Commercial Flashcards
(1183 cards)
Corporation
A corporation is an artificial being created by operation of law, having the right of succession and the powers, attributes, and properties expressly authorized by law or incidental to its existence. Revised Corporation Code, Sec. 2
Attributes of a corporation
- Artificial being with separate and juridical personality
- Created by operation of law
- Has the right of succession
- Has the powers, attributes, and properties expressly authorized by law or incident to its existence
Kinds of Corporations
- Stock vs. Nonstock
Stock corporations are those which have capital stock divided into shares and are authorized to distribute to the holders of such shares, dividends, or allotments of the surplus profits on the basis of the shares held. All other corporations are nonstock corporations. (Sec. 3)
A non-stock corporation is one where no part of its income is distributable as dividends to its members, trustees, or officers: Provided, that any profit which a non-stock corporation may obtain incidental to its operations shall, whenever necessary or proper, be used for the furtherance of the purpose or purposes for which the corporation was organized, subject to the provisions of this Title.
- Close corporations (Sec. 95)
One whose articles of incorporation provides that:
a) all the corporation’s issued stock of all classes, exclusive of treasury shares, shall be held of record by not more than a specified number of persons, not exceeding 20;
b) all the issued stock of all classes shall be subject to 1 or more specified restrictions on transfer permitted by this Title; and
c) the corporation shall not list in any stock exchange or make any public offering of its stock of any class. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a corporation shall not be deemed a close corporation when at least 2/3 of its voting stock or voting rights is owned or controlled by another corporation which is not a close corporation within the meaning of this Code. - Educational corporations
- Religious corporations
- Holding/Parent/Subsidiaries
- SRC 12
- wholly-owned vs. majority-owned subsidiary - De Facto corporation
- Sec. 19 - Corporation by estoppel
- Sec. 20 - One person corporation
- Sec. 115 - Corporations vested with public interest
Who cannot be close corporations?
Mining or oil companies, stock exchanges, banks, insurance companies, public utilities, educational institutions and corporations declared to be vested with public interest. (Sec. 95)
One person corporation
a. may be formed by a natural person, trust or an estate. NOT allowed - Banks, NSSLAs, etc., and natural person licensed to exercise a profession (116)
b. NO minimum capital stock required (117)
c. Not required to have by-laws (119(
d. The sole stockholders shall also be the sole director and president (121)
e. The sole stockholder may not be the corporate secretary (122)
f. If he is also the treasurer, he must give a bond to the SEC, in the amount to be determined by SEC*, renewable every 2 years (122)
g. Sole stockholder must provide name of nominee and alternate nominee in the AOI of the OPC, as well as their authority in managing the affairs of the OPC (124)
Corporations Vested with Public Interest
Sec. 22
a. Corporations covered by Sec. 17.2 of the SRC
b. Banks and quasi-banks, NSSLAs, pawnshops, corporations engaged in money service business, preneed, trust and insurance and other financial intermediaries
c. Corporations engaged in business vested with public interest similar to above, as determined by SEC
Requirements of Corporations vested with public interest
a. 20% of the board must be composed of Independent Directors*
b. Stockholders have the right to vote in absentia, regardless of any provisions in the bylaws
c. Must submit an annual report of total compensation of each of the directors/trustees
d. Must elect a compliance officer
e. Material contracts involving directors, officers, spouses and 4th degree relatives must be approved by at least 2/3 vote of entire membership of the board, with at least a majority of the independent directors voting to approve the material contract
f. Must submit annually a director or trustee appraisal or performance report and the standards or criteria used to assess each director or trustee
Formation of a corporation
- Corporate Name
- Purpose
- Principal Office Address
- Corporate Term
- Incorporators (Sec. 10)
- Board of Directors
- Capitalization
- Share distribution
- Treasurer
- Undertaking to Change Name
- No Transfer Clause
Capitalization
- Minimum capitalization of P5,000 has been deleted
- No minimum subscription
Corporate Status
- Non-use of Corporate Charter: 5 years, otherwise revoked
- Continuous Inoperation: 2 years, otherwise delinquent
- Registered
- Revoked
- Delinquent: 2 years to resume operations otherwise revoked
Doctrine of Centralized Management
Corporate powers are vested in a central body, the board of directors for stock corporations, board of trustees for non-stock corporations.
Business Judgment Rule
Questions of policy and management are left to the sound discretion and honest decision of the officers and directors and the courts are without authority to substitute their judgment for the judgment of the board.
What are the principal tests in determining the nationality of a corporation?
- Place of Incorporation test: Under the place of incorporation test, the nationality of a corporation is determined by under whose laws it has been organized and registered, regardless of the nationality of majority of its stockholders (RCC, Sec. 140).
- Control test: The nationality of a private corporation is determined by the character or citizenship of its controlling stockholders
What is the primary test in determining the nationality of a corporation?
The place of incorporation test is the primary and general test used in determining the nationality of a corporation (RCC, Sec. 140). However, the control test may be used:
- In times of war
- In determining compliance with constitutional and statutory foreign equity restrictions; or
- For corporations organized for the purpose of exploiting natural resources, and operating public utilities, mass media, advertising, and other corporations subject to foreign equity restrictions under Sec. 11 of Article XIl and Sec. 11 of Article XVI of the Constitution
Under the Foreign Investments Act, when is a corporation considered as a Philippine National?
The term “Philippine National” shall mean a corporation organized under the laws of the Philippines of which at least 60% of the capital stock outstanding and entitled to vote is owned and held by citizens of the Philippines shall be considered a Philippine National.
A corporation organized abroad and registered as doing business in the Philippines under the Corporation Code of which 100% of the capital stock outstanding and entitled to vote is wholly owned by Filipinos is a Philippine National.
The Supreme Court held that what the Constitution requires is that full and legal beneficial ownership of 60% of the outstanding capital stock (OCS), coupled with 60% of the voting rights, must rest in the hands of Filipino nationals.
Thus, for purposes of determining compliance with constitutional or statutory ownership requirements, the required percentage of Filipino ownership shall be applied to both:
1. The total number of outstanding shares of stock entitled to vote in the election directors; and
2. The total number of outstanding shares of stock, whether or not entitled to vote. Both the Voting Controt Test and the Beneficial Ownership Test must be applied to determine whether a corporation is a “Philippine national.”
What is the Grandfather Rule?
The Grandfather Rule is the method by which the percentage of Filipino equity in a corporation engaged in nationalized and/or partly nationalized areas of activities, provided for under the Constitution and other nationalization laws, is computed, in cases where corporate shareholders are present, by attributing the nationality of the second or even subsequent tier of ownership to determine the nationality of the corporate shareholder.
It involves further investigation as to the nationality of the personalities with the beneficial ownership and control of the corporate shareholders in both the investing and investee corporations (Narra Nickel Mining & Development Corp. v. Redmont Consolidated Mines Corp, G.R. No. 195580, January 28, 2015).
The Strict Rule or the Grandfather Rule applies only when the 60-40 Filipino-foreign equity ownership is in doubt. If there is no doubt, the Grandfather Rule will not apply (Id.).
Note: It is only when the Control Test is first complied with that the Grandfather Rule may be applied. Put in another manner, if the subject corporation’s Filipino equity falls below the threshold 60%, the corporation is immediately considered foreign-owned, in which case, the need to resort to the Grandfather Rule disappears.
What is the beneficial ownership test?
Under the beneficial ownership test, mere legal title is insufficient to meet the required Filipino equity, he should also have full beneficial ownership of the share. If the voting right of a share held in the name of a Filipino citizen of national is assigned or transferred to an alien, that share is not to be counted in the determination of the required Filipino equity. In the same vein if the dividends and other fruits and accessions of the share do not accrue to a Filipino citizen or national, then that share is also to be excluded or not counted.
What is the nationality of a corporation sole?
A corporation sole has no nationality as the framers of the Constitution did not have in mind the religious corporations sole - or any corporation sole, for that matter - when they provided the 60% requirement.
What is the Doctrine of Separate Juridical Personality?
A corporation is a distinct legal entity to be considered as separate and apart from the individual stockholders or members who compose it, and is not affected by the personal rights, obligations and transactions of its stockholders or members.
What is the principle of limited liability?
The principle of limited liability provides that a corporate officer or a stockholder, as a general rule, is not personally held liable for corporate debts. Since a corporation has a separate and distinct personality, it may incur its own liabilities and is responsible for the payment of its debts. The liability of the stockholder is limited to the unpaid subscription.
What is the Doctrine of Piercing the Corporate Veil?
The doctrine of separate juridical personality, a corporation has a legal personality separate and distinct from those individuals acting for and, in its behalf, and, in general, from those comprising it. This legal fiction may only be disregarded if it is used as a means to perpetrate fraud or an illegal act, or as a vehicle for the evasion of an existing obligation, the circumvention of statutes, or to confuse legitimate issues.
Though the corporation has separate and distinct personality from its stockholders, such personality may be disregarded, or veil of corporate fiction may be pierced, attaching personal liability to the responsible person, if the corporate personality is used to defeat public convenience, justify wrong, protect fraud or defend crime, or use to defeat the labor laws Hence, the separate and distinct juridical personality of a corporation is disregarded or pierced.
What are the kinds of piercing cases?
- Traditional Veil-Piercing Action where a court disregard the existence of the corporate entity so a claimant can reach the assets of a corporate insider; and
- Reverse Piercing Action has two (2) types:
a. Outsider reverse piercing occurs when a pany with a claim against an individual for corporation attempts to be, repaid with assets of a corporation owned or substantially controlled by the defendant. In contrast,
b. Insider reverse piercing the controlling members will attempt to ignore the corporate fiction in order to take adyantage of a benefit available to the corporation, such as ah interest in, a lawsuit or protection of personal assets.
In what cases is the doctrine of piercing the corporate veil applied?
(DFA) The doctrine of piercing the corporate veil applies only 3 basic areas, namely:
- Defeat of public convenience - as when the corporate fiction is used as a vehicle for the evasion of an existing obligation;
- Fraud cases - when the corporate entity is used to justify a wrong, protect fraud, or defend a crime; or
- Alter ego cases - where a corporation is merely a farce since it is a mere alter ego or business conduit of a person, or where the corporation is so organized and controlled and its affairs are so conducted as to make it merely an instrumentality, agency, conduit or adjunct of another corporation
Note: It has also been suggested that there is another group of cases where the doctrine of piercing the veil of corporate fiction can be applied known as Equity Cases. However, even “Fraud Cases” and “Alter Ego Cases” are oftentimes explained on the basis of equity and not on the basis of strict application of the rule on complete separation of legal personality. “Fraud Cases” and “Alter Ego cases” are oftentimes Equity Cases.
What are the tests to determine the application of the Alter Ego Theory which would warrant the piercing of the corporate veil?
(CFC)
A Three-Pronged Test is used to determine the application of the alter ego theory, which is also known as the Instrumentality Theory, namely the:
a. Instrumentality or Control test - Control, not mere majority or complete stock control, but complete domination, not only of finances but of policy and business practice in respect to the transaction attacked so that the corporate entity as to this transaction had at the time no separate mind, will, or existence of its own;
b. Fraud test - Such control must have been used by the defendant to commit fraud or wrong in contravention of plaintiff’s legal rights; and
c. Harm/Causal Connection test - The aforesaid control and breach of duty must proximately cause the injury or unjust loss complained of.
The absence of any of these three elements prevents the piercing of the corporate veil.