(a) An agreement among the shareholders of a corporation that complies with this section is effective among the shareholders and the corporation even though it is inconsistent with one or more other provisions of sections 33-600 to 33-998, inclusive, in that it:
(1) Eliminates the board of directors or restricts the discretion or powers of the board of directors;
(2) Governs the authorization or making of distributions whether or not in proportion to ownership of shares, subject to the limitations in section 33-687;
(3) Establishes who shall be directors or officers of the corporation, or their terms of office or manner of selection or removal;
(4) Governs, in general or in regard to specific matters, the exercise or division of voting power by or between the shareholders and directors or by or among any of them, including use of weighted voting rights or director proxies;
(5) Establishes the terms and conditions of any agreement for the transfer or use of property or the provision of services between the corporation and any shareholder, director, officer or employee of the corporation or among any of them;
(6) Transfers to one or more shareholders or other persons all or part of the authority to exercise the corporate powers or to manage the business and affairs of the corporation, including the resolution of any issue about which there exists a deadlock among directors or shareholders;
(7) Requires dissolution of the corporation at the request of one or more of the shareholders or upon the occurrence of a specified event or contingency; or
(8) Otherwise governs the exercise of the corporate powers or the management of the business and affairs of the corporation or the relationship among the shareholders, the directors and the corporation, or among any of them, and is not contrary to public policy.
(b) An agreement authorized by this section shall be: (1) Set forth (A) in the certificate of incorporation or bylaws and approved by all persons who are shareholders at the time of the agreement or (B) in a written agreement that is signed by all persons who are shareholders at the time of the agreement and is made known to the corporation; and (2) subject to amendment only by all persons who are shareholders at the time of the amendment, unless the agreement provides otherwise.
(c) The existence of any agreement authorized by this section shall be noted conspicuously on the front or back of each certificate for outstanding shares or on the information statement required by subsection (b) of section 33-677. If at the time of the agreement the corporation has shares outstanding represented by certificates, the corporation shall recall the outstanding certificates and issue substitute certificates that comply with this subsection. The failure to note the existence of the agreement on the certificate or information statement shall not affect the validity of the agreement or any action taken pursuant to it. Any purchaser of shares who, at the time of purchase, did not have knowledge of the existence of the agreement shall be entitled to rescission of the purchase. A purchaser shall be deemed to have knowledge of the existence of the agreement if its existence is noted on the certificate or information statement for the shares in compliance with this subsection and, if the shares are not represented by a certificate, the information statement is delivered to the purchaser at or prior to the time of purchase of the shares. An action to enforce the right of rescission authorized by this subsection must be commenced within the earlier of ninety days after discovery of the existence of the agreement or two years after the time of purchase of the shares.
(d) An agreement authorized by this section shall cease to be effective when the corporation becomes a public corporation. If the agreement ceases to be effective for any reason, the board of directors may, if the agreement is contained or referred to in the corporation's certificate of incorporation or bylaws, adopt an amendment to the certificate of incorporation or bylaws, without shareholder action, to delete the agreement and any references to it.
(e) An agreement authorized by this section that limits the discretion or powers of the board of directors shall relieve the directors of, and impose upon the person or persons in whom such discretion or powers are vested, liability for acts or omissions imposed by law on directors to the extent that the discretion or powers of the directors are limited by the agreement.
(f) The existence or performance of an agreement authorized by this section shall not be a ground for imposing personal liability on any shareholder for the acts or debts of the corporation even if the agreement or its performance treats the corporation as if it were a partnership or results in failure to observe the corporate formalities otherwise applicable to the matters governed by the agreement.
(g) Incorporators or subscribers for shares may act as shareholders with respect to an agreement authorized by this section if no shares have been issued when the agreement is made.
(h) Limits, if any, on the duration of an agreement authorized by this section shall be as set forth in the agreement, except that such an agreement in effect on or before September 30, 2015, is valid for ten years unless the agreement provides otherwise.
(P.A. 94-186, S. 74, 215; P.A. 96-271, S. 58, 59, 254; P.A. 06-68, S. 3; P.A. 15-48, S. 3.)
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. 06-68 amended Subsec. (d) by replacing “when shares of the corporation are listed on a national securities exchange or regularly traded in a market maintained by one or more members of a national or affiliated securities association” with “when the corporation becomes a public corporation”; P.A. 15-48 amended Subsec. (b) by deleting former Subdiv. (3) re agreement to be valid for 10 years unless agreement otherwise provides and added Subsec. (h) re durational limits on agreements.
Board of directors resolution setting forth parameters of electing a board of directors held to be valid shareholder agreement under section. 72 CA 426.
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.