Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 181 - Nonstock corporations.
181.1100 - Definitions.

181.1100 Definitions. In this subchapter:
(1c) “Acquired entity" means the entity all of one or more classes or series of interests of which are acquired in an interest exchange.
(1e) “Acquiring entity" means the entity that acquires all of one or more classes or series of interests of the acquired entity in an interest exchange.
(1g) “Business entity" means a domestic business entity and a foreign business entity.
(1j) “Constituent entity" means a merging entity or a surviving entity in a merger.
(1m) “Conversion" means a transaction authorized by ss. 181.1161 to 181.1165.
(1o) “Converted entity" means the converting entity as it continues in existence after a conversion.
(1q) “Converting entity" means an entity that engages in a conversion.
(1s) “Domesticated entity" means the domesticating entity as it continues in existence after a domestication.
(1u) “Domesticating entity" means either a non-United States entity or a Wisconsin corporation that engages in a domestication.
(1w) “Domestication" means a transaction authorized by ss. 181.1171 to 181.1175.
(2) “Domestic business entity" means a corporation, as defined in s. 180.0103 (5), a limited liability company, as defined in s. 183.0102 (8), a foreign partnership, as defined in s. 178.0102 (6), a partnership, as defined in s. 178.0102 (11), a limited partnership, as defined in s. 179.0102 (12), or a corporation, as defined in s. 181.0103 (5).
(3) “Foreign business entity" means a foreign limited liability company, as defined in s. 183.0102 (5), a foreign partnership, as defined in s. 178.0102 (6), a foreign limited partnership, as defined in s. 179.0102 (6), a foreign corporation, as defined in s. 180.0103 (9), or a foreign corporation, as defined in s. 181.0103 (13).
(4) “Interest" means any of the following:
(a) A share in a business corporation.
(b) A membership in a nonprofit or nonstock corporation.
(c) A partnership interest in a general partnership.
(d) A partnership interest in a limited partnership.
(e) A membership interest in a limited liability company.
(f) A membership interest or stock in a general cooperative association.
(g) A membership interest in a limited cooperative association.
(h) A membership in an unincorporated association.
(i) A beneficial interest in a statutory trust, business trust, or common-law business trust.
(j) A comparable interest in any other type of unincorporated entity.
(5) “Interest exchange" means a transaction authorized by ss. 181.1131 to 181.1135.
(6) “Interest holder" means any of the following:
(a) A shareholder of a business corporation.
(b) A member of a nonprofit or nonstock corporation.
(c) A general partner of a general partnership.
(d) A general partner of a limited partnership.
(e) A limited partner of a limited partnership.
(f) A member of a limited liability company.
(g) A member or stockholder of a general cooperative association.
(h) A member of a limited cooperative association.
(i) A member of an unincorporated association.
(j) A beneficiary or beneficial owner of a statutory trust, business trust, or common-law business trust.
(k) Any other direct holder of an interest.
(7) “Interest holder liability" means any of the following:
(a) Personal liability for a debt, obligation, or other liability of an entity which is imposed on a person under any of the following circumstances:
1. Solely by reason of the status of the person as an interest holder of the entity under its governing law.
2. Under the organizational documents of the entity in accordance with its governing law which make one or more specified interest holders or categories of interest holders liable in their capacity as interest holders for all or specified liabilities of the entity.
(b) An obligation of an interest holder of an entity under its organizational documents to contribute to the entity.
(8) “Merger" means a transaction authorized by ss. 181.1101 to 181.11055.
(9) “Merging entity" means an entity that is a party to a merger and exists immediately before the merger becomes effective.
(10) “Non-United States entity" means an entity whose governing law is the law of any jurisdiction other than the United States or any state, but does not include an entity that has domesticated under the law of any other state.
(11) “Organizational documents" means, with respect to an entity, whether in a record or, to the extent permitted under the entity's governing law, other than in a record, the following or its equivalent under the entity's governing law:
(a) For a domestic or foreign corporation, whether or not for profit or stock or nonstock, its articles of incorporation and bylaws.
(b) For a domestic or foreign partnership, its partnership agreement and, in the case of a domestic or foreign limited liability partnership, its statement of qualification as a limited liability partnership or foreign limited liability partnership.
(c) For a domestic or foreign limited partnership, its certificate of limited partnership and partnership agreement.
(d) For a domestic or foreign limited liability company, its certificate or articles of organization and operating agreement.
(e) For a business trust, its agreement of trust and declaration of trust.
(f) For any other entity, the basic records, agreements, or other items that create the entity and control its internal governance and the relations among its interest holders.
(12) “Plan" means a plan of merger under s. 181.1102, a plan of interest exchange under s. 181.1132, a plan of conversion under s. 181.1162, or a plan of domestication under s. 181.1172.
(13) “Surviving entity" means the entity that continues in existence after or is created by a merger.
(14) “Type of entity" means a generic form of entity that is any of the following:
(a) Recognized at common law.
(b) Recognized under a governing law.
History: 2001 a. 44; 2015 a. 295; 2021 a. 258.

Structure Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations

Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations

Chapter 181 - Nonstock corporations.

181.0103 - Definitions.

181.0105 - Knowledge; notice.

181.0107 - Governing law.

181.0121 - Forms.

181.0127 - Evidentiary effect of copy of filed document.

181.0129 - Penalty for false document.

181.0141 - Notice.

181.0160 - Judicial relief.

181.0162 - Relation to electronic signatures in global and national commerce act.

181.0163 - Forum selection provisions.

181.0201 - Incorporators.

181.0202 - Articles of incorporation.

181.0203 - Incorporation.

181.0205 - Organization of corporation.

181.0206 - Bylaws.

181.0207 - Emergency bylaws.

181.0208 - Filing requirements.

181.0209 - Effective date and time.

181.0210 - Withdrawal of filed record before effectiveness.

181.0211 - Correcting filed record.

181.0212 - Duty of department to file; review of refusal to file; delivery of record by department.

181.0213 - Certificate of status.

181.0214 - Annual report for department.

181.0301 - Purposes.

181.0302 - General powers.

181.0303 - Emergency powers.

181.0304 - Effect of unauthorized corporate acts.

181.0320 - Private foundations.

181.0330 - Offer and sale of securities.

181.0401 - Corporate name.

181.0402 - Reservation of name.

181.0403 - Registration of name.

181.0501 - Registered agent and registered office.

181.0502 - Change of registered agent or registered office.

181.0503 - Resignation of registered agent.

181.0504 - Service of process, notice, or demand.

181.0505 - Change of name or address by registered agent.

181.0506 - Delivery of record.

181.0507 - Filing fees; certified copies.

181.0601 - Admission.

181.0602 - Consideration and certificates.

181.0603 - No requirement of members.

181.0610 - Differences in rights and obligations of members.

181.0611 - Transfers.

181.0612 - Member's liability to 3rd parties.

181.0613 - Member's liability for dues, assessments and fees.

181.0614 - Creditor's action against member.

181.0620 - Termination, expulsion and suspension.

181.0622 - Purchase of memberships.

181.0640 - Delegates.

181.0670 - Limited liability of volunteers.

181.0701 - Annual and regular meetings.

181.0702 - Special meeting.

181.0704 - Action by written consent.

181.0705 - Notice of meeting.

181.0706 - Waiver of notice.

181.0707 - Record date; determining members entitled to notice and vote.

181.0708 - Action by written ballot.

181.0720 - Members' list for meeting.

181.0721 - Voting entitlement generally.

181.0722 - Quorum requirements.

181.0723 - Voting requirements.

181.0724 - Proxies.

181.0725 - Cumulative voting for directors.

181.0726 - Other methods of electing directors.

181.0727 - Acceptance of instruments showing member action.

181.0730 - Voting agreements.

181.0735 - Voting power.

181.0740 - Derivative proceedings; definition.

181.0741 - Derivative proceedings; standing.

181.0742 - Derivative proceedings; demand.

181.0743 - Derivative proceedings; stay of proceedings.

181.0744 - Derivative proceedings; dismissal.

181.0745 - Derivative proceedings; discontinuance or settlement.

181.0746 - Derivative proceedings; payment of expenses.

181.0747 - Derivative proceedings; applicability.

181.0801 - Requirement for and duties of board.

181.0802 - Qualifications of directors.

181.0803 - Number of directors.

181.0804 - Election, designation and appointment of directors.

181.0805 - Terms of directors generally.

181.0806 - Staggered terms for directors.

181.0807 - Resignation of directors.

181.0808 - Removal of directors elected by members or directors.

181.0809 - Removal of designated or appointed directors.

181.0810 - Removal of directors by judicial proceeding.

181.0811 - Vacancies.

181.0820 - Regular and special meetings.

181.0821 - Action without meeting.

181.0822 - Call and notice of meetings.

181.0823 - Waiver of notice.

181.0824 - Quorum and voting.

181.0825 - Committees of the board.

181.0831 - Director conflict of interest.

181.0832 - Loans to directors and officers.

181.0833 - Liability for unlawful distributions.

181.0840 - Officers.

181.0841 - Duties and authority of officers and agents.

181.0843 - Resignation and removal of officers.

181.0844 - Contract rights of officers.

181.0850 - Reliance by directors or officers.

181.0853 - Consideration of interests in addition to members' interests.

181.0855 - Limited liability of directors and officers.

181.0860 - Statements of changes in directors or principal officers.

181.0871 - Definitions applicable to indemnification and insurance provisions.

181.0872 - Mandatory indemnification.

181.0873 - Determination of right to indemnification.

181.0874 - Allowance of expenses as incurred.

181.0875 - Corporation may limit indemnification.

181.0877 - Additional rights to indemnification and allowance of expenses.

181.0879 - Court-ordered indemnification.

181.0881 - Indemnification and allowance of expenses of employees and agents.

181.0883 - Insurance.

181.0889 - Indemnification and insurance against securities law claims.

181.1001 - Authority to amend articles of incorporation.

181.1002 - Amendment of articles of incorporation by directors.

181.1003 - Amendment of articles of incorporation by directors and members.

181.1004 - Class voting by members on amendments to articles of incorporation.

181.1005 - Articles of amendment.

181.1006 - Restated articles of incorporation.

181.1007 - Amendment of articles of incorporation pursuant to judicial reorganization.

181.1008 - Effect of amendment and restatement of articles of incorporation.

181.1020 - Amendment of bylaws by directors.

181.1021 - Amendment of bylaws by directors and members.

181.1022 - Class voting by members on amendments of bylaws.

181.1030 - Approval by 3rd persons.

181.1100 - Definitions.

181.11001 - Relationship of subchapter to other laws.

181.11002 - Existing purpose.

181.11003 - Nonexclusivity.

181.11004 - Reference to external facts.

181.1101 - Merger authorized.

181.1102 - Plan of merger.

181.1103 - Approval of merger; amendment; abandonment.

181.11045 - Filings required for merger; effective date.

181.11055 - Effect of merger.

181.1108 - Bequests, devises, and gifts.

181.1131 - Interest exchange authorized.

181.1132 - Plan of interest exchange.

181.1133 - Approval of interest exchange; amendment; abandonment.

181.1134 - Filings required for interest exchange; effective date.

181.1135 - Effect of interest exchange.

181.1150 - Conversion of cooperative.

181.1161 - Conversion authorized.

181.1162 - Plan of conversion.

181.1163 - Approval of conversion; amendment; abandonment.

181.1164 - Filings required for conversion; effective date.

181.1165 - Effect of conversion.

181.1171 - Domestication authorized.

181.1172 - Plan of domestication.

181.1173 - Approval of domestication; amendment; abandonment.

181.1174 - Filings required for domestication; effective date.

181.1175 - Effect of domestication.

181.1180 - Restrictions on approval of mergers, interest exchanges, conversions, and domestications.

181.1201 - Sale of assets in regular course of activities and mortgage of assets.

181.1202 - Sale of assets other than in regular course of activities.

181.1301 - Prohibited distributions.

181.1302 - Authorized distributions.

181.1401 - Dissolution by incorporators, directors, members and 3rd persons.

181.1403 - Articles of dissolution.

181.1404 - Revocation of dissolution.

181.1405 - Effect of dissolution.

181.1406 - Known claims against dissolved corporation.

181.1407 - Survival of remedies and claims.

181.1420 - Grounds for administrative dissolution.

181.1421 - Procedure for and effect of administrative dissolution.

181.1422 - Reinstatement following administrative dissolution.

181.1423 - Appeal from denial of reinstatement.

181.1430 - Grounds for judicial dissolution.

181.1431 - Procedure for judicial dissolution.

181.1432 - Receivership or custodianship.

181.1433 - Decree of dissolution.

181.1440 - Deposit with secretary of revenue.

181.1501 - Authority to transact business required.

181.1502 - Consequences of transacting business without authority.

181.1503 - Application for certificate of authority.

181.1504 - Amended certificate of authority.

181.1505 - Effect of certificate of authority.

181.1506 - Corporate name of foreign corporation.

181.1507 - Registered office and registered agent.

181.1508 - Change of registered agent or registered office of foreign corporation.

181.1509 - Resignation of registered agent of foreign corporation.

181.1510 - Service of process, notice, or demand on foreign corporation.

181.1520 - Withdrawal of foreign corporation.

181.1530 - Grounds for revocation.

181.1531 - Procedure for and effect of revocation.

181.1532 - Appeal from revocation.

181.1601 - Corporate records.

181.1602 - Inspection of records by members.

181.1603 - Scope of inspection rights.

181.1604 - Court-ordered inspection.

181.1605 - Limitations on use of membership list.

181.1620 - Financial statements for members.

181.1621 - Report of indemnification to members.

181.1701 - Applicability of chapter.

181.1703 - Saving provisions.