Section 79. (a) Any one or more corporations may consolidate or merge with one or more other corporations organized under the laws of any other state or states of the United States, if the laws of such other state or states permit. The constituent corporations may consolidate to form a new corporation, which may be a corporation of the state under the law of which any one of the constituent corporations is organized, or they may merge into a single corporation, which may be any one of the constituent corporations.
(b) Such corporations as desire to consolidate or merge shall enter into an agreement of consolidation or merger which shall specify the state under the laws of which the resulting or surviving corporation is organized. If the resulting or surviving corporation is to be a Massachusetts corporation such agreement of consolidation or merger shall comply with the provisions of section seventy-eight, and if the resulting or surviving corporation is to be governed by the laws of another state the agreement of consolidation or merger shall comply with the applicable provisions of the laws of such other state. If the resulting or surviving corporation is to be governed by the laws of another state the resulting or surviving corporation shall agree that it may be sued in this commonwealth for any prior obligation of any constituent domestic corporation, any prior obligation of any constituent foreign corporation qualified under Part 15 of chapter 156D, and any obligation thereafter incurred by the resulting or surviving corporation, including the obligation established by section 85, so long as any liability remains outstanding against the corporation in this commonwealth, and it shall irrevocably appoint the secretary as its agent to accept service of process in any action for the enforcement of any such obligation, including taxes, in the same manner as provided in subsections (d), (e), (f) and (g) of section 15.10 of subdivision A of Part 15 of chapter 156D.
(c) The agreement of consolidation or merger shall be adopted by each of the constituent corporations in accordance with the laws of the state under which it is organized, and in the case of a Massachusetts corporation in the manner provided in section seventy-eight. Unless such agreement is abandoned pursuant to provisions contained therein: (1) an original or attested copy thereof shall be kept in the commonwealth by the resulting or surviving corporation in one of the offices specified in section thirty-two if the resulting or surviving corporation is to be a Massachusetts corporation, or if said corporation is to be governed by the laws of another state, wherever the records of meetings of its stockholders are required or permitted by such laws to be kept, and shall be made available at said location for inspection by any stockholder of the resulting or surviving corporation or any person who was a stockholder of any constituent corporation; (2) the resulting or surviving corporation shall furnish a copy of the agreement of consolidation or merger to any such stockholder or person upon written request and without charge; (3) articles of consolidation or merger shall be submitted to the state secretary, which shall set forth the information required by clauses (i) to (iv), inclusive, of subsection (d) of section seventy-eight, and shall be signed by the president or a vice president and the clerk or an assistant clerk of each constituent corporation, or, in the case of a corporation organized under the laws of another state, by officers having corresponding powers and duties, who shall make affidavit or state under the penalties of perjury (i) in the case of each constituent corporation not organized under the laws of Massachusetts, that the agreement has been duly adopted under the laws of the state under which such constituent corporation is organized, and (ii) in the case of each constituent corporation organized under the laws of Massachusetts, that the agreement has been duly executed by the officers and has been approved in the manner required by section seventy-eight by the stockholders of such corporation or, if permitted under subsection (c) of section seventy-eight, by the directors of such corporation. If the resulting or surviving corporation is to be governed by the laws of Massachusetts, the form on which articles of consolidation or merger are filed shall contain the further information required by subsection (d) of section seventy-eight in the case of articles of consolidation or merger filed thereunder, which as set forth in said subsection (d) shall not for any purpose be treated as a permanent part of the articles of organization of the resulting or surviving corporation. The consolidation or merger shall become effective when the articles of consolidation or merger are filed in accordance with section six, unless said articles specify a later effective date not more than thirty days after such filing, in which event the consolidation or merger shall become effective on such later date.
(d) The resulting or surviving corporation shall file a copy of the articles of consolidation or merger certified by the state secretary in the registry of deeds in each district within the commonwealth in which real property of any constituent corporation is situated, or in lieu of such certified copy a certificate issued pursuant to section eighty-four, except that no filing need be made with respect to real property of a constituent corporation which is the surviving corporation of a merger.
Structure Massachusetts General Laws
Part I - Administration of the Government
Chapter 156b - Certain Business Corporations
Section 2 - Definitions; Corporation; Articles of Organization
Section 3 - Application of Chapter
Section 4 - Rights and Liabilities of Existing Corporations, Directors, Officers and Stockholders
Section 5 - Adoption of Chapter by Certain Corporations Created by Special Act; Liability for Debts
Section 6 - State Secretary; Duties
Section 6a - Correction of Inaccurate Corporate Records; Filing
Section 7 - Change of Law; Effect
Section 8 - Voting by Stockholders; Effect of Articles of Organization or By-Laws
Section 9 - Corporate Powers; Exceptions
Section 9b - Contracts of Guarantee and Suretyship
Section 10 - Unauthorized Exercise of Franchise or Privilege or Transaction of Business; Injunction
Section 12 - First Meeting; By-Laws; Officers; Consent to Action; Articles of Organization
Section 13 - Articles of Organization; Contents
Section 14 - Change of Principal Office
Section 15 - Limitation on Stock Holdings in Certain Other Corporations
Section 17 - Power to Make, Amend and Repeal By-Laws
Section 18 - Consideration for Issuance of Stock
Section 19 - Payment for Stock; Cash or Instalments; Record; Transfer
Section 20 - Pre-Emptive Rights
Section 21 - Unissued Shares; Authority to Issue; Consideration
Section 21a - Reacquired Shares; Restoration to Unissued Share Status
Section 22 - Terms of Payment; Demand; Notice of Payment Due
Section 23 - Stockholders' Liability for Issued Stock
Section 24 - Default of Subscriber; Sale; Deficiency or Surplus; Action; Forfeiture
Section 27 - Certificates for Shares Held
Section 28 - Fractional Shares; Scrip; Dividends and Voting Rights; Exchange or Sale
Section 29 - Replacement of Certificates
Section 30 - Certificate for Stock Transferred as Collateral Security
Section 31 - Unclaimed Dividends; Publication
Section 33 - Annual Stockholders' Meeting
Section 34 - Special Stockholders' Meeting
Section 35 - Place of Stockholders' Meetings
Section 36 - Notice of Stockholders' Meeting
Section 38a - Filing of Certificate
Section 40 - Voting by Corporation
Section 41 - Stockholders' Voting Rights; Proxy Regulations
Section 41a - Agreements for Voting Shares
Section 42 - Record Date; Closing Transfer Books
Section 43 - Consent in Lieu of Stockholders' Meeting; Effect
Section 44 - Exercise of Stockholders' Rights by Incorporators Prior to Stock Issuance
Section 45 - Stockholders' Liability on Distribution Causing Insolvency
Section 46 - Stockholder's Action; Qualifications of Plaintiff
Section 47 - Directors; Number; Election; Qualifications
Section 48 - Election or Appointment of Officers; Qualifications; Bonds; Records of Proceedings
Section 50 - Term of Officers and Directors; Contingent Term; Vacancy
Section 50a - Directors; Staggered Terms; Election for Exemption; Vacancies
Section 51 - Removal of Officers and Directors
Section 52 - Filling Vacancies
Section 53 - Certificate of Change in Officers or Directors; Forfeiture for Failure to File
Section 54 - Powers of Directors
Section 55 - Committees; Delegation of Powers
Section 56 - Meetings of Directors; Necessity of Notice
Section 57 - Quorum at Directors' Meeting
Section 58 - Notice of Directors' Meeting
Section 59 - Consent in Lieu of Directors' Meeting; Effect; Telephone Conference Meetings
Section 60 - Improper Stock Issue; Liability of Directors
Section 61 - Unauthorized Distributions; Liability of Directors
Section 62 - Loans to Insiders; Liability of Officers and Directors
Section 63 - False Statement or Report; Liability of Officers
Section 64 - False Articles; Liability of Officers and Incorporators
Section 65 - Good Faith and Prudence as Defense
Section 67 - Indemnification of Officers and Directors
Section 68 - False Statement or Report; Domestic; Punishment
Section 69 - False Statement or Report; Other State or Country; Punishment
Section 70 - Amendments Authorized by Majority Vote
Section 71 - Amendment of Articles of Organization; Authorization by Corporation
Section 72 - Articles of Amendment; Filing; Time Effective
Section 73 - Amendment on Reorganization
Section 74 - Restatement of Articles of Organization; Vote; Filing; Contents; Time Effective
Section 75 - Mortgage or Disposal of Assets; Vote; Notice of Meeting
Section 76 - Dissenting Stockholder; Right to Demand Payment for Stock
Section 77 - Amendments Adversely Affecting Rights of Stockholder
Section 78 - Consolidation or Merger of Corporations
Section 79 - Consolidation or Merger With Foreign Corporation
Section 80 - Effect of Consolidation or Merger; Rights of Creditors
Section 81 - Surviving or New Corporation; Bond and Stock Issues to Complete Merger or Consolidation
Section 82 - Merger of Subsidiary Into Parent Corporation
Section 83 - Merger of Association or Trust Into Corporation
Section 83a - Domestic and Foreign Limited Liability Companies
Section 84 - Certificate of Filing Articles of Consolidation or Merger
Section 85 - Dissenting Stockholder; Right to Demand Payment for Stock; Exception
Section 86 - Sections Applicable to Appraisal; Prerequisites
Section 87 - Statement of Rights of Objecting Stockholders in Notice of Meeting; Form
Section 88 - Notice of Effectiveness of Action Objected To
Section 89 - Demand for Payment; Time for Payment
Section 90 - Demand for Determination of Value; Bill in Equity; Venue
Section 91 - Parties to Suit to Determine Value; Service
Section 92 - Decree Determining Value and Ordering Payment; Valuation Date
Section 93 - Reference to Special Master
Section 94 - Notation on Stock Certificates of Pendency of Bill
Section 96 - Dividends and Voting Rights After Demand for Payment
Section 97 - Status of Shares Paid For
Section 98 - Exclusive Remedy; Exception
Section 99 - Petition for Dissolution in Supreme Judicial Court; Cases
Section 100 - Voluntary Dissolution; Manner
Section 101 - Dissolution by State Secretary
Section 102 - Continuation for Purposes of Litigation and Settlement of Affairs
Section 103 - Petition for Distribution; Notice
Section 105 - Receivership; Corporation as Judgment Debtor; Powers of Receiver
Section 106 - Duties of Receiver
Section 107 - Dissolution; Return; Notice to Corporation
Section 108 - Revival of Dissolved Corporation for General or Limited Purposes; Conditions; Effect
Section 109 - Annual Report; Contents
Section 112 - Annual Report; Failure or Refusal to File; Penalties
Section 113 - Action to Recover Penalties and Forfeitures; Venue; Injunction