(1) 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 this chapter, if it:
(a) Eliminates the board of directors or limits or restricts the discretion or powers of the board of directors;
(b) Governs the authorization or making of distributions regardless of whether they are in proportion to ownership of shares, subject to the limitations in s. 607.06401;
(c) Establishes who shall be directors or officers of the corporation, or their terms of office or manner of selection or removal;
(d) Governs, in general or in regard to specific matters, the exercise or division of voting power by the shareholders and directors or among any of them, including use of weighted voting rights or director proxies;
(e) 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;
(f) Transfers to any shareholder or other person any 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;
(g) 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;
(h) Imposes a liability on a shareholder for the attorney fees or expenses of the corporation or any other party in connection with an internal corporate claim, as defined in s. 607.0208;
(i) Establishes, including in lieu of a judicial dissolution, a mechanism for breaking a deadlock among the directors or shareholders of the corporation; or
(j) Otherwise governs the exercise of the corporate powers or the management of the business and affairs of the corporation or the relationship between the shareholders, the directors, and the corporation, or among any of them, and is not contrary to public policy.
(2) An agreement authorized by this section shall be:
(a)1. Set forth or referenced in the articles of incorporation or bylaws and approved by all persons who are shareholders at the time of the agreement; or
2. Set forth in a written agreement that is signed by all persons who are shareholders at the time of the agreement and such written agreement is made known to the corporation; and
(b) Subject to termination or amendment only by all persons who are shareholders at the time of the termination or amendment, unless the agreement provides otherwise.
(3) The existence of an 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 with respect to uncertified shares by s. 607.0626(2). If at the time of the agreement the corporation has shares outstanding which are represented by certificates, the corporation shall recall such 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 before the time of the purchase of the shares. An action to enforce the right of rescission authorized by this subsection must be commenced within the earlier of 90 days after discovery of the existence of the agreement or 2 years after the time of purchase of the shares.
(4) An agreement authorized by this section shall cease to be effective when shares of the corporation are registered pursuant to s. 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. 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 articles of incorporation or bylaws, adopt an amendment to the articles of incorporation or bylaws, without shareholder action, to delete the agreement and any references to it.
(5) An agreement authorized by this section that limits or restricts 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.
(6) 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.
(7) 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.
(8) This section does not limit or invalidate agreements that are otherwise valid or authorized without regard to this section, including shareholder agreements between or among some or all of the shareholders or agreements between or among the corporation and one or more shareholders.
History.—s. 20, ch. 93-281; s. 2, ch. 94-327; s. 5, ch. 97-230; s. 71, ch. 2019-90; s. 137, ch. 2020-2; s. 18, ch. 2020-32.
Structure Florida Statutes
Title XXXVI - Business Organizations
Chapter 607 - Florida Business Corporation Act
Part I - General Provisions (Ss. 607.0101-607.193)
607.0101 - Short title; applicability.
607.0102 - Reservation of power to amend or repeal.
607.0120 - Filing requirements.
607.0122 - Fees for filing documents and issuing certificates.
607.0123 - Effective time and date of document.
607.0124 - Correcting filed document; withdrawal of filed record before effectiveness.
607.0125 - Filing duties of the department.
607.0126 - Appeal from department’s refusal to file document.
607.0128 - Certificate of status.
607.0130 - Powers of department.
607.0143 - Qualified director.
607.0202 - Articles of incorporation; content.
607.0204 - Liability for preincorporation transactions.
607.0205 - Organizational meeting of directors.
607.0301 - Purposes and application.
607.0304 - Lack of power to act.
607.0403 - Registered name; application; renewal; revocation.
607.0501 - Registered office and registered agent.
607.0502 - Change of registered office or registered agent.
607.0503 - Resignation of registered agent.
607.05031 - Change of name or address by registered agent.
607.05032 - Delivery of notice or other communication.
607.0504 - Service of process, notice, or demand on a corporation.
607.0505 - Registered agent; duties.
607.0602 - Terms of class or series determined by board of directors.
607.0603 - Issued and outstanding shares.
607.0620 - Subscriptions for shares.
607.0621 - Issuance of shares.
607.0622 - Liability for shares issued before payment.
607.0624 - Share rights, options, warrants, and awards.
607.0625 - Form and content of certificates.
607.0626 - Shares without certificates.
607.0627 - Restriction on transfer of shares and other securities.
607.0630 - Shareholders’ preemptive rights.
607.0631 - Corporation’s acquisition of its own shares.
607.06401 - Distributions to shareholders.
607.0703 - Court-ordered meeting.
607.0704 - Action by shareholders without a meeting.
607.0709 - Remote participation in annual and special meetings of shareholders.
607.0720 - Shareholders’ list for meeting.
607.0721 - Voting entitlement of shares.
607.0723 - Shares held by intermediaries and nominees.
607.0724 - Acceptance of votes and other instruments.
607.0725 - Quorum and voting requirements for voting groups.
607.0726 - Action by single and multiple voting groups.
607.0728 - Voting for directors; cumulative voting.
607.0729 - Voting procedures; inspectors of election.
607.0732 - Shareholder agreements.
607.0742 - Complaint; demand and excuse.
607.0743 - Stay of proceedings.
607.0745 - Discontinuance or settlement; notice.
607.0746 - Proceeds and expenses.
607.0747 - Applicability to foreign corporations.
607.0748 - Shareholder action to appoint custodians or receivers.
607.0749 - Provisional director.
607.0750 - Direct action by shareholder.
607.0801 - Requirement for and duties of board of directors.
607.0802 - Qualifications of directors.
607.0803 - Number of directors.
607.0805 - Terms of directors generally.
607.0806 - Staggered terms for directors.
607.0807 - Resignation of directors.
607.0808 - Removal of directors by shareholders.
607.08081 - Removal of directors by judicial proceedings.
607.08101 - Compensation of directors.
607.0821 - Action by directors without a meeting.
607.0822 - Notice of meetings.
607.0826 - Submission of matters for a shareholder vote.
607.0830 - General standards for directors.
607.0831 - Liability of directors.
607.0832 - Director conflicts of interest.
607.0833 - Loans to officers, directors, and employees; guaranty of obligations.
607.0834 - Liability for unlawful distributions.
607.08401 - Required officers.
607.0841 - Duties of officers.
607.08411 - General standards for officers.
607.0842 - Resignation and removal of officers.
607.0843 - Contract rights of officers.
607.0851 - Permissible indemnification.
607.0852 - Mandatory indemnification.
607.0853 - Advance for expenses.
607.0854 - Court-ordered indemnification and advance for expenses.
607.0855 - Determination and authorization of indemnification.
607.0858 - Variation by corporate action; application of ss. 607.0850-607.0859.
607.0859 - Overriding restrictions on indemnification.
607.0901 - Affiliated transactions.
607.0902 - Control-share acquisitions.
607.1001 - Authority to amend the articles of incorporation.
607.1002 - Amendment by board of directors.
607.10025 - Shares; combination or division.
607.1003 - Amendment by board of directors and shareholders.
607.1004 - Voting on amendments by voting groups.
607.1005 - Amendment before issuance of shares.
607.1006 - Articles of amendment.
607.1007 - Restated articles of incorporation.
607.1008 - Amendment pursuant to reorganization.
607.1009 - Effect of amendment.
607.1020 - Amendment of bylaws by board of directors or shareholders.
607.1021 - Bylaw increasing quorum or voting requirements for shareholders.
607.1022 - Bylaw increasing quorum or voting requirements for directors.
607.1023 - Bylaw provisions relating to the election of directors.
607.1103 - Action on a plan of merger or share exchange.
607.11035 - Shareholder approval of a merger or share exchange in connection with a tender offer.
607.1104 - Merger between parent and subsidiary or between subsidiaries.
607.11045 - Holding company formation by merger by certain corporations.
607.1105 - Articles of merger or share exchange.
607.1106 - Effect of merger or share exchange.
607.1107 - Abandonment of a merger or share exchange.
607.11921 - Action on a plan of domestication.
607.11922 - Articles of domestication; effectiveness.
607.11923 - Amendment of a plan of domestication; abandonment.
607.11924 - Effect of domestication.
607.11931 - Plan of conversion.
607.11932 - Action on a plan of conversion.
607.11933 - Articles of conversion; effectiveness.
607.11934 - Amendment to a plan of conversion; abandonment.
607.11935 - Effect of conversion.
607.1201 - Disposition of assets not requiring shareholder approval.
607.1202 - Shareholder approval of certain dispositions.
607.1301 - Appraisal rights; definitions.
607.1302 - Right of shareholders to appraisal.
607.1303 - Assertion of rights by nominees and beneficial owners.
607.1320 - Notice of appraisal rights.
607.1321 - Notice of intent to demand payment.
607.1322 - Appraisal notice and form.
607.1323 - Perfection of rights; right to withdraw.
607.1324 - Shareholder’s acceptance of corporation’s offer.
607.1326 - Procedure if shareholder is dissatisfied with offer.
607.1331 - Court costs and counsel fees.
607.1332 - Disposition of acquired shares.
607.1333 - Limitation on corporate payment.
607.1340 - Other remedies limited.
607.1401 - Dissolution by incorporators or directors.
607.1403 - Articles of dissolution.
607.1404 - Revocation of dissolution.
607.1405 - Effect of dissolution.
607.1406 - Known claims against dissolved corporation.
607.1407 - Other claims against dissolved corporation.
607.1408 - Claims against dissolved corporations; enforcement.
607.1420 - Administrative dissolution.
607.1422 - Reinstatement following administrative dissolution.
607.1423 - Judicial review of denial of reinstatement.
607.1430 - Grounds for judicial dissolution.
607.1431 - Procedure for judicial dissolution.
607.1432 - Receivership or custodianship.
607.1433 - Judgment of dissolution.
607.1434 - Alternative remedies to judicial dissolution.
607.1435 - Provisional director.
607.1436 - Election to purchase instead of dissolution.
607.14401 - Deposit with Department of Financial Services.
607.1502 - Effect of failure to have a certificate of authority.
607.1503 - Application for certificate of authority.
607.1504 - Amended certificate of authority.
607.1505 - Effect of a certificate of authority.
607.1506 - Corporate name of foreign corporation.
607.1507 - Registered office and registered agent of foreign corporation.
607.1508 - Change of registered office and registered agent of foreign corporation.
607.1509 - Resignation of registered agent of foreign corporation.
607.15091 - Change of name or address by registered agent.
607.15092 - Delivery of notice or other communication.
607.15101 - Service of process, notice, or demand on a foreign corporation.
607.1520 - Withdrawal and cancellation of certificate of authority for foreign corporation.
607.1521 - Withdrawal deemed on conversion to domestic filing entity.
607.1522 - Withdrawal on dissolution, merger, or conversion to certain nonfiling entities.
607.1523 - Action by Department of Legal Affairs.
607.1530 - Revocation of certificate of authority to transact business.
607.15315 - Reinstatement following revocation of certificate of authority.
607.1532 - Judicial review of denial of reinstatement.
607.1602 - Inspection of records by shareholders.
607.1603 - Scope of inspection right.
607.1604 - Court-ordered inspection.
607.1605 - Inspection rights of directors.
607.1620 - Financial statements for shareholders.
607.1622 - Annual report for department.
607.1701 - Application to existing domestic corporation.
607.1702 - Application to qualified foreign corporations.
607.1703 - Interrogatories by department; other powers of department.
607.1711 - Application to foreign and interstate commerce.
607.1805 - Procedures for conversion to professional service corporation.