Absent restrictions on the transfer of shares, a shareholder can withdraw from the business by selling or otherwise transferring his shares of stock. A corporation is managed by a board of directors who act on behalf of the shareholders.
Generally, a majority of shareholders can remove a director by passing an ordinary resolution after giving special notice. This is straightforward, but care should be taken to check the articles of association of the company and any shareholders’ agreement, which may include a contractual right to be on the board.
When shareholders exercise their exit rights and transfer their shares to a buyer, the company would have to lodge the notice of transfer of shares in writing with the Registrar. The company will only be able to lodge the transfer of shares after the proper instrument of transfer have been delivered to the company.
There are several possible ways of removing a shareholder, or forcing a sale of their shares, but care needs to be taken in each case, and a tactical approach is required. … Consider passing a special resolution (75% majority) to alter the articles to include provisions to force a sale of the shares, say for fair value.
Shareholders may therefore leave a corporation without interrupting company operations. The shares are simply transferred to a new owner, whose information is taken down in the corporation’s stock ledger.
On what grounds can a director be removed?
The removal of a limited company director may arise for any number of reasons, such as voluntary resignation or retirement, illness or death, bankruptcy, disqualification by the Court, or a breach of service contract. The reason for a director’s removal will dictate which procedure the company should follow.
Can the shareholders overrule the board of directors? … Shareholders can take legal action if they feel the directors are acting improperly. Minority shareholders can take legal action if they feel their rights are being unfairly prejudiced.
If you want to get out of a shareholder agreement then you need to read the Put/Call Option closely – in many shareholder agreements the ‘call option’ means the shares have to be sold for a certain price, while the purchase options might involve discounts for existing shareholders.
Exiting Shareholder or Put Rights
Rather than just forcing the exit of another shareholder, shareholder agreements may include provisions that allow a shareholder to force their own exit. This can be done through a put right or an exiting shareholder clause.
How is a shareholders’ agreement terminated?
- Breach of the agreement in certain circumstances by a party;
- Expiration of a fixed term;
- The occurrence of an event that indicates either the success or failure of the venture;
- A party ceasing for any reason to be a shareholder in the joint venture company;
As per Section 169 of the Companies Act, 2013, a company may, by ordinary resolution, remove a director, not being a director appointed by the Tribunal under section 242, before the expiry of the period of his office after giving him a reasonable opportunity of being heard.
It follows that shareholders holding more than 25% of the shares may block the others from passing a special resolution. The following are examples of matters for which a special resolution is required by the Companies Act 2006. These rights cannot be reduced or changed by any agreement between the shareholders.
Shareholders with more than 50% of the voting power can resolve to remove a director. But there is a special procedure to follow with complicated notice provisions so make sure you check the provisions in the Companies Act first. In SMEs, most directors are also employees.
To buyout a shareholder, a company must be able to pay for the value of the ownership interest. A company can fund the purchase of a shareholder’s interest by using: The Assets of the Business: A buyout agreement may stipulate that the company can pay over time with the income earned from the business.