(1) A circuit court may dissolve a corporation or order such other remedy as provided in s. 607.1434:
(a) In a proceeding by the Department of Legal Affairs to dissolve a corporation if it is established that:
1. The corporation obtained its articles of incorporation through fraud; or
2. The corporation has continued to exceed or abuse the authority conferred upon it by law.
The enumeration in subparagraphs 1. and 2. of grounds for involuntary dissolution does not exclude actions or special proceedings by the Department of Legal Affairs or any state official for the annulment or dissolution of a corporation for other causes as provided in any other statute of this state;
(b) In a proceeding by a shareholder to dissolve a corporation if it is established that:
1. The directors are deadlocked in the management of the corporate affairs, the shareholders are unable to break the deadlock, and:
a. Irreparable injury to the corporation is threatened or being suffered;
b. The business and affairs of the corporation can no longer be conducted to the advantage of the shareholders generally because of the deadlock; or
c. Both sub-subparagraphs a. and b.; or
2. The shareholders are deadlocked in voting power and have failed to elect successors to directors whose terms have expired or would have expired upon qualification of their successors;
3. The corporate assets are being misapplied or wasted, causing material injury to the corporation; or
4. The directors or those in control of the corporation have acted, are acting, or are reasonably expected to act in a manner that is illegal or fraudulent;
(c) In a proceeding by a creditor if it is established that:
1. The creditor’s claim has been reduced to judgment, the execution on the judgment returned unsatisfied, and the corporation is insolvent; or
2. The corporation has admitted in writing that the creditor’s claim is due and owing and the corporation is insolvent;
(d) In a proceeding by the corporation to have its voluntary dissolution continued under court supervision; or
(e) In a proceeding by a shareholder if the corporation has abandoned its business and has failed within a reasonable period of time to liquidate and distribute its assets and dissolve.
(2) Paragraph (1)(b) does not apply in the case of a corporation that, on the date of the filing of the proceeding, has shares that are:
(a) A covered security under s. 18(b)(1)(A) or (B) of the Securities Act of 1933; or
(b) Not a covered security, but are held by at least 300 shareholders and the shares outstanding have a market value of at least $20 million, exclusive of the value of outstanding shares of the corporation held by the corporation’s subsidiaries, by the corporation’s senior executives, by the corporation’s directors, and by the corporation’s beneficial shareholders and voting trust beneficial owners owning more than 10 percent of the outstanding shares of the corporation.
(3)(a) In the event of a deadlock situation that satisfies subparagraph (1)(b)1. or subparagraph (1)(b)2., if the shareholders are subject to a shareholder agreement that complies with s. 607.0732 and contains a deadlock sale provision, then such deadlock sale provision shall apply to the resolution of such deadlock in lieu of the court entering an order of judicial dissolution or an order directing the purchase of petitioner’s shares under s. 607.1436, so long as the provisions of such deadlock sale provision are initiated and effectuated within the time periods specified for the corporation to act under s. 607.1436 and in accordance with the terms of such deadlock sale provision.
(b) For purposes of this section, the term “deadlock sale provision” means a provision in a shareholder agreement that complies with s. 607.0732, which is or may be applicable in the event of a deadlock among the directors or shareholders of the corporation which neither the directors nor the shareholders, as applicable, of the corporation are able to break, and which provides for a deadlock breaking mechanism, including, but not limited to:
1. A redemption or a purchase and sale of shares or other equity securities;
2. A governance change;
3. A sale of the corporation or all or substantially all of the assets of the corporation; or
4. A similar provision that, if initiated and effectuated, breaks the deadlock by causing the transfer of the shares or other equity securities, a governance change, or a sale of the corporation or all or substantially all of the corporation’s assets.
(4) A deadlock sale provision in a shareholder agreement that complies with s. 607.0732 which is not initiated and effectuated before the court enters an order of judicial dissolution under subparagraph (1)(b)1. or subparagraph (1)(b)2., as the case may be, or an order directing the purchase of petitioner’s interest under s. 607.1436, does not adversely affect the rights of shareholders to seek judicial dissolution under subparagraph (1)(b)1. or subparagraph (1)(b)2., as the case may be, or the rights of the corporation or one or more shareholders to purchase the petitioner’s interest under s. 607.1436. The filing of an action for judicial dissolution on the grounds described in subparagraph (1)(b)1. or subparagraph (1)(b)2., as the case may be, or an election to purchase the petitioner’s interest under s. 607.1436, does not adversely affect the right of a shareholder to initiate an available deadlock sale provision under the shareholder agreement that complies with s. 607.0732 or to enforce a shareholder-initiated or an automatically-initiated deadlock sale provision if the deadlock sale provision is initiated and effectuated before the court enters an order of judicial dissolution under subparagraph (1)(b)1. or subparagraph (1)(b)2., as the case may be, or an order directing the purchase of petitioner’s interest under s. 607.1436.
(5) For purposes of subsections (1) and (2), the term “shareholder” means a record shareholder, a beneficial shareholder, or an unrestricted voting trust beneficial owner.
History.—s. 131, ch. 89-154; s. 7, ch. 94-327; s. 189, ch. 2019-90; s. 50, 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.