490.870 Business opportunities.
1. If a director or officer pursues or takes advantage of a business opportunity directly, or indirectly through or on behalf of another person, that action shall not be the subject of equitable relief, or give rise to an award of damages or other sanctions against the director, officer, or other person, in a proceeding by or in the right of the corporation on the ground that the opportunity should have first been offered to the corporation, if any of the following apply:
a. Before the director, officer, or other person becomes legally obligated respecting the opportunity, the director or officer brings it to the attention of the corporation and any of the following apply:
(1) Action by qualified directors disclaiming the corporation’s interest in the opportunity is taken in compliance with the same procedures as are set forth in section 490.862.
(2) Shareholders’ action disclaiming the corporation’s interest in the opportunity is taken in compliance with the procedures set forth in section 490.863, in either case as if the decision being made concerned a director’s conflicting interest transaction; except that, rather than making required disclosure as defined in section 490.860, the director or officer shall have made prior disclosure to those acting on behalf of the corporation of all material facts concerning the business opportunity known to the director or officer.
b. The duty to offer the corporation the business opportunity has been limited or eliminated pursuant to a provision of the articles of incorporation adopted, and where required, made effective by action of qualified directors, in accordance with section 490.202, subsection 2, paragraph “f”.
2. In any proceeding seeking equitable relief or other remedies based upon an alleged improper pursuit or taking advantage of a business opportunity by a director or officer, directly, or indirectly through or on behalf of another person, the fact that the director or officer did not employ the procedure described in subsection 1, paragraph “a”, subparagraph (1) or (2), before pursuing or taking advantage of the opportunity shall not create an implication that the opportunity should have been first presented to the corporation or alter the burden of proof otherwise applicable to establish that the director or officer breached a duty to the corporation in the circumstances.
2008 Acts, ch 1015, §3; 2013 Acts, ch 31, §44, 82; 2021 Acts, ch 165, §123, 230
Referred to in §490.143, 490.831, 491.16A
2021 amendment effective January 1, 2022; 2021 Acts, ch 165, §230
Section stricken and rewritten
Structure Iowa Code
Chapter 490 - BUSINESS CORPORATIONS
Section 490.101 - Short title.
Section 490.102 - Reservation of power to amend or repeal.
Section 490.120 - Requirements for documents — extrinsic facts.
Section 490.120A - Secretary of state — extra services — surcharge.
Section 490.122 - Filing, service, and copying fees.
Section 490.123 - Effective date of filed document.
Section 490.124 - Correcting filed document.
Section 490.125 - Filing duty of secretary of state.
Section 490.126 - Appeal from secretary of state’s refusal to file document.
Section 490.127 - Evidentiary effect of certified copy of filed document.
Section 490.128 - Certificate of existence or registration.
Section 490.129 - Penalty for signing false document.
Section 490.135 - Secretary of state — powers.
Section 490.140 - Chapter definitions.
Section 490.141 - Notices and other communications.
Section 490.142 - Number of shareholders.
Section 490.143 - Qualified director.
Section 490.144 - Householding.
Section 490.145 - Part definitions.
Section 490.146 - Defective corporate actions.
Section 490.147 - Ratification of defective corporate actions.
Section 490.148 - Action on ratification.
Section 490.149 - Notice requirements.
Section 490.150 - Effect of ratification.
Section 490.152 - Judicial proceedings regarding validity of corporate actions.
Section 490.201 - Incorporators.
Section 490.202 - Articles of incorporation.
Section 490.203 - Incorporation.
Section 490.204 - Liability for preincorporation transactions.
Section 490.205 - Organization of corporation.
Section 490.207 - Emergency bylaws.
Section 490.208 - Forum selection provisions.
Section 490.209 - Foreign-trade zone corporation.
Section 490.302 - General powers.
Section 490.303 - Emergency powers.
Section 490.304 - Ultra vires.
Section 490.401 - Corporate name.
Section 490.402 - Reserved name.
Section 490.403 - Registered name.
Section 490.501 - Registered office and agent of domestic and registered foreign corporations.
Section 490.502 - Change of registered office or registered agent.
Section 490.503 - Resignation of registered agent.
Section 490.504 - Service on corporation.
Section 490.601 - Authorized shares.
Section 490.602 - Terms of class or series determined by board of directors.
Section 490.603 - Issued and outstanding shares.
Section 490.604 - Fractional shares.
Section 490.620 - Subscription for shares before incorporation.
Section 490.621 - Issuance of shares.
Section 490.622 - Liability of shareholders.
Section 490.623 - Share dividends.
Section 490.624 - Share rights, options, warrants, and awards.
Section 490.624A - Poison pill defense authorized.
Section 490.625 - Form and content of certificates.
Section 490.626 - Shares without certificates.
Section 490.627 - Restriction on transfer of shares.
Section 490.628 - Reversion of disbursements to cooperative associations.
Section 490.629 - Reversion of disbursements to cooperative associations.
Section 490.630 - Shareholders’ preemptive rights.
Section 490.631 - Corporation’s acquisition of its own shares.
Section 490.632 - Reacquired shares as issued but not outstanding shares.
Section 490.640 - Distribution to shareholders.
Section 490.701 - Annual meeting.
Section 490.702 - Special meeting.
Section 490.703 - Court-ordered meeting.
Section 490.704 - Action without meeting.
Section 490.705 - Notice of meeting.
Section 490.706 - Waiver of notice.
Section 490.707 - Record date for meeting.
Section 490.708 - Conduct of meeting.
Section 490.709 - Remote participation in shareholders’ meetings.
Section 490.720 - Shareholders’ list for meeting.
Section 490.721 - Voting entitlement of shares.
Section 490.723 - Shares held by intermediaries and nominees.
Section 490.724 - Acceptance of votes and other instruments.
Section 490.725 - Quorum and voting requirements for voting groups.
Section 490.726 - Action by single or multiple voting groups.
Section 490.727 - Modifying quorum or voting requirements.
Section 490.728 - Voting for directors — cumulative voting.
Section 490.729 - Inspectors of election.
Section 490.730 - Voting trusts.
Section 490.731 - Voting agreement.
Section 490.732 - Shareholder agreement.
Section 490.740 - Part definitions.
Section 490.743 - Stay of proceedings.
Section 490.745 - Discontinuance or settlement.
Section 490.746 - Payment of expenses.
Section 490.747 - Applicability to foreign corporations.
Section 490.748 - Shareholder action to appoint custodian or receiver.
Section 490.801 - Requirement for and functions of board of directors.
Section 490.802 - Qualifications of directors.
Section 490.803 - Number and election of directors.
Section 490.804 - Election of directors by certain classes of series of shares.
Section 490.805 - Terms of directors generally.
Section 490.806 - Staggered terms for directors.
Section 490.806A - Public corporations — staggered terms.
Section 490.806B - Public corporations — nonstaggered terms.
Section 490.807 - Resignation of directors.
Section 490.808 - Removal of directors by shareholders.
Section 490.809 - Removal of directors by judicial proceeding.
Section 490.810 - Vacancy on board of directors.
Section 490.811 - Compensation of directors.
Section 490.821 - Action without meeting.
Section 490.822 - Notice of meeting.
Section 490.823 - Waiver of notice.
Section 490.824 - Quorum and voting.
Section 490.825 - Committees of the board.
Section 490.826 - Submission of matters for shareholder vote.
Section 490.830 - Standards of conduct for directors.
Section 490.831 - Standards of liability for directors.
Section 490.832 - Directors’ liability for unlawful distributions.
Section 490.833 - Liability for unlawful distribution.
Section 490.841 - Functions of officers.
Section 490.842 - Standards of conduct for officers.
Section 490.843 - Resignation and removal of officers.
Section 490.844 - Contract rights of officers.
Section 490.850 - Part definitions.
Section 490.851 - Permissible indemnification.
Section 490.852 - Mandatory indemnification.
Section 490.853 - Advance for expenses.
Section 490.854 - Court-ordered indemnification and advance for expenses.
Section 490.855 - Determination and authorization of indemnification.
Section 490.856 - Indemnification of officers.
Section 490.858 - Variation by corporate action — application of part.
Section 490.859 - Exclusivity of part.
Section 490.860 - Part definitions.
Section 490.861 - Judicial action.
Section 490.862 - Directors’ action.
Section 490.863 - Shareholders’ action.
Section 490.870 - Business opportunities.
Section 490.901 - Subchapter definitions.
Section 490.902 - Excluded transactions.
Section 490.903 - Required approvals.
Section 490.904 - Relationship of subchapter to other laws.
Section 490.905 - Foreign insurance companies becoming domestic.
Section 490.920 - Domestication.
Section 490.921 - Action on a plan of domestication.
Section 490.922 - Articles of domestication — effectiveness.
Section 490.923 - Amendment of plan of domestication — abandonment.
Section 490.924 - Effect of domestication.
Section 490.931 - Plan of conversion.
Section 490.932 - Action on a plan of conversion.
Section 490.933 - Articles of conversion — effectiveness.
Section 490.934 - Amendment of plan of conversion — abandonment.
Section 490.935 - Effect of conversion.
Section 490.1001 - Amendment of articles of incorporation — authority to amend.
Section 490.1002 - Amendment before issuance of shares.
Section 490.1003 - Amendment by board of directors and shareholders.
Section 490.1004 - Voting on amendments by voting groups.
Section 490.1005 - Amendment by board of directors.
Section 490.1005A - Public corporation — amendment by board of directors.
Section 490.1006 - Articles of amendment.
Section 490.1007 - Restated articles of incorporation.
Section 490.1008 - Amendment pursuant to reorganization.
Section 490.1009 - Effect of amendment.
Section 490.1020 - Authority to amend.
Section 490.1021 - Bylaw increasing quorum or voting requirement for directors.
Section 490.1022 - Bylaw provisions relating to the election of directors.
Section 490.1101 - Subchapter definitions.
Section 490.1103 - Share exchange.
Section 490.1104 - Action on a plan of merger or share exchange.
Section 490.1105 - Merger between parent and subsidiary or between subsidiaries.
Section 490.1106 - Articles of merger or share exchange.
Section 490.1107 - Effect of merger or share exchange.
Section 490.1108 - Abandonment of a merger or share exchange.
Section 490.1108A - Consideration of acquisition proposals — community interests.
Section 490.1109 - Qualified merger — corporation and cooperative association.
Section 490.1110 - Business combinations with interested shareholders.
Section 490.1111 - Conversion.
Section 490.1112 - Action on plan of conversion by converting domestic corporation.
Section 490.1113 - Filings required for conversion — effective date.
Section 490.1114 - Effect of conversion.
Section 490.1201 - Disposition of assets not requiring shareholder approval.
Section 490.1202 - Shareholder approval of certain dispositions.
Section 490.1301 - Subchapter definitions.
Section 490.1302 - Right to appraisal.
Section 490.1303 - Assertion of rights by nominees and beneficial shareholders.
Section 490.1320 - Notice of appraisal rights.
Section 490.1321 - Notice of intent to demand payment and consequences of voting or consenting.
Section 490.1322 - Appraisal notice and form.
Section 490.1323 - Perfection of rights — right to withdraw.
Section 490.1325 - After-acquired shares.
Section 490.1326 - Procedure if shareholder dissatisfied with payment or offer.
Section 490.1330 - Court action.
Section 490.1331 - Court costs and expenses.
Section 490.1340 - Other remedies limited.
Section 490.1401 - Dissolution by incorporators or initial directors.
Section 490.1402 - Dissolution by board of directors and shareholders.
Section 490.1403 - Articles of dissolution.
Section 490.1404 - Revocation of dissolution.
Section 490.1405 - Effect of dissolution.
Section 490.1406 - Known claims against dissolved corporation.
Section 490.1407 - Other claims against dissolved corporation.
Section 490.1408 - Court proceedings.
Section 490.1409 - Director duties.
Section 490.1420 - Grounds for administrative dissolution.
Section 490.1421 - Procedure for and effect of administrative dissolution.
Section 490.1422 - Reinstatement following administrative dissolution.
Section 490.1423 - Appeal from denial of reinstatement.
Section 490.1430 - Grounds for judicial dissolution.
Section 490.1431 - Procedure for judicial dissolution.
Section 490.1432 - Receivership or custodianship.
Section 490.1433 - Decree of dissolution.
Section 490.1434 - Election to purchase in lieu of dissolution.
Section 490.1440 - Deposit with state treasurer.
Section 490.1501 - Governing law.
Section 490.1502 - Registration to do business in this state.
Section 490.1503 - Foreign registration statement.
Section 490.1504 - Amendment of foreign registration statement.
Section 490.1505 - Activities not constituting doing business.
Section 490.1506 - Noncomplying name of foreign corporation.
Section 490.1507 - Withdrawal of registration of registered foreign corporation.
Section 490.1508 - Deemed withdrawal upon domestication or conversion to certain domestic entities.
Section 490.1509 - Withdrawal upon dissolution or conversion to certain nonfiling entities.
Section 490.1510 - Transfer of registration.
Section 490.1511 - Administrative termination of registration.
Section 490.1512 - Action by attorney general.
Section 490.1520 - Withdrawal of foreign corporation.
Section 490.1523 - Transfer of authority.
Section 490.1530 - Grounds for revocation.
Section 490.1531 - Procedure for and effect of revocation.
Section 490.1532 - Appeal from revocation.
Section 490.1601 - Corporate records.
Section 490.1602 - Inspection rights of shareholders.
Section 490.1603 - Scope of inspection right.
Section 490.1604 - Court-ordered inspection.
Section 490.1605 - Inspection of records by directors.
Section 490.1606 - Exception to notice requirement.
Section 490.1620 - Financial statements for shareholders.
Section 490.1621 - Biennial report for secretary of state.
Section 490.1622 - Biennial report for secretary of state.
Section 490.1701 - Application of subchapter — definitions.
Section 490.1702 - Name — share certificates.
Section 490.1703 - Certain amendments and transactions — votes required.
Section 490.1704 - Duties of directors.
Section 490.1705 - Annual benefit report.
Section 490.1706 - Rights of action.
Section 490.1801 - Application to existing domestic corporations.
Section 490.1802 - Application to existing foreign corporations.