
Section 33-779. - Exclusivity of provisions.
Section 33-781. - Definitions.
Section 33-782. - Judicial action.
Section 33-783. - Directors' action.
Section 33-784. - Shareholders' action.
Section 33-785. - Taking advantage of a business opportunity.
Section 33-795. - Authority to amend.
Section 33-796. - Amendment by board of directors.
Section 33-797. - Amendment by board of directors and shareholders.
Section 33-798. - Voting on amendments by voting groups.
Section 33-799. - Amendment before issuance of shares.
Section 33-800. - Certificate of amendment.
Section 33-801. - Restated certificate of incorporation.
Section 33-802. - Amendment pursuant to reorganization.
Section 33-803. - Effect of amendment.
Section 33-806. - Amendment by shareholders or board of directors.
Section 33-807. - Bylaw increasing quorum or voting requirement for shareholders.
Section 33-808. - Bylaw increasing quorum or voting requirement for directors.
Section 33-809. - Bylaw provisions relating to the election of directors.
Section 33-814. - Definitions.
Section 33-816. - Share exchange.
Section 33-817. - Action on plan of merger or share exchange.
Section 33-818. - Merger of subsidiary.
Section 33-819. - Certificate of merger or share exchange.
Section 33-820. - Effect of merger or share exchange.
Section 33-821. - Merger or share exchange with foreign corporation.
Section 33-821a. - Abandoned merger or share exchange.
Section 33-840. - Business combinations. Definitions.
Section 33-841. - Approval of business combination.
Section 33-843. - Business combinations. Definitions.
Section 33-845. - Excepted business combinations.
Section 33-855. - Definitions.
Section 33-856. - Right to appraisal.
Section 33-857. - Assertion of rights by nominees and beneficial owners.
Section 33-860. - Notice of appraisal rights.
Section 33-861. - Notice of intent to demand payment. Consequences of voting or consenting.
Section 33-862. - Appraisal notice and form.
Section 33-863. - Perfection of rights. Right to withdraw.
Section 33-864. - Share restrictions.
Section 33-866. - Failure to take action.
Section 33-867. - After-acquired shares.
Section 33-868. - Procedure if shareholder dissatisfied with payment or offer.
Section 33-871. - Court action.
Section 33-872. - Court costs and expenses.
Section 33-880. - Dissolution by incorporators or initial directors.
Section 33-881. - Dissolution by board of directors and shareholders.
Section 33-882. - Certificate of dissolution.
Section 33-883. - Revocation of dissolution.
Section 33-884. - Effect of dissolution.
Section 33-885. - Requirements prior to final liquidating distribution of assets.
Section 33-886. - Known claims against dissolved corporation.
Section 33-887. - Unknown claims against dissolved corporation.
Section 33-887b. - Duties of directors of dissolved corporation.
Section 33-890. - Administrative dissolution.
Section 33-891. - Effect of administrative dissolution.
Section 33-892. - Reinstatement following administrative dissolution.
Section 33-893. - Appeal from refusal of reinstatement.
Section 33-896. - Grounds for judicial dissolution.
Section 33-897. - Procedure for judicial dissolution.
Section 33-898. - Receivership or custodianship.
Section 33-899. - Decree of dissolution.
Section 33-900. - Election to purchase in lieu of dissolution.
Section 33-903. - Deposit of assets with State Treasurer or other state official.
Section 33-910. - Provisions applicable to specially chartered corporations.
Section 33-911. - Formation of specially chartered corporation.
Section 33-912. - Amendment of special charter.
Section 33-913. - Surrender of charter and reincorporation.
Section 33-914. - Franchise tax.
Section 33-920. - Authority to transact business required.
Section 33-921. - Consequences of transacting business without authority.
Section 33-921a. - Limited amnesty for foreign corporation transacting business without authority.
Section 33-922. - Application for certificate of authority.
Section 33-923. - Amended certificate of authority.
Section 33-924. - Effect of certificate of authority.
Section 33-925. - Corporate name of foreign corporation.
Section 33-926. - Registered office and registered agent of foreign corporation.
Section 33-927. - Change of registered office or registered agent of foreign corporation.
Section 33-928. - Resignation of registered agent of foreign corporation.
Section 33-929. - Service of process on foreign corporation.
Section 33-932. - Withdrawal of foreign corporation.
Section 33-935. - Grounds for revocation.
Section 33-936. - Procedure for and effect of revocation.
Section 33-937. - Appeal from revocation.
Section 33-945. - Corporate records.
Section 33-946. - Inspection of records by shareholders.
Section 33-947. - Scope of inspection right.
Section 33-948. - Court-ordered inspection.
Section 33-949. - Inspection of records by directors.
Section 33-950. - Exception to notice requirement.
Section 33-951. - Financial statements for shareholders.
Section 33-952. - Other reports to shareholders.
Section 33-954. - Failure to file report. Incorrect report.
Section 33-955. - Interim notice of change of director or officer.
Section 33-995. - Applicability to domestic corporations in existence on January 1, 1997.
Section 33-996. - Applicability to qualified foreign corporations.
Section 33-997. - Saving provisions.