(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b) of this section, a shareholder shall be entitled to appraisal rights, and to obtain payment of the fair value of that shareholder’s shares, in the event of any of the following corporate actions:
(1) Consummation of a merger to which the corporation is a party:
(A) If shareholder approval is required for the merger by § 29-309.04 and the shareholder is entitled to vote on the merger, except that appraisal rights shall not be available to any shareholder of the corporation with respect to shares of any class or series that remain outstanding after consummation of the merger; or
(B) If the corporation is a subsidiary and the merger is governed by § 29-309.05;
(2) Consummation of a share exchange in which the corporation is the acquired corporation if the shareholder is entitled to vote on the exchange, except that appraisal rights shall not be available to any shareholder of the corporation with respect to any class or series of shares of the corporation that is not exchanged;
(3) Consummation of a disposition of assets pursuant to § 29-310.02 if the shareholder is entitled to vote on the disposition;
(4) An amendment of the articles of incorporation with respect to a class or series of shares that reduces the number of shares of a class or series owned by the shareholder to a fraction of a share if the corporation has the obligation or right to repurchase the fractional share so created;
(5) Any other amendment to the articles of incorporation, merger, share exchange, or disposition of assets to the extent provided by the articles of incorporation, bylaws, or a resolution of the board of directors;
(6) Consummation of a domestication if the shareholder does not receive shares in the foreign corporation resulting from the domestication that have terms as favorable to the shareholder in all material respects, and represent at least the same percentage interest of the total voting rights of the outstanding shares of the corporation, as the shares held by the shareholder before the domestication; or
(7) Consummation of a conversion of the corporation to a different form of entity under Chapter 2 of this title.
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, the availability of appraisal rights under subsection (a)(1), (2), (3), (4), and (6) of this section shall be limited in accordance with the following provisions:
(1) Appraisal rights shall not be available for the holders of shares of any class or series of shares which is:
(A) A covered security under section 18(b)(1)(A) or (B) of the Securities Act of 1933, approved May 27, 1933 (48 Stat. 85; 15 U.S.C. § 77r);
(B) Traded in an organized market and has at least 2,000 shareholders and a market value of at least $20 million, exclusive of the value of such shares held by the corporation’s subsidiaries, senior executives, directors, and beneficial shareholders owning more than 10% of such shares; or
(C) Issued by an open end management investment company registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Investment Company Act of 1940, approved August 22, 1940 (54 Stat. 789; 15 U.S.C. § 80a-1 et seq.), and may be redeemed at the option of the holder at net asset value.
(2) The applicability of paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be determined as of:
(A) The record date fixed to determine the shareholders entitled to receive notice of, and to vote at, the meeting of shareholders to act upon the corporate action requiring appraisal rights; or
(B) The day before the effective date of such corporate action if there is no meeting of shareholders.
(3) Paragraph (1) of this subsection shall not be applicable and appraisal rights are available pursuant to subsection (a) of this section for the holders of any class or series of shares that are required by the terms of the corporate action requiring appraisal rights to accept for such shares anything other than cash or shares of any class or any series of shares of any corporation, or any other proprietary interest of any other entity, that satisfies the standards set forth in paragraph (1) of this subsection at the time the corporate action becomes effective.
(4) Paragraph (1) of this subsection shall not be applicable and appraisal rights shall be available pursuant to subsection (a) of this section for the holders of any class or series of shares if the corporate action is an interested transaction.
(July 2, 2011, D.C. Law 18-378, § 2, 58 DCR 1720.)
This section is referenced in § 29-311.01, § 29-311.10, § 29-311.11, § 29-311.12, and § 29-311.50.
Structure District of Columbia Code