Corporations Code § 3203 - California Law

(a)Any one or more social purpose corporations may merge with one or more other business entities. One or more domestic social purpose corporations not organized under this division and one or more foreign corporations may be parties to the merger. Notwithstanding this section, the merger of any number of social purpose corporations with any number of other business entities may be effected only if:

(1)In a merger in which a domestic social purpose corporation not organized under this division or a domestic other business entity is a party, it is authorized by the laws under which it is organized to effect the merger.

(2)In a merger in which a foreign

corporation is a party, it is authorized by the laws under which it is organized to effect the merger.

(3)In a merger in which a foreign other business entity is a party, it is authorized by the laws under which it is organized to effect the merger.

(b)Each social purpose corporation and each other party that desires to merge shall approve, and shall be a party to, an agreement of merger. Other persons, including a parent party, may be parties to the agreement of merger. The board of each social purpose corporation that desires to merge, and, if required, the shareholders, shall approve the agreement of merger. The agreement of merger shall be approved on behalf of each party by those persons required to approve the merger by the laws under which it is organized. The agreement of merger shall state:

(1)The terms

and conditions of the merger.

(2)The name and place of incorporation or organization of each party to the merger and the identity of the surviving party.

(3)The amendments, if any, subject to Sections 900, 902, 907, and 3002 to the articles of the surviving social purpose corporation, if applicable, to be effected by the merger. If any amendment changes the name of the surviving social purpose corporation, if applicable, the new name may be, subject to subdivision (b) of Section 2601, the same as or similar to the name of a disappearing party to the merger.

(4)The manner of converting the shares of each constituent social purpose corporation into shares, interests, or other securities of the surviving party. If any shares of any constituent social purpose corporation are not to be converted solely into shares,

interests, or other securities of the surviving party, the agreement of merger shall state (A) the cash, rights, securities, or other property that the holders of those shares are to receive in exchange for the shares, which cash, rights, securities, or other property may be in addition to or in lieu of shares, interests, or other securities of the surviving party, or (B) that the shares are canceled without consideration.

(5)Any other details or provisions required by the laws under which any party to the merger is organized, including, if a domestic corporation is a party to the merger, Section 3203, if a public benefit corporation or a religious corporation is a party to the merger, Section 6019.1, if a mutual benefit corporation is a party to the merger, Section 8019.1, if a consumer cooperative corporation is a party to the merger, Section 12540.1, if a domestic limited partnership is a party to the merger, Section 15911.12, if a domestic

partnership is a party to the merger, Section 16911, and if a domestic limited liability company is a party to the merger, Section 17551.

(6)Any other details or provisions as are desired, including, without limitation, a provision for the payment of cash in lieu of fractional shares or for any other arrangement with respect thereto consistent with the provisions of Section 407.

(c)Each share of the same class or series of any constituent social purpose corporation, other than the cancellation of shares held by a party to the merger or its parent, or a wholly owned subsidiary of either, in another constituent social purpose corporation, shall, unless all shareholders of the class or series consent and except as provided in Section 407, be treated equally with respect to any distribution of cash, rights, securities, or other property. Notwithstanding paragraph (4) of subdivision

(b), the nonredeemable common shares of a constituent social purpose corporation may be converted only into nonredeemable common shares of a surviving social purpose corporation or a parent party or nonredeemable equity securities of a surviving party other than a social purpose corporation if another party to the merger or its parent owns, directly or indirectly, prior to the merger shares of that corporation representing more than 50 percent of the voting power of that social purpose corporation, unless all of the shareholders of the class consent and except as provided in Section 407.

(d)Notwithstanding its prior approval, an agreement of merger may be amended prior to the filing of the agreement of merger or the certificate of merger, as is applicable, if the amendment is approved by the board of each constituent social purpose corporation and, if the amendment changes any of the principal terms of the agreement, by the outstanding shares,

if required by Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 3400), in the same manner as the original agreement of merger. If the agreement of merger as so amended and approved is also approved by each of the other parties to the agreement of merger, the agreement of merger as so amended shall then constitute the agreement of merger.

(e)The board of a constituent social purpose corporation may, in its discretion, abandon a merger, subject to the contractual rights, if any, of third parties, including other parties to the agreement of merger, without further approval by the outstanding shares, at any time before the merger is effective.

(f)Each constituent social purpose corporation shall sign the agreement of merger by its chairperson of the board, president, or a vice president and also by its secretary or an assistant secretary acting on behalf of their respective corporations.

(g)(1) If the surviving party is a domestic social purpose corporation, or if a domestic corporation or a foreign corporation, a public benefit corporation, a mutual benefit corporation, a religious corporation, or a corporation organized under the Consumer Cooperative Corporation Law (Part 2 (commencing with Section 12200) of Division 3) is a party to the merger, after required approvals of the merger by each constituent social purpose corporation through approval of the board and any approval of the outstanding shares required by Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 3400) and by the other parties to the merger, the surviving party shall file a copy of the agreement of merger with an officers’ certificate of each constituent domestic social purpose corporation and foreign social purpose corporation attached stating the total number of outstanding shares of each class entitled to vote on the merger, and identifying any other

person or persons whose approval is required, that the agreement of merger in the form attached or its principal terms, as required, were approved by that social purpose corporation by a vote of a number of shares of each class that equaled or exceeded the vote required, specifying each class entitled to vote and the percentage vote required of each class and, if applicable, by that other person or persons whose approval is required, or that the merger agreement was entitled to be and was approved by the board alone, as provided in Section 3401, in the case of a social purpose corporation subject to that section. If equity securities of a parent party are to be issued in the merger, the officers’ certificate of that controlled party shall state either that no vote of the shareholders of the parent party was required or that the required vote was obtained. In lieu of an officers’ certificate, a certificate of merger, on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State, shall be filed for each constituent other

business entity. The certificate of merger shall be executed and acknowledged by each domestic constituent limited liability company by all managers of the limited liability company, unless a lesser number is specified in its articles or organization or operating agreement, and by each domestic constituent limited partnership by all general partners, unless a lesser number is provided in its certificate of limited partnership or partnership agreement, and by each domestic constituent general partnership by two partners, unless a lesser number is provided in its partnership agreement, and by each foreign constituent limited liability company by one or more managers and by each foreign constituent general partnership or foreign constituent limited partnership by one or more general partners, and by each constituent reciprocal insurer by the chairperson of the board, president, or vice president, and by the secretary or assistant secretary, or, if a constituent reciprocal insurer has not appointed those

officers, by the chairperson of the board, president, or vice president, and by the secretary or assistant secretary of the constituent reciprocal insurer’s attorney-in-fact, and by each other party to the merger by those persons required or authorized to execute the certificate of merger by the laws under which that party is organized, specifying for that party the provision of law or other basis for the authority of the signing persons. The certificate of merger shall set forth, if a vote of the shareholders, members, partners, or other holders of interests of the constituent other business entity was required, a statement setting forth the total number of outstanding interests of each class entitled to vote on the merger and that the agreement of merger in the form attached or its principal terms, as required, were approved by a vote of the number of interests of each class that equaled or exceeded the vote required, specifying each class entitled to vote and the percentage vote required of each class,

and any other information required to be set forth under the laws under which the constituent other business entity is organized, including, if a domestic limited partnership is a party to the merger, subdivision (a) of Section 15911.14, if a domestic partnership is a party to the merger, subdivision (b) of Section 16915, and, if a domestic limited liability company is a party to the merger, subdivision (a) of Section 17552. The certificate of merger for each constituent foreign other business entity, if any, shall also set forth the statutory or other basis under which that foreign other business entity is authorized by the laws under which it is organized to effect the merger. The merger and any amendment of the articles of the surviving social purpose corporation, if applicable, contained in the agreement of merger shall be effective upon filing of the agreement of merger with an officer’s certificate of each constituent domestic corporation and foreign corporation and a certificate of merger for each

constituent other business entity, subject to subdivision (c) of Section 110 and subject to the provisions of subdivision (j), and the several parties thereto shall be one entity. If a domestic reciprocal insurer organized after 1974 to provide medical malpractice insurance is a party to the merger, the agreement of merger or certificate of merger shall not be filed until there has been filed the certificate issued by the Insurance Commissioner approving the merger pursuant to Section 1555 of the Insurance Code. The Secretary of State may certify a copy of the agreement of merger separate from the officers’ certificates and certificates of merger attached thereto.

(2)If the surviving entity is an other business entity, and no public benefit corporation, mutual benefit corporation, religious corporation, or corporation organized under the Consumer Cooperative Corporation Law (Part 2 (commencing with Section 12200) of Division 3) is a party to

the merger, after required approvals of the merger by each constituent social purpose corporation through approval of the board and any approval of the outstanding shares required by Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 3400) and by the other parties to the merger, the parties to the merger shall file a certificate of merger in the office of, and on a form prescribed by, the Secretary of State. The certificate of merger shall be executed and acknowledged by each constituent domestic and foreign social purpose corporation by its chairperson of the board, president, or a vice president and also by its secretary or an assistant secretary and by each domestic constituent limited liability company by all managers of the limited liability company, unless a lesser number is specified in its articles of organization or operating agreement, and by each domestic constituent limited partnership by all general partners, unless a lesser number is provided in its certificate of limited partnership or partnership agreement,

and by each domestic constituent general partnership by two partners, unless a lesser number is provided in its partnership agreement, and by each foreign constituent limited liability company by one or more managers and by each foreign constituent general partnership or foreign constituent limited partnership by one or more general partners, and by each constituent reciprocal insurer by the chairperson of the board, president, or vice president, and by the secretary or assistant secretary, or, if a constituent reciprocal insurer has not appointed those officers, by the chairperson of the board, president, or vice president, and by the secretary or assistant secretary of the constituent reciprocal insurer’s attorney-in-fact. The certificate of merger shall be signed by each other party to the merger by those persons required or authorized to execute the certificate of merger by the laws under which that party is organized, specifying for that party the provision of law or other basis for the authority of the

signing persons. The certificate of merger shall set forth all of the following:

(A)The name, place of incorporation or organization, and the Secretary of State’s file number, if any, of each party to the merger, separately identifying the disappearing parties and the surviving party.

(B)If the approval of the outstanding shares of a constituent social purpose corporation was required by Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 3400), a statement setting forth the total number of outstanding shares of each class entitled to vote on the merger and that the principal terms of the agreement of merger were approved by a vote of the number of shares of each class entitled to vote and the percentage vote required of each class.

(C)The future effective date or time, not more than 90 days subsequent to the date of filing of

the merger, if the merger is not to be effective upon the filing of the certificate of merger with the Secretary of State.

(D)A statement, by each party to the merger that is a domestic corporation not organized under this division, a foreign corporation or foreign other business entity, or an other business entity, of the statutory or other basis under which that party is authorized by the laws under which it is organized to effect the merger.

(E)Any other information required to be stated in the certificate of merger by the laws under which each respective party to the merger is organized, including, if a domestic limited liability company is a party to the merger, subdivision (a) of Section 17552, if a domestic partnership is a party to the merger, subdivision (b) of Section 16915, and, if a domestic limited partnership is a party to the merger, subdivision (a) of Section

15911.14.

(F)Any other details or provisions that may be desired.

Unless a future effective date or time is provided in a certificate of merger, in which event the merger shall be effective at that future effective date or time, a merger shall be effective upon the filing of the certificate of merger with the Secretary of State and the several parties thereto shall be one entity. The surviving other business entity shall keep a copy of the agreement of merger at its principal place of business which, for purposes of this subdivision, shall be the office referred to in Section 17057 if a domestic limited liability company, at the business address specified in paragraph (5) of subdivision (a) of Section 17552 if a foreign limited liability company, at the office referred to in subdivision (a) of Section 16403 if a domestic general partnership, at the business address specified in subdivision (f) of

Section 16911 if a foreign partnership, at the office referred to in subdivision (a) of Section 15901.14 if a domestic limited partnership, or at the business address specified in paragraph (5) of subdivision (a) of Section 15911.14 if a foreign limited partnership. Upon the request of a holder of equity securities of a party to the merger, a person with authority to do so on behalf of the surviving other business entity shall promptly deliver to that holder, a copy of the agreement of merger. A waiver by that holder of the rights provided in the foregoing sentence shall be unenforceable. If a domestic reciprocal insurer organized after 1974 to provide medical malpractice insurance is a party to the merger the agreement of merger or certificate of merger shall not be filed until there has been filed the certificate issued by the Insurance Commissioner approving the merger in accordance with Section 1555 of the Insurance Code.

(h)(1) A copy of an agreement of merger certified on or after the effective date by an official having custody thereof has the same force in evidence as the original and, except as against the state, is conclusive evidence of the performance of all conditions precedent to the merger, the existence on the effective date of the surviving party to the merger, and the performance of the conditions necessary to the adoption of any amendment to the articles, if applicable, contained in the agreement of merger.

(2)For all purposes for a merger in which the surviving entity is a domestic other business entity and the filing of a certificate of merger is required by paragraph (2) of subdivision (g), a copy of the certificate of merger duly certified by the Secretary of State is conclusive evidence of the merger of the constituent corporations, either by themselves or together with the other parties to the merger,

into the surviving other business entity.

(i)(1) Upon a merger pursuant to this section, the separate existences of the disappearing parties to the merger cease and the surviving party to the merger shall succeed, without other transfer, to all the rights and property of each of the disappearing parties to the merger and shall be subject to all the debts and liabilities of each in the same manner as if the surviving party to the merger had itself incurred them.

(2)All rights of creditors and all liens upon the property of each of the constituent social purpose corporations and other parties to the merger shall be preserved unimpaired, provided that those liens upon property of a disappearing party shall be limited to the property affected thereby immediately prior to the time the merger is effective.

(3)Any action or proceeding pending by or against any disappearing social purpose corporation or disappearing party to the merger may be prosecuted to judgment, which shall bind the surviving party, or the surviving party may be proceeded against or substituted in its place.

(4)Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect the liability a general partner of a disappearing limited partnership or general partnership may have in connection with the debts and liabilities of the disappearing limited partnership or general partnership existing prior to the time the merger is effective.

(j)(1) The merger of domestic social purpose corporations with foreign corporations or foreign other business entities in a merger in which one or more other business entities is a party shall comply with

subdivision (a) and this subdivision.

(2)If the surviving party is a domestic social purpose corporation or domestic other business entity, the merger proceedings with respect to that party and any domestic disappearing social purpose corporation shall conform to the provisions of this section. If the surviving party is a foreign corporation or foreign other business entity, then, subject to the requirements of subdivision (c), Section 407, Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 3400), and Chapter 13 (commencing with Section 1300) of Division 1, and, if applicable, corresponding provisions of the Nonprofit Corporation Law (Division 2 (commencing with Section 5002)) or the Consumer Cooperative Corporation Law (Part 2 (commencing with Section 12200) of Division 3), with respect to any domestic constituent corporations, Chapter 13 (commencing with Section 17600) of Title 2.5 with respect to any domestic constituent limited liability companies,

Article 6 (commencing with Section 16601) of Chapter 5 of Title 2 with respect to any domestic constituent general partnerships, and Article 11.5 (commencing with Section 15911.20) of Chapter 5.5 of Title 2 with respect to any domestic constituent limited partnerships, the merger proceedings may be in accordance with the laws of the state or place of incorporation or organization of the surviving party.

(3)If the surviving party is a domestic social purpose corporation or domestic other business entity, the certificate of merger or the agreement of merger with attachments shall be filed as provided in subdivision (g) and thereupon, subject to subdivision (c) of Section 110 or paragraph (2) of subdivision (g), as applicable, the merger shall be effective as to each domestic constituent social purpose corporation and domestic constituent other business entity.

(4)If the surviving

party is a foreign corporation or foreign other business entity, the merger shall become effective in accordance with the law of the jurisdiction in which the surviving party is organized, but, except as provided in paragraph (5), the merger shall be effective as to any domestic disappearing social purpose corporation as of the time of effectiveness in the foreign jurisdiction upon the filing in this state of a copy of the agreement of merger with an officers’ certificate of each constituent foreign and domestic social purpose corporation and a certificate of merger of each constituent other business entity attached, which officers’ certificates and certificates of merger shall conform to the requirements of paragraph (1) of subdivision (g). If one or more domestic other business entities is a disappearing party in a merger pursuant to this subdivision in which a foreign other business entity is the surviving entity, a certificate of merger required by the laws under which that domestic other business entity

is organized, including subdivision (a) of Section 15911.14, subdivision (b) of Section 16915, or subdivision (a) of Section 17552, as is applicable, shall also be filed at the same time as the filing of the agreement of merger.

(5)If the date of the filing in this state pursuant to this subdivision is more than six months after the time of the effectiveness in the foreign jurisdiction, or if the powers of a domestic disappearing social purpose corporation are suspended at the time of effectiveness in the foreign jurisdiction, the merger shall be effective as to the domestic disappearing social purpose corporation as of the date of filing in this state.

(6)In a merger described in paragraph (3) or (4), each foreign disappearing social purpose corporation that is qualified for the transaction of intrastate business shall by virtue of the filing pursuant to this subdivision,

subject to subdivision (c) of Section 110, automatically surrender its right to transact intrastate business in this state. The filing of the agreement of merger or certificate of merger, as is applicable, pursuant to this subdivision, by a disappearing foreign other business entity registered for the transaction of intrastate business in this state shall, by virtue of that filing, subject to subdivision (c) of Section 110, automatically cancel the registration for that foreign other business entity, without the necessity of the filing of a certificate of cancellation.