185.367 Limited liability of directors and officers.
(1) Except as provided in subs. (2) and (3), a director or officer is not liable to the cooperative, its members, stockholders or creditors, or any person asserting rights on behalf of the cooperative, its members, stockholders or creditors, or any other person, for damages, settlements, fees, fines, penalties or other monetary liabilities arising from a breach of, or failure to perform, any duty resulting solely from his or her status as a director or officer, unless the person asserting liability proves that the breach or failure to perform constitutes any of the following:
(a) A willful failure to deal fairly with the cooperative, its members or stockholders in connection with a matter in which the director or officer has a material conflict of interest.
(b) A violation of criminal law, unless the director or officer had reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was lawful or no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.
(c) A transaction from which the director or officer derived an improper personal profit.
(d) Willful misconduct.
(2) Except as provided in sub. (3), this section does not apply to any of the following:
(a) A civil or criminal proceeding brought by or on behalf of any governmental unit, authority or agency.
(b) A proceeding brought by any person for a violation of state or federal law where the proceeding is brought pursuant to an express private right of action created by state or federal statute.
(c) The liability of a director under s. 185.37 (1).
(3) Subsection (2) (a) and (b) does not apply to a proceeding brought by a governmental unit, authority or agency in its capacity as a private party or contractor.
History: 1987 a. 13.
Cooperative indemnification. La Rowe and Weine. WBB Sept. 1988.
Structure Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
185.031 - Refunds after forfeiture.
185.033 - Restriction on changes to articles.
185.034 - Definitions applicable to indemnification and insurance provisions.
185.035 - Mandatory indemnification.
185.036 - Determination of right to indemnification.
185.037 - Allowance of expenses as incurred.
185.038 - Additional rights to indemnification and allowance of expenses.
185.039 - Court-ordered indemnification.
185.04 - Indemnification and allowance of expenses of employees and agents.
185.042 - Indemnification and insurance against securities law claims.
185.045 - Reserved or registered name.
185.06 - Organization meetings.
185.08 - Principal office; registered agent; service of process.
185.09 - Promotion expense; limitation.
185.15 - Notice to members, stockholders or other persons; waiver.
185.21 - Stock; authorization, issuance, control, use, rights.
185.22 - Subscriptions for stock; liability therefor.
185.23 - Missing securities or records.
185.24 - Liability of cooperative for wrongful transfers of its securities.
185.25 - Applicability of ch. 408 to cooperative securities.
185.31 - Directors; number, election, removal and vacancies.
185.32 - Directors; meetings, quorum and waiver of notice.
185.34 - Action without meeting by directors or members.
185.36 - Compensation and benefits to directors, officers and employees.
185.363 - Reliance by directors or officers.
185.365 - Consideration of interests in addition to members' and stockholders' interests.
185.367 - Limited liability of directors and officers.
185.37 - Liability of directors and members.
185.38 - Disposition of assets; right to secure debts.
185.41 - Cooperative contracts.
185.42 - Recording of cooperative contracts; effect thereof.
185.43 - Relief against breach or threatened breach.
185.44 - Application of ss. 185.41 to 185.43; venue of action.
185.45 - Apportionment and distribution of proceeds.
185.47 - Financial books and records; penalty for refusal to produce.
185.48 - Annual reports; filing thereof.
185.50 - Income or franchise tax returns.
185.51 - Amendments to articles.
185.52 - Stockholder voting on amendments to articles.
185.53 - Filing and recording amendments; effect thereof.
185.55 - Amendments by bankruptcy court.
185.61 - Merger and consolidation.
185.62 - Articles of merger or consolidation; effect thereof.
185.63 - Division of a cooperative.
185.64 - Conversion of corporation.
185.71 - Voluntary dissolution.
185.72 - Involuntary dissolution.
185.73 - Liquidation under court supervision.
185.74 - Property not distributed prior to dissolution.
185.76 - Survival of remedy after dissolution.
185.81 - Admission of foreign cooperatives.
185.815 - Recording change of principal office or registered agent.
185.82 - Procedure on filing and recording of documents.
185.825 - Penalty for false document.
185.84 - Fees or penalty due state.
185.85 - Forms to be furnished by department of financial institutions.
185.91 - Voting requirements of articles.
185.92 - Effect of unauthorized acts.
185.93 - Member or stockholder derivative actions.
185.94 - Use of term “cooperative"; penalty for improper use.
185.95 - Discrimination against association.
185.96 - Application of chapter.
185.981 - Cooperative health care.
185.982 - Manner of practicing medicine, chiropractic and dentistry; payment; promotional expense.
185.983 - Requirements of plan.
185.985 - Inconsistent provisions of the statutes.
185.99 - Health benefit purchasing cooperatives.
185.995 - Extensions of credit by electric cooperatives for certain projects.