TyroCity: Company Law Notes

Modes of Winding – up

Company Law Notes — Sun, 18 Aug 2013 05:41:42 +0000

Winding – up

A company comes into existence by a legal process and –when for any reason, it is desired to end its existence; it must again go through the legal process.
Company is an artificial person which is created and ended by law. The process to end the company is related with winding up or liquidation or dissolution of company.

In the words of the professor LCB Gower,
Winding up of a company is the process whereby its life is ended and its property administered for the benefit of its creditors and members. Liquidator is appointed and he takes the control of the company collects its assets, pays its debts and finally distributes any surplus among the members in accordance with their rights.

Incorporation is a birth winding up is process of death – both are fulfilled by due process of law and legal formalities.
All assets and liability are brought to close and converted in to cash form for the distribution purpose.
Winding up and dissolution of company is not same thing. A company is said to be dissolved when it ceases to exist as corporate entity. Winding up only proceeds towards the dissolution.
Winding up is the process by which the dissolution of the company is brought about.
At the end of the winding up, the company will have no assets or liability, and it will therefore be simply a formal step for it to be dissolved, that is for its legal personality as a corporation to be destroyed.
The legal entity of company remains in between winding up and dissolution process.
In winding up the company as does not cease to exist; only its administration is carried on through the medium of a liquidator. The property of company still belongs to the company.
Winding up liquidation have been taken in same meaning but dissolution is different.

Modes of Winding up or Liquidation

Basically there are 4 modes of winding up under Nepalese law;
Voluntary winding up
Compulsory winding up
Liquidation by the order of the court.
Cancellation of Registration or deregistration, striking off registration

Voluntary winding up

By adopting special resolution.
In the situation of solvency

Voluntary liquidation starts from special resolution adopted by the company in its general meetings.

As per Section 126(1) of the Companies Act of Nepal the, shareholders of the company may liquidate the company either by adopting the special resolution in general meetings or subject to the provisions contained in MoA and AOA and consensus Agreement.

As per subsection 2 of section 126, the requirements or procedures of voluntary liquidation are as follows.

If the company is able to pay its debts or other liabilities.
There must be solvent company.
There must be declaration in writing of directors to pay the debts and liabilities.
Adoption of special resolution by general meeting and submission in Authority within 7 days, section 126(3)
Appointment of liquidator and Auditor.
Pre-approval from central Bank in case of Banking Sec 76(1) of BaFI Act

Compulsory winding up or liquidation

If any company is declared the insolvent at that situation, such company must be liquidated or wound-up.
that is the situation of compulsory winding up or liquidation.
such liquidation is executed only by the court’s order
Though company law of Nepal recognizes and regularized the compulsory liquidation, the proceedings of compulsory liquidation have been mentioned in detail in Insolvency Act 2063. No procedure under Insolvency Act is started without the permission of court. Court means commercial bench by notification in Nepal Gazette.
Section 4 of Insolvency Act describes the situation to apply for the proceedings of insolvency;
- The company itself which is in insolvent condition.
- The creditors who has invested at least 10% of total credit to the company.
- The shareholders, who has subscribed at least 5% shares of the company.
- The debenture holders who has subscribed at least 5% debentures of company.
- The liquidator appointed for liquidation of company.
- Concerned Authority or regulatory.
- Insolvency Act, sections 4(2), 4(3), 5 etc.

Liquidation by Court’s Order
Sec 139(4) (f) of the Companies Act 2063

If company is carried on or is likely to be carried on as to be prejudicial to rights and interest of any shareholders of the company, shareholder may apply before the court for appropriate order as remedy. At this situation, If court for liquidating the company.

Dissolution by cancellation of registration or deregistration

the company registrar office may cancel the registration of company on the following grounds. Section 136 of the companies Act 2063
- In a situation of failure to commence the business.
- In a situation of default in submitting the report, for three consecutive financial years
- If he company registrar office has a reasonable grounds to believe that company is not carrying on its business or the company is not in operation.
- Restoration of registration; section 137(a) (b) of the Company Act.

Powers functions duties and liabilities of liquidators

Power to take into custody and control the property of company (section 130 of the Companies Act)
The liquidator shall, mutatis mutandis exercise and perform all the powers and duties as of liquidator under the prevailing law of insolvency. Section 131(1) of Nepalese Company Act
The duties of liquidator are as follows - as per Section 131(2) of Nepalese Company Act
- To prepare and submit books of account to the company registrar office in every 6 months.
- To inform the shareholders of company about progress on the liquidation proceedings in every 6 months.
- To obtain and recover all the properties or amounts required to be obtained and recovered on the behalf of the company and repay and discharge the debts and other liabilities of all the creditors of the company.
- After completion of above acts, to call general meeting of shareholders and present therein a proposed report and return on the distribution of the company to the shareholders.
- To make payment of the amounts to the shareholders, if the shareholders holding at least 75% of the paid up share capital consent proposed report as referred to clause(d)
- To appoint or retain necessary employees
- To submit the final report after completion of liquidation proceeding
- Announcement of cancellation

Stages of Incorporation of Company

Company Law Notes — Sun, 18 Aug 2013 05:41:42 +0000

Incorporation is the first process of giving existence or birth of company.
Registration or establishment of company is incorporation.
Incorporation is creation of a legal person by registration of a company with existing law.
A legal person is created artificially by law and contributed as a legal personality from the process of Incorporation.
A company is an artificial entity created by law for the purpose of carrying on any objects such as business, sports research, education charity etc. But commonly companies are formed for the purpose of conducting business.

Basically, there are 4 stages of forming of a company;

Promotion
Incorporation or registration
Capital subscription
Commencement of Business

In case of private company it needs to go through the 1st two stages only, as soon as it receives the certificate of incorporation and it can commence the business.

Private company cannot invite public to subscribe the shares.

Private company must arrange the capital privately, not publicly.

But a public company having a share capital has to go through all 4 stages. Only then it is formed and commences its business.

Promotion

Promotion is the 1st stage of formation of a company. It is the discovery of business opportunities. First of all idea of carrying a business which can be profitably undertaken is conceived either by a person or by a group of persons who are called promoters.
After conceiving the idea the promoters make detail investigations to find out the weakness and strong points of idea to determine, the amount of capital, and to estimate operating expenses and probable income.
When promoters are satisfied to that idea they come in one place and form a company through incorporation process.
Preliminary contracts or pre incorporation contracts may be the documents of arrangement before incorporation or at the phase of promotion. Section 17 of the Companies Act.
Such contracts are generally entered into by promoters to acquire some property or right for and on behalf of the company to be formed.
Promoters have been defined in section 2(i) of Act. Promoters are the persons who incorporate the companies.

Incorporation
The second stage is incorporation of company. All process relating to filing the application to CRO & getting incorporation certificate come under the stage of incorporation.

Capital Subscription
Third stage is capital subscription

Private company can commence business immediately on receipt of certificate of incorporation
But public company commences business after capital subscription stage first among the promoters and second for public.
Through capital subscription public company makes necessary arrangement for raising capital
Invite public for subscription

Commencement
Commencement of business is the 4th Private company can commence business immediately but public company after issuing prospectus and receiving the business commencement certificate. Section 23 and 63.

Incorporation or Registration of Company
(Chapter 2 Section 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the Nepalese Company Act )

Essential documents for Registration of Company are:

Application
Citizenship/ID certificate
MOA 2 copies
AOA 2 copies
Promoter’s agreement (if necessary etc.)
Unanimous Agreement (if necessary etc.)
Approval letter from regulatory, (if necessary etc.)

Buy – Back of shares

Company Law Notes — Sun, 18 Aug 2013 05:41:42 +0000

Buy back is the process of purchasing of its own share by company.
Purpose of purchasing is to reduce a number of shares in market and to increase the value of shares in market.
Repurchase of its own shares for reducing the share capital.
The buyback reduces the number of outstanding shares in market.
Buy back is restricted or prohibited. Though it is restricted buy back is allowed in some special conditions prescribed by law. Mainly buy back is permitted on following grounds;
Why company is willing to buyback, objective must be clear and bona fide.
If a company is making profit and if there is sufficient free reserve fund in company.
If a company has an idle cash fund.
Section 61 of the Companies Act of Nepal has prohibited on purchase by company of its own share.
As per section 61(1) of the Companies Act, no companies shall purchase its own shares(buy back) or lend moneys against its securities of its own shares.
But section 61(2) has specified some circumstances, where a company may buy back its shares out of its free reserves available for being distributed as dividend, by giving information to the office of the company registrar.( Circumstances; clause ‘a’ to ‘g’ of section 61 (2)) .
The process and procedures for getting permission to buy back of shares have been mentioned in section 61(3) clauses ‘a’ to g and subsection ‘4’ to ‘10’ of section 61.

Accounts and Audit

Company Law Notes — Sun, 18 Aug 2013 05:41:42 +0000

Account

Typically, account means invoice or record of money paid or owed.
A detailed statement of all types of financial transaction.
A recording of monetary dealing
Keeping a ledger/ register relating financial transactions
Account book or ledger Balance sheet or financial statement.

Therefore account is a language of business expressed in monitory form. Account must give a true and fair view. Due to lack of such true and fairness Enron Company, world.com of USA, Satyam Computer of India, were collapsed. The movement of corporate governance in corporate law was started all over in 2006 AD.

Basically, there are 3 types of accountancy:

Financial Accountancy
Only the historical
Picture of financial position and performance
Reporting to external parties
Management Accountancy
Interpretation of financial account
Plan of action of certain presumption and analysis of future prospects.
Cost Accountancy
Measurement of efficiency of cost.
Cost of production and trading (recording)
The aim of cost accountancy is maximizing wealth and profit
Input and output cost
The ratio between input and output, e.g. depreciation cost of machine, house etc.

Preparation of Account:

“Preparation of account must be guided by the universally accepted accounting principle named GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles)
Because it gives the picture of trust worthy and reliable.

Accounting fundamental:

In course of preparation of account the following principles must be followed.

Ethic is core value of account. So, ethic must be shown in account preparation.
GAAP must be followed double entry book keeping system is applied in account in almost country.
The principles of corporate governance must not be ignored.
Legal provision must not be ignored,

Generally the users of accounting system are of 2 types;

1. Internal party

Management committee, Audit committee, Finance or planning Dept.

2. External party

Such as; shareholders, regulators

Objectives of Accountancy

To know the internal objective is fulfilling or not.
To find error and to detect fraud

Right of the shareholders relating to account

Right to inspect the account

Final account gives:

The income and expenditure statement (Financial statement or balance sheet)
Trade Account
Profit – loss account
Profit – loss appropriation
The level of application of accounting fundamentals (corporate governance and law)

Nepalese prospective

Preparation of Account section 108
Section 108(1) of Nepalese Company Act – language Nepali, English; Section 108(2) of Nepalese Company Act – system double entry book keeping ,reflection of actual affairs(true and fair), Section 108(3) of Nepalese Company Act – place to be kept the account book, Section108(4) of Nepalese Company Act – maintaining cash balance.

Liabilities relating to account

Final responsibility is of directors or other officers (Section 108(5) of Nepalese Company Act)
Board of directors must prepare annual financial statement and report of the board of directors Section 109 of Nepalese Company Act.

Audit

Account and Audit are the best instruments for maintaining financial ethic and transparency.
Corporate governance is depended upon the better accounting and auditing of companies.
Generally the term auditing is associated with detecting the fraud errors in account.
But widely speaking, Auditing validates honesty and fairness in financial statement or account and as whole in operational system.
Auditing provides a critical basis for management in taking decisions.
Auditing is an independent valuation of an organization.
So, presently the Auditing is not limited in financial data but Auditing examines the financial as well as operational system of an organization.
In course of Auditing an auditor involves in searching and verifying the accounting records as well as in examining other evidences which supports the financial and operational facts.
Auditing is more concerned with verification of accounting data with determining accuracy and reliability of accounting statement and reports.
Auditing is conducted by obtaining the internal and external data of organization, incepting documents, by observing enquires within and outside of organization and performing other necessary auditing procedures.
Auditing is essential for reduction of risk. Audited financial statements are the means by which business corporations’ reports their operating results and financial position.

As per the value of good corporate governance;

Audits should be performed by individuals who are independent from the management and controlling shareholders of corporation being audited and are knowledgeable in auditing.
Auditor’s should undertake auditing with sufficient information and devote sufficient time and efforts to the task.
Auditors must not reveal, unless required by law, any confidential corporate information learned while auditing.

Therefore, an audit is the independent examination of financial information contained in financial statement of an entity, whether profit oriented or not, conducted with view of expressing an opinion.

Objectives of Audit:

1. Primary objectives

To determine whether financial statements have been prepared in conforming with GAAP or not
To verify that statements reflect true and fair financial position of business organization

2. Subsidiary objectives

detection and prevention of errors
Detection and prevention of fraud.

Types of Audit

1. Statutory Audit
Statutory audit is properly known as annual external audit. It checks financial statement as required by governing laws. It is a financial valuation conducted by external auditor. (Section 110 to 119 of Nepalese Company Act)

2. Internal Audit
It is a profession acting to achieve desired objectives of the organization.

Internal audit is carried out by utilizing a systematic methodology for analyzing the business process, purpose procedures and activities highlighting organization’s problem and recommending solution. Professional are called the internal auditors, who are employed by organization to perform the internal auditing activities

Here, professionals mean internal auditors who are employed by organizations to perform the internal auditing activities.

Internal Audit involves:

Efficiency of operation.
Reliability of financial reporting
Deterring and investigating frauds
Safeguarding assets
Compliance with laws and regulations

Internal Auditors are not merely concerned with the organizations financial controls. Their works include all of the organizations internal controls.

3. Cost Audit

It is an efficiency audit.
The Audit that concluded basically to find out the cost of any product or services. It measures the monetary value of goods and services.
It is conducted to find out machinery tools, equipment and other things.
The price is determined after the fair valuations of goods on the basis of materials used, labor consumed and resources used by it.

4. Social Audit

An outsider, who is a critical friend of a company, can be a social auditor of this company.
Such auditor will check the book and ask the probing questions to find out the effectively of organization’s internal operation and broad external impacts in society or community.
She/he needs not to be expert on accounting and having license of auditing.
Just s/he evaluates the organization’s social responsibility towards the society at large.

5. Legal Audit

Corporate governance and Auditing are correlated
Transparency, disclosure, good process, good decision-making etc. are fundamentals of corporate governance.
Good process denotes doing things according to the laws and best practices.
Legal audit is practiced by such corporate lawyer which examines the position of corporate governance status of entity.

The 19th century laid down the foundation of modern corporation. That is why, that was the ‘century of entrepreneurs’.

The 20th century was the ‘century of management’

Now, the 21st century promises to be the ‘century of corporate governance’.

Financial Audit, legal Audit and Social Audit help to promote the corporate governance.

Therefore, Auditing has a vital role to enforce the law, regulation, and principle of corporate governance.

Proper accounting and auditing is protection measure for security of every stakeholder of corporation.

Appointment of Auditor:

Auditor is appointed to safeguard the interest of shareholders and other stakeholders of company.
It is clear that auditing is an independent examination of financial and other operational information or descriptions of company. Therefore, an auditor must be appointed independently.
Only independent auditor can examine the accounting and other operational records in fair and true basis.
Fair and true view is the essence of auditing.
Section 110 of Nepalese Company Act – every company shall appoint an auditor.
It is suggested to read, Chapter – 8 (Sections 110 to 119) of Nepalese Company Act.

Shares and Its Types

Company Law Notes — Sun, 18 Aug 2013 05:41:42 +0000

Share is a unit or portion of capital of company.
Investments made in any company are divided in numbers of units and each of such units is called share of a company.
Section 2(n) of the Companies Act of Nepal has defined the share as the divided portion of the share capital of company.
The capital of company is divided into small parts & each part is known as share.
Boreland Trustees v. Steel Bros Co. Ltd. 1901 1 ch 297 (Company Law: 12th edi; Ashok K Bagrial P 7 )‘’A share is the interest of shareholder in the company measured by a sum of money for the purpose, of liability in the first place, and of interest in second, but also consisting of series of covenants entered in to by all shareholders inter se.’’
An interest measured by sum of money and made of various rights contained in MoA and AoA.
Vishwanathan v.East India Distilleries 1857 -27. (Company Law: 12th edi; Ashok K Bagrial P 2o7)-‘’Share is merely a bundle of rights and obligations which are regulated by the articles.’’

Nature of Shares

The shares are movable property. Shares can be transferred in the manner provided by the articles.
Section 42 of the Companies Act states that ‘’ the shares or debenture of a company may be sold or pledged like a movable property, subject to this Act as per the provisions of the Memorandum of Association and articles of association

Types of Shares

In simple word, share is a part of share capital of company.
Share is divided portion or part of share capital of company.
The types or kinds are determined on various bases. So, to say particular type is not easy. It depends on the basis of determination.
Company can issue different types of share for its capital formation. As per section 30 of the Act, the company may, by making provisions to that effect in its memorandum of association and articles of association, issue various classes of shares with different rights attached thereto. Section 18 also.
So, inherent rights and obligations determine the types of share. The types of share are based on different types of inherent rights and power of shareholders in such shares.
Such inherent rights may be rights to get dividend, right to refund invested amount in case of liquidation, right to get remaining amount after repayment of loan and other liabilities.
Section 30 of the Act gives permission to public company for issuing of shares with different rights. Types are determined by such different rights.
Generally, public company issues different types of share offering for subscription. In case of private company there is no meaning to say the types of share.
Mainly there are two types of share in practice, as per Nepalese legal provision. Which are;
- Ordinary or equity share
- preference share

Ordinary or equity shares

Equity or ordinary shares are those which actually are not preference shares, equity or ordinary shares do not enjoy any preferential rights. There is no any preference on right; by the name & nature this is ordinary type of share.
The term ‘share’ denotes ordinary share in general conversation. Ordinary share is not defined in detail in the Companies Act. Section 2 (P) of the Act defines ordinary share as a share other than a preference share. This classification is made especially for public company. In case of private company there is no such various categories of share, only the term share is enough for private company.
Though, there is no long definition of ordinary or equity share in our company Act, but it is understood that all shares other than preference shares are ordinary or equity share.
The shareholders of ordinary shares are entitled to get dividend from the net profits of company after the fixed dividend on preference share has been paid – up.
So, there is no preference for ordinary share, ordinary means ordinary.
If there is no profits remain after paying the dividend on preference share, ordinary shareholders will receive no dividends.
Therefore, this type of division of ordinary & preference share is based on the factor of priority of receiving dividend and getting back of capital.
Similarly, ordinary shareholders will get back their capital only after repaying the capital of preference shareholders, when company goes for winding –up.
For the purpose of dividend and repayment of capital, the ordinary shares rank after the preference shares. Generally, the rate of dividend is not fixed in ordinary share. In ordinary share dividend may vary from year to year depending upon profit balance sheet of the company. If huge profit, there is higher dividend, if no profit, there may be no dividend. The board determines the rate of dividend for ordinary shareholders on the basis of profit as per defined legal procedures.
There are so many ways to obtain the ordinary or equity shares. On the basis of such obtaining ways, ordinary share again can be divided in following types;

Promoter Share

When the promoters of company do accept to subscribe some quantity of share at the time of formation or incorporation by mentioning the same in MoA & AoA, these types of shares are known as promoter shares of company.
The share of promoters, subscribed at the time of incorporation, is the promoter share.
The term promoter is defined in section 2(i) of the companies Act, as per this definition “promoter means a person who, having consented to the matters contained in memorandum of association & articles of association to be furnished in the Office for the incorporation of a company, signs the same in the capacity of promoter.’’
The person who promotes the company by taking particular quantity of share is the promoter and such promoters’ share is promoter share.
Promoter shares are allotted in the name of promoter and promoters never pay premium value to subscribe share.
Promoter shares cannot be sold mortgaged or pledged unless the first general meeting held and entire call amount on share is fully paid. – sub section 2 of section 42 of the Act.

Primary share

After incorporation of a company, public company can invite general public to join the company as its share member as an invitation to offer for purchasing its share, such share is allotted or primary share.
Allotted or primary share is that the company makes selling or distributing process at first and makes an invitation for subscribing from issued shares.
Public company have to publish the prospectus to invite public to subscribe its shares (section 23 (1) ), but a private company cannot invite or call on public to subscribe its shares. Section 10 (c). Private company mange the allotment privately as per MoA & AoA or unanimous agreement.
Public company cannot call for more than 50% amount of face value of share with application section 27(3). Therefore, we see the primary share of 100 rupees in practice, but such restriction will not apply for those companies, which are in operation previously by publishing audited fiscal statement of last 3 years.( provision of section 27 (3))

Right Shares

No separate definition of right share in Act.
But legal provision about right shares is mentioned in section 56(5) ,(6), 7, 8 & 9.
Certain preemptive rights to existing shareholders.
In case of increase in share capital of company.
The shares issued with such preemptive right to only the existing shareholders.
Existing shareholders have 1st right to subscribe.

Existing shareholders are given pre- emption at favorable price as per the numbers of their shares.

Bonus Share

A share, which is issued as an additional share to existing shareholders by capitalizing the surplus from the profit and reserve fund of company.
Section 2(q) of Act—‘’bonus share means a share issued as an additional share to shareholders, by capitalizing the saving earned from the profits or the reserve fund of a company ,and the term includes the increase of paid –up value of a share by capitalizing the saving or reserve fund.’’
Issuing bonus share is the means of capitalizing profit or reserve fund instead of distributing cash dividend to company’s shareholders.
It must be issued to the company’s shareholders. Section 179(1) (2).
It has to increase the paid- up capital of company.
It has to capitalize the profit or reserve fund & should not be issued from revaluation of existing other property of company. Section 56 (10).
Special resolution of G.M. & information to CRO is the most for issuing bonus share. Section 179 (1) (2) & 83 (e).

Debenture Share

Debenture is credit obtained by company.
Sometime, in some situation, company can convert its debenture in to shares. Such shares are known as debenture shares.
If there is such provision on MoA & AoA, if there is agreement between debenture trustee & company, if such matter is published in prospectus, at these situations company can issue debenture share.
The terms ‘debenture’ and ‘debenture trustee’ are defined in section 2( s) and 2(t) respectively.
Section 34 includes the provisions relating to debenture. Similarly sub section 4 of section 35 is related with conversion of debenture into debenture share.

Premium Shares

Shares having some additional price more than face value of shares.
Definition is in 2 (z 2) of Act— value in excess of its face value.
Legal provision in section 29.

Forfeited Shares

Sometime there may be a situation where company has to forfeit the shares on the grounds of nonpayment of installment on time.
Legal provision- Section 53(3)

Preference Share

The preference shares are those which have preferential rights than ordinary shares.
Section 2 (o) of Act defines preference share.
Types of share should be mentioned in MoA of company. Section 18(f).
Section 65 states about preference shares of company. Especially section 65 (2) mentions the grounds of issuing the preference shares, by that preference shares can be easily understood.
A preference share must have following preferential rights; a) a preferential right as to the payment of dividend b) a preferential right as to the repayment of capital.
Preference may be on; dividend, rate of dividend, repayment of share amount in the situation of liquidation, having voting right or not, redeemable or non-redeemable after certain period of time and if redeemable redeemed with premium or not etc.
Types of preference shares are; 1). Cumulative and non-cumulative 2).Participating and non- participating 3) Convertible and non- convertible. 4). Redeemable Preference shares.
Cumulative preference shares are those which are assured of dividend every year even if there are no profits in a particular year.
Non-cumulative preferences are those which are assured of dividend only in the situation of profit.
Participating and non- participating preference share; in such shares, shareholders are entitled to participate to surplus profit or surplus assets. Surplus profit means the balance of profit which is left after paying the fixed amount of dividend. Surplus assets means the balance of assets which is left after paying back both the preference and equity shareholders. Voting right also may be basis of participating or non- participating. The participating shareholders participate in both surplus profits and surplus assets. But in non-participating share, shareholders are not entitled to participate. If Mo A is silent about this, it is presumed that all shares are non-participating preference share.
Convertible and non- convertible shares; Convertible preference share can be converted in to equity shares within a certain period, non- convertible cannot be converted into equity shares.
Redeemable preference shares are those the amount of which can be paid back to the shareholders. The capital raised through issue of redeemable shares can be paid back to the shareholders by the company to such shareholders. Company can issue such shares only if it has been authorized by MoA & AoA. Section 65 (5).

Insider Dealing

Company Law Notes — Sun, 18 Aug 2013 05:41:42 +0000

Insider dealing is simply an unauthorized inside trading of corporate securities by the corporate insiders. Abusive self-dealing occurs when the persons having close relation to company abuse this relationship to the detriment of company and investors.
Unpublished inside information’s play very crucial role in securities transactions. There is always chance of such information to be disclosed by directors, shareholders, officials and other people who are involved in management.
Trading of securities by the persons who have price sensitive information with them, which is not available to the person with whom one is contracting at the relevant time may cause harm to one an undue benefit to the others.
Such activities are required to be controlled in order to protect the investment of general public and shareholders.
Insider dealing means any person dealing with sensitive information, which is illegal in many ways by own self or through any other person, which has not publicly disclosed

So, insider dealing is the dealing of securities of company with the benefit of confidential and restricted or unpublished information by such persons through his /her position or relation with the “officials” of the company.

Who are insiders?
(Section 92 of the Securities Act 2063 BS.)

The person who may have inside information due to his / her position such as directors, promoters, shareholders, officials or employees.
Any professionals who obtain inside information are by the cause of delivery of such professional services such as auditors and legal consultants.
Any persons who have capacity or access to obtain such information directly or indirectly.

So, the persons having access to notice or information that is price sensitive are called insiders.

Existing Nepalese Company Act has no explicit provision on insider dealing rather it imposes duty on directors of company to disclose their interest in company.
Section 91 of the Securities Act 2063 BS has provided that ‘’ any person who transacts or causes transacting on securities on the basis of inside information which are not made public that may affect the price of securities or gives notice or information known to him, to any other except to his / her course of duty is deemed to act as insider dealing.
Section 101 the Securities Act 2063 BS provides punishment on the crime of insider dealing. The culprit shall be fined as per value involved in transaction or imprisonment up to one year or both.
The Securities Act further provides that if any person is punished in insider dealing will be disqualified to be appointed as director or manager in public limited company until 10 years from the date of punishment. (Section 108 of the Securities Act 2063 BS).
Any aggrieved persons may recover any loss sustained by him from such person committing crime of insider dealing.
Insider Dealing is regarded as criminal act and included in schedule -1 of State Cases Act 2049 BS.

(Need to look Section 102 of the Securities Act, Sections 32/ 92/93/94/ of the Companies Act and 11 of BaFI Act)

Debenture

Company Law Notes — Sun, 18 Aug 2013 05:41:42 +0000

The term debenture may be defined as a certificate of loan issued by a company which creates an indebtedness of the company. The companies have to borrow the money for their extension or developments.
The companies’ loan requirement may not be met by a single money lender. The loan may have to be split into several units. The most usual form of borrowing loan by a company is issue of debenture. The public is invited to lend money for a fix period at a declared rate of interest to be paid on such money.
Debenture is a credit obtained by company.
Debenture certificate is the special document of proving the loan of company.
Debenture is one of the ways of capital formation of a company.
C.B. Gower has defined debenture as; debenture is a name applied to a certain types of document evidencing an indebtedness which is normally charged, but not necessarily, secured by a charge over property (Davis Paul L, Gower’s Principle of Modern Company Law 4th edition.)
“Debenture is a document given by a company as an evidence of debt to the holder arising out of loan and most commonly secured by a charge’’. Tophan, Topham’s Company Law 13th P. 168
Debenture itself is not a loan but it is an evidence to secure the loan.
Section 2( s )of the Companies Act has defined debenture as ‘’ any bond issued by a company whether putting its assets as collateral or not’’.
The term relating to debenture “debenture trustee ‘’ has been defined in section 2 (t) as a body corporate undertaking the responsibility for the protection of interest of debenture holders at the time of issuance of debentures by a company.’’
Procedures of issuing debenture have been clearly mentioned in section 35 of the Companies Act of Nepal.
Debenture may be converted in to share ( section 35 (4))
Types of debenture
Redeemable debenture; There is a fixed time frame for redeemable debenture. After expiration of a certain time frame company will pay back the loan amount and the debenture will be redeemed.
Irredeemable or perpetual debenture; There is no already fixed time frame to pay the loan amount. This may be for a long period. The loan amount may be repaid only on any contingency event.
Registered Debenture; There are the debentures which are registered in the name of a particular person and are payable to him. The name of registered holder is placed on the debenture certificate and the company’s register of debentures.
Bearer Debenture; these are the debentures which are payable to the bearer (the holder of debenture).
Convertible and nonconvertible debenture; Convertible in to shares and nonconvertible in to shares.

Board of Directors: Function, Duties and Liabilities

Company Law Notes — Sun, 18 Aug 2013 05:41:42 +0000

(Chapter 6, section 86 to 104 of Nepalese Company Act)

A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed person who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Oversee in the sense of monitor, control and guide through policy formulation and directives.
The body has different name BOD, board of trustees, board of governors, board of managers or executive board etc.
It is often simply referred as “the board”
Board activities are determined by the powers, duty and responsibilities delegated to it by authorities General Meetings & other regulators.
The powers, duties and responsibilities are typically detailed in companies buy laws.(MOA,AOA or others internal rules)
The buy laws commonly also specify the numbers of board members, how they are to be chosen, when and how they are to meet and function.
Section 2(Y) of Nepalese Companies Act ‘director’ means any director of a company this term includes any alternate directors.
Section 2(z) ‘board of directors’ means the board of directors of a company.
Section 2(z1) ‘Managing Director’ means a managing director of a company.
CEO is popular and now in use.
Director is a person occupying a position of a director.
A director is a person who performs the duty of directors.
Directors are the persons who are responsible for direction, control and management of the affairs of a company.
Since company is an artificial person, it is the directors who exercise the powers, and functions of company.
The board of such directors is the board or BOD.

Powers and function of Board of Directors
(Section 95 of Nepalese Company Act)

Governing the organization by fulfilling the objectives.
Selecting, appointing supporting and reviewing the performance of the CEO or manager or managing director.
Insuring the availability of the adequate financial resources.
Preparing and approving the annual budget.
Typically, the board chooses one of directors to be chair or chairperson of the board of directors.
Theoretically, the control of a company is divided between two bodies;
BOD
General Meeting

Practically, it depends on the nature of company.

In small private company, the directors and shareholders will normally be the same people.There is no division of power.

In Large public limited company

The board tends to exercise more of supervisory role. There may be; professional directors (such as a finance director a marketing directors).
The board tends to have more de facto power.

Responsibility & Duties of Board of Director
(Section 99 of Nepalese Companies Act)

A board of director is a group of people elected by the owners of a corporation or a company who have;

Decision making authority
Voting authority (in Meeting)
Specific responsibility is to distinct and separate from the owners (shareholders) or members of company or business entity. (Divorce between ownership and management)
Directors must be individuals.
Directors can be owners, managers or any other individuals elected by business entity.
Some time in exception, board of directors are compared with advisory board or board of advisors.
An advisory board is group of people selected (but not elected) by the person wanting advice.
Advisory board- No decision making authority no responsibilities.
Role and responsibility is also power and duty.
The role and responsibility depends upon the business entity.
House of Lord observed that unless the directors are acting contrary to law or provisions of articles, the powers of conducting the management and affairs of the company are vested in them. (Quinn and Artens v. Salmon (1909) A 442 )
In most legal system, the appointment and removal of directors is voted.

Directors are removed;

By expiry of tenure
By resignation
By resolution of remaining directors only by any cause
By removing by the G.M.

Exercise of Powers by BoD

The exercise of powers by the board usually occurs in meeting. (Section 97 of Nepalese Company Act).
Sufficient notice has to be given to all directors of these meetings in most legal system.
Quorum must be present before taking decision.
In most legal system the power of board of directors is vested in a board as a whole not only in the individual.
Decision is based on majority basis, but minority can claim regarding their interest.
Power must be used by the individual directors by virtue of ostensible authority.
Director exercise control and management of the company, but company are run for the benefit of the shareholders (in theory at least)
The law imposes strict duties on the directors.
Generally, the duties imposed to the directors are fiduciary duties.
Typically, there are two important points in relation to director’s duties.
The directors’ duties are several which must be done jointly.
The duties are automatically associated with company. But it does not mean that director can never stand fiduciary relationship to the individual shareholders.

Fiduciary Duties (on the basis of Court Developed Principles)

Acting in bona fide
Directors must act honestly and in bona fide, not mala fide.
Directors must act in good faith what they consider.
Proper purpose
Directors must exercise their power for proper purpose.
Purpose of company
Whether the purpose is serving the purpose of company or not.
Unfettered Discretion
Duty to avoid conflict of interest
Transaction with company conflict
Use of corporate property & opportunity and company.
Duties of care and skill

(Section 93, 94,95,99,100 & 103etc. of Nepalese Companies Act 2063 BS)

Duties of Directors
Fiduciary duties & Statutory Duty

Fiduciary Duty
Fiduciary means power is entrusted for the benefit of others.

Acting in bona fide

Directors must act honestly and bona fide
They must act in utmost good faith what they consider
They should act in the interest of the company

Directors are not required by the law to live in a unreal region of detached altruism and to act in a vague mood of ideal abstraction from obvious facts which must be present to mind in any honest and intelligent man when he exercise his powers as a directors. (Mills v Mills 1938, 60 CIR 150 an Australian case)

Sometime distribution of dividend may be considered as the act not bona fide act Improper distribution of dividend may reduce the wealth of company but sometime this is considered as honest , not breach of fiduciary duty.

Acting for proper purpose

Directors must use power for proper purpose of company.
Providing opportunity to their close relative may not be for the purpose of company.
Banks strictly prohibits providing loan for their close relative.
The powers must be exercised within the ambit of authority of company.
They cannot use their power for improper purpose.

Unfettered Discretion

Not to fetter
The discretionary powers or responsibility conferred upon the directors must not be delegated to others.
Section 95(6) of Nepalese company Act the matters which cannot be exercised by the decision of board of directors.
Directors cannot without the consent of company, fetter their discretion in relation to exercise of their powers.
Directors cannot delegate the power of vote in meeting to other or they cannot say that I am not going to vote.

Duty to avoid conflict of Interest

Directors must avoid the conflict of interest between them and company. Good faith must not only be done but must manifestly be seen to be done.
As a fiduciaries, the directors may not put themselves in the position where their interest and duties conflict.
Section 89 (1), ( f )of the Nepalese Company Acts – directors cannot compete directly with the company.
They should not act as the directors of competing company,
When directors himself enters into a transaction with a company, there is a conflict between the director’s interest and duty with company’s interest.
If director falls under such transaction he/she must ensure that the company gets as much out of the transaction but that is very difficult to prove.
Directors must not enter in a transaction which create problem.
Directors must avoid his /her transaction with companies,
Director must disclose and avoid close relative’s direct involvement or any kind of interest in transaction with company.

Duty of care and skill

A director must show reasonable care & skill.
Responsible care & skill.
A director need not exhibit in performance of his duties a greater degree of skill than may responsibly be expected from a person of his knowledge and experience.
Such care & skill should be a responsible care & skill of an ordinary man that might be expected to take on his own behalf.

Statutory Duties of BoD

Duty to disclose interest – Section 92 & 100 of Nepalese Company Act.
Interest in Transaction.
Any kind of interest in appointment of MD/ company secretory or officer of the company.
If he is director of another company.
Transaction on securities of company.

Duty to exercise corporate power

Section 95(1) of Nepalese Company Act – The directors shall use the corporate power according to company law, article of association, and decision of general meeting.

Duty to manage transaction and exercise of power

Section 95(1) of Nepalese Company Act –The directors shall manage all transactions, exercise the power and perform the duties of company through the board of directors collectively.
To present in meeting personally, not through the (proxy).
The directors must be present in person not the proxy, (Section 97 of Nepalese Company Act.)

To participate in general meetings as far as possible.

Section 68 of Nepalese Company Act; Directors required to be present in general meeting as far as possible.
Not to participate and vote which is going to decide his obligation of his misconduct etc. (Section 70(2) of Nepalese Company Act)

To prepare and submit annual account and report as mentioned by law – Section 78,80,109 of Nepalese Company Act.

Duty not to receive remuneration of the directors without decision of G.M.

The director cannot obtain any remuneration or other facilities or incentive without decision of general meeting.

Duty not delegate authority on; – (Section 95 (6) of Nepalese Company Act)

The power to make calls on shareholders in respect of money unpaid on their share.
The power to issue debenture.
The power to borrow the loan.
The power to invest funds of company.
The power to make loan.

Duty and power to appoint MD/CEO (Section 96)

Duty not to take personal benefit, to take oath of secrecy and honesty, (Section 99 of Nepalese Company Act).

Duty to discharge duty on good faith. (Section 99(4) of Nepalese Company Act).

Duty to disclose about securities. (Section 100 of Nepalese Company Act).

Remedies for Breach of Duties

Injunction or declaration
- Section 138 & 139 of Nepalese Company Act provides remedy of injunction also.
Recovery for Damages
- Section 140 of Nepalese Company Act -If any director has caused loss to company while acting contrary to the Act, MOA, AOA or consensus Agreement Company or aggrieved party may demand the recovery of such loss.( need to read whole clauses of this section 140)
Restoration of company’s property
- Section 163 of Nepalese Company Act speaks about realization of amount loss.
Recession of relevant contract
- If a director has concluded a contract beyond the scope of his authority or working scope of company any shareholders may make an application to rescind from implement and avoid the contractual liability.
Summary Dismissal
- Section 89(3) (b) of Nepalese Company Act states that if the general meeting possess a resolution to remove from the post, the director shall not continue to hold the office of director.

Directors’ Liabilities, Immunities and Limitation

The authority of directors is usually determined by the MoA AOA and decision of general meeting (Section 95(1) of Nepalese Company Act)
If all the acts have been performed in good faith within the scope of authority, the directors cannot be held liable personally for such loss or damages.
But if the director fails to perform good faith, the director is liable for such consequences.

Independent Directors

Public company should appoint independent directors under section 86(3) –if 7 directors-1 independent director, if more than 7 - 2 independent directors.
The independent directors should have qualification prescribed in AOA and also have knowledge of and experiences of business of company
The shareholders cannot be appointed as independent director.

Share Qualification of Director

Section 88 of Nepalese Company Act, if AoA specifies the number of shares as a requirement.

Disqualification of Directors – See; Section 89(1) of Nepalese Company Act.

Term of Office of the Directors (See; Section 90 of Nepalese Company Act).

Meeting of Directors

Section 97 of Nepalese Company Act.
Private company as per provision of AOA
For public company shall be at least six times in a year.

Lifting (or Piercing) the Corporate Veil

Company Law Notes — Sun, 18 Aug 2013 05:41:42 +0000

Lifting the veil of incorporation or better still; “Piercing the corporate veil”:

means that a court disregards the existence of the corporation because the owners fail to keep one or more corporate requirements and formalities. The lifting or piercing of the corporate veil is more or less a judicial act. Judge Stoughton LJ defined the term as “to pierce the corporate veil is an expression that I would reserve for treating the rights and liabilities or activities of a company as the rights or liabilities or activities of its shareholders. To lift the corporate veil or look behind it, therefore should mean to have regard to the shareholding in a company for some legal purpose” whereas, Young Jon his part defined the expression “lifting the corporate veil” as “that although whenever each individual company is formed a separate legal personality is created, courts will on occasions, look behind the legal personality to the real controllers.”

Thus, it can be said that the Lifting of the Corporate Veil is the exception of Limited Liability. The courts will lift the corporate veil where it is necessary to secure justice, where it is the public interest to do so or where it is for the benefit of revenues. The concept of lifting the corporate veil describes a legal decision where a person of a company is held personally liable for the liabilities of the company despite the general principle that those persons are immune from suits in or that otherwise would hold only the company liable. The doctrine is also known as “disregarding the corporate entity”.

It is difficult to identify a consistent thread running through the decided cases indicating when the veil will be lifted. Certain themes can be identified. These are:

Fraud: Fraud is a crime of deceiving somebody in order to get money or goods illegally. The courts have been more prepared to lift the corporate veil when it feels that is or could be perpetrated behind the veil. The courts will not allow the Solomon principal to be used as an engine of fraud. In Gilford Motor Company Ltd. v. Horne, 1933. Horne was an ex-employee of The Gilford motor company and his employment contract provided that he could not solicit the customers of the company. In order to defeat this he incorporated a limited company in his wife’s name and solicited the customers of the company. The company brought an action against him. The Court of appeal was of the view that “the company was formed as a device, a stratagem, in order to mask the effective carrying on of business of Mr. Horne” in this case it was clear that the main purpose of incorporating the new company was to perpetrate fraud. Thus the court of appeal regarded it as a mere sham to cloak his wrongdoings.

Group enterprises: The argument of group enterprises is to the effect that in certain cases, some companies that act as a corporate group may operate to hide behind the advantages of limited liability to the disadvantage of their creditors. They may operate in a way that the parent entity is not clearly distinguishable from the subsidiaries. The argument in favor of piercing the corporate veil in these circumstances is to ensure that a corporate group which seeks the advantages of limited liability must also be ready to accept the corresponding responsibilities. This was the opinion of Doyle CJ in the 1998 case of Taylor v Santos Ltd.

Agency: The doctrine of separate legal entity that the company is a legal entity with a different identity from that of its members means that a company does not exist to become an agent for its shareholders. A company having power to act as an agent may do so as an agent for its parent company or indeed for all or any of the individual members if it is or they authorize it to do so. If so, the parent company or the members will be bound by the acts of its agent so long as those acts are within actual or apparent scope of the authority. But there is no presumption of any such relationship in the absence of an express agreement between the parties it will be difficult to establish one. In cases where the agency agreement holds good and the parties concerned have expressly agreed to such a agreement them the corporate veil shall be lifted and the principal shall be liable for the a acts of the agent. The court in The Electric Light and Power Supply Corporation Limited v Cormack, 1911. refused to pierce the veil. A one-man company had contracted with the plaintiffs to use their power supply for his work during two years, and not to install any other alternative source of energy power during that period of time. But within that period, the defendant sold his company to another company of which he was both the manager and the main shareholder. The new company thereupon installed energy power other than he one contracted with the plaintiffs. The court refused to pierce the veil, considering the act as a personal undertaking. As such Lord Rich AJ found no evidence that the sale of the business by the defendant was done with the object of evading his personal obligations.

Unfairness: One other serious ground under which courts would be so ready to pierce the corporate veil is in cases where it is deduced that there was unfairness on the part of the company in question. The plaintiff may pray to the court to pierce the corporate veil on the grounds that doing so would help bring a fair and just result.

Sham or Façade: An argument that the company under scrutiny is a sham or a façade is one of the strongest points that would prompt a court to lift the veil of incorporation. The argument is quite close to the argument of fraud, but usually stands on its own. In short, to say a company was merely a façade or a sham means the corporate form was incorporated or merely used as a mask to hide the real purpose of the corporate controller. In the case of Sharrment Pty Ltd v Official Trustee in Bankruptcy 1988, Lockhart J, stated that: “A ‘sham’ is…something that is intended to be mistaken for something else or that is not really what it purports to be. It is a spurious imitation, a counterfeit, a disguise or a false front. It is not genuine or true, but something made in imitation of something else or made to appear to be something which it is not. It is something which is false or deceptive.“

Trust: The courts may pierce the corporate veil to look at the characteristics of the shareholders. In the case of Abbey and Planning the court lifted the corporate veil. In this case a school was run by a company but the shares were held by the trustees on educational charitable trusts. The court pierced the veil in order to look into the terms on which the trustee held the shares.

Tax: At times tax legislations warrant the lifting of the corporate veil. The courts are prepared to disregard the separate legal personality of companies in case of tax evasions or liberal schemes of tax avoidance without any necessary legislative authority.

Legal provisions:
In case, any member is found guilty after the veil has been lifted, then he or she as per section 89 of the Companies Act 2063 (2006) will be disqualified from being appointed and from continuing to hold office. The following sections provide circumstances for disqualification:

Section 89 (1) (e): who is convicted of an offense of theft, fraud, forgery or embezzlement or misuse of goods or funds entrust to him/her, in an authorized manner, and sentenced in respect thereof, a period of three year has not elapsed from the expiry of the sentence.
Section 89 (1) (f): who has personal interest of any kind in the business or any contract or transaction of the concerned company.
Section 89 (2) (a): Any person referred in Sub-section (1) shall not be eligible to be appointed to the office of an independent director.
Section 89 (3) (f): If one is blacklisted by a competent body pursuant to the prevailing law for his/her default in repaying a loan of any bank or financial institution, and the period of such black listing has not expired.

[1] Atlas Maritime Co SA v Avalon Maritime Ltd (No 1) [1991] 4 All ER 769

[2] Pioneer Concrete Services Ltd v Yelnah Pty Ltd (1986) 5 NSWLR 254 (SCNSW, Young J).

[3] Gilford Motor Company Ltd. v. Horne, 1933 (Ch. 935)

[4] Taylor V. Santos. Corporate Law Electronic, 1998 (Bulletin no. 13, September)

[5] The Electric Light and Power Supply Corporation Limited v Cormack (1911) 11 NSWSR 350

Points:

An exception of distinct personality.
Concept of ‘piercing the corporate veil’ describes legal decisions where a shareholder, member or director of a corporation is held liable for its debts or other liabilities.
Generally, corporation is liable, but exceptionally, in the course of delivering justice the members or shareholders are liable.
This doctrine is known as disregarding corporate entities.
The phrase ‘disregarding of corporate entity’ relies on the metaphor of a ‘veil’ or ‘legal fiction’.
The doctrine is generally used in cases where liability is found but the corporation is insolvent.

Lifting the corporate veil - (Exception to corporate personality)

Disregarding of corporate entity.
The principle of separate personality was established in a famous case of Salomon v. Salomon & Company.
It is a fundamental principle of company law that company has distinct personality.
There is a veil drawn between the company and its members.
as per this principle typically, courts in most cases refuse the separate personality, go behind the curtain and see who are the real persons composing the company, but sometimes necessity of situation come to the courts or authorities to disregard the corporate legal entity and look to individual members who are in fact the real beneficial owner of all corporate property, and this is fact known as lifting or piercing the corporate veil.
If the veil is lifted, individual members are held liable for acts or entitled to its property.

Grounds for Lifting the Corporate Veil

For securing justice.
For the benefit of revenue
Separate legal entity is general rule and lifting the veil is an exception.
Statutory provisions for application lifting the corporate veil; Section 24,120(3),121,122,123,124,163,160(a),160(b),160(m),160(e),160(f),1609(g),160(h),160(i)160(l),161(a),!61(b),95(4),161(w),80,81,160(n),114,161(c),47,160(x),160(z),141,175,160(j), 160(A),160(P),160(Q),160(r),160(t),138-139 etc. of the Companies Act 2063 BS.

Use of Lifting the Corporate Veil on the basis of the Principles Developed by Courts;

To determine the enemy character or residency relation .( See; Company Kanoon, Bharat Raj Uprety)

Daimler v. Continental Tire & Rubber Co.

To determine group of companies (Agency Relation) ( See; Company Kanoon, Bharat Raj Uprety)
In case of Fraud or Misconduct ( See; Company Kanoon, Bharat Raj Uprety)

Gilford Motor Co. V Horne

For revenue purpose. ( See; Company Kanoon, Bharat Raj Uprety)

Income tax Commissioner V. Sri Meenaxshi Mills

A legal decision where a Shareholder or director of company is held liable for debts or other liabilities of company.
General principle is that shareholders are immune from suits. Only the company is liable but piercing the corporate veil is an exception.

Factors to consider the doctrine of disregarding corporate entity

Inaccuracy of corporate records.
Concealment or misrepresentation.
Failure to maintain arm’s length relationships with related entities.
Failure to observe the corporate formalities in terms of behavior and documentation.
Failure to pay dividends.
Intermingling of assets of corporation and of the shareholders.
Manipulation of assets or liabilities
Non- Functioning corporate officers and directors.
Other factors the court find relevant. Siphoning of corporate fund by the dominant shareholder(s).
Treatment for individual in terms of assets of corporation as his/ her own;
Alter ego.

Capital and its Types

Company Law Notes — Sun, 18 Aug 2013 05:41:42 +0000

The term capital cannot be defined in one sentence or one line. The meaning of capital may vary. It depends on the different situation or context. Generally the meaning of capital is real value of property. So, capital has different meaning according to context.
In simple word, the term capital denotes a particular amount of money with which, a business is started.
In the case of company, the term share capital refers to amount raised by the issue of shares.
Actually, the real value of business is capital.
C. B. Gower ‘’ with the normal business capital is a simple name given to the ‘net worth of business’, the amount by which the value of assets exceeds the liabilities.
By this definition only value of assets which exceeds the liabilities is the capital.
So, what is net worth?
As per Section (2 z 3) of the Companies Act 2063 of Nepal ‘’ net worth means the assets of a company remaining after deducting the paid up capital, reserve, fund or free reserve of whatever designation to which shareholders have right or all other liabilities other than goodwill, if any, of the company as well as loss provisions, if any, from the total assets of the company for the time being.
Capital is highly important to run a company on the basis of limited liability.
Creditors always recover their debt from only the capital of company, not by the shareholders individually or personally.
So, company laws in every state have prescribed a guideline regarding capital raising or formation and its maintenance of limited liability of company.
Mainly, there are three ways to raise capital for company.
By issuing shares
By issuing debenture
By accepting other types of loan
One of fundamental or basic source of capital in company is Share.

Share Capital

Share capital is an important source of company to raise a fund or capital.

By the phrase it is clear that share capital is the capital raised by issuing the share.
Share + capital=share capital.

If so, what is share?

Share is certificate representing a unit ownership in a company.
A share is the interest of shareholder in the company measured by a sum of money, for the purpose of liability in first place and of interest in second, but also consisting series of mutual covenants entered in to by all shareholders (Farwell J in Borland’s Trustee v. Steel Brothers, 1901, 1 Ch 279)
Section 2 (n) of the Companies Act 2063 BS states that share is divided portion of share capital of a company.
Share capital is equity of company. Share capital generally refers the nominal value of all share issued by company.
Every company should mention its share capital in its MoA & AoA.
Share capital refers to the amount of company raised by the issuing of shares.
Issuing of share is mandatory legal provision as per section 18(1) e, f, g, h, i of the Companies Act 2006 of Nepal.
As per these legal provisions;
- The figure of authorized capital of company, the figure of share capital to be issued by the company and the figure of capital undertaken to be paid by promoters must be mentioned in memorandum.
- Similarly, types of shares, inherent right in such shares, value and numbers of shares , restriction (if any) on purchase of shares, promoters’ shares (undertaken to subscribe for the time being) & terms of payment of share amount must be mentioned in MoA.
The CRO will take certain fees on basis such share capital amount as registration fees of company.
The person who has ownership in share of company is known as shareholder of company.
As per section 2(r) of the Companies Act, Shareholder means a person having ownership in the share of company.
According to section 2(n) Share means the divided portion of share capital of a company.
According to Robert R. Pennigton (Pennigton’s Company Law 6th ed p. 136) –Share Capital is amount contributed by shareholders to company’s resources.
The received amount for the price of share is share capital.
The amount contributed by shareholders is main capital of company. Such share capital is the real property of company, not a loan, but property.
Share capital is not refunded until company is liquidated.
The company is not allowed to distribute dividend from such share capital, can distribute only from profit.
There is statutory provision relating to prohibition on purchase by company of its own share.
Section 61(1) of the Companies Act , No company shall purchase its own share (buy- back) or lend money against security of its own share except in particular conditions prescribed by the company Act.
Company is not a creditor and debtor of its own.
So, share capital is fixed capital of company.
The desired goal or nature of business of company determines the share capital of company.
The share capital is depended upon the nature of particular company. For example; Private company, public company, Banking Company, Insurance company, Company as school.
Companies expect profit not sharing company should mention share capital in MoA & AoA in the form of Authorized Capital \ Issued Capital \ Paid up capital.
The share capital is divided on different value units or shares.
So, price value of each share is mentioned in share certificate.

Types of Capital

There are so many types of share capital in the companies.
Basically, The Companies Act 2006 (2063 B. S.) of Nepal has determined following types of share capital.

Authorized Share Capital or Nominal Capital
A

uthorized share Capital is sum of money which is mentioned in MoA as the authorized capital of company.
It is nominal or registered capital of company.
It is maximum amount which a company is authorized to raise by issue of shares and upon which company pays the registration fees of company.
Either the full amount or part of full amount can be issued whenever needs to rise.
Total nominal value of shares which is mentioned in memorandum is authorized capital.
Practically, the size of authorized capital is decorative significance for private company.
Present company Act of Nepal is silent about how much authorized capital should be mentioned in a company, but it is understood that issued & paid up capital must not exceed the authorized capital.
Paid up capital of a public company shall be a minimum of 10 million or one corer rupees. (Section 11 of Act).
So, it is clear, there is a pre-condition regarding authorized capital of a public company that public company shall have a minimum of a 10 million share capital.
No authorized capital is needed for a profit not sharing company.
No such demarcation of authorized capital for a private company in Nepal.
Life & non-life insurance company should maintain their paid up capital 25 corer & 10 corer or 250 million or 100 million respectively. It means the authorized capital of such insurance company should not be less than that figure of amount. Authorized capital of banking company is guided by BaFI Act and NRB Act.
For private company, it depends upon the business volume, nature of business or transactions e.g. vehicle trading company, vegetable trading company, Hydropower Company, constructions company , consultancy service provider company etc.
Authorized capital is maximum limitation of capital of company. So, company cannot issue share above the authorized capital, if issued it will be null & void.
As per section 18(1) (e) of the companies Act, the authorized capital of company must be stated in MoA.
As per legal provision of section 51 (2 ) (a) of Nepalese company Act every company shall prepare the inventory regarding authorized capital and shares of the company.
Section 56 (1 )(a) &( 3) states that the company should give information within 7 days about alteration of authorized capital. If such alteration took place the MoA & AoA must be amended according to such alteration.

Issued Capital

Part of authorized capital which is offered for subscription is known as issued capital of company.
Issued capital is the portion of company’s authorized capital that can be issued to its shareholders.
It is not obligatory for the company to issue the whole of the authorized capital for subscription.
In almost situation, company need not necessary all its authorized capital, at that time company can issue lower share than its authorized capital. It depends upon business transactions of company.
The capital that will be collected from issuance of such lower share is actually the issued capital.
Public company must have 10 million paid up capital as per section 11 of the companies Act 2006 of Nepal. So, Issued capital of public company must not be below the 10 million.
As per section 18(1) (e) of the companies Act, the issued capital of company must be stated in MoA.
As per legal provision of section 51 (2 ) (b) of Nepalese company Act every company shall prepare the inventory regarding issued capital and shares of the company.
As per Section 56 (5), if a company is required to increase its issued capital to the extent of its authorized capital, it may increase by adopting an ordinary resolution at the general meeting.
Public company must have 10 million paid up capital as per section 11 of the companies Act 2006 of Nepal. So, Issued capital of public company must be maintained as per this legal provision.
As per special law, some companies such as banking companies & insurance companies must have the issued capital as stated in special law relating to such companies e.g. for insurance company and banking companies.
Private company can determine its issued capital as per the requirements of its business transactions.

Paid – up Capital

In reality, paid up capital is that type of capital which the company actually gets from the shareholders.
By the name, it is understood that paid up capital is the capital which is paid by the shareholders in company.
The paid amount by the shareholders for share is paid up capital of company.
Paid up capital is the amount that has actually been paid – up by shareholders.
The paid – up Capital must be paid by the shareholders, otherwise it is treated as unpaid amount to the company. Like dues.
Public company must have 10 million paid up capital as per section 11 of the Companies Act 2006 of Nepal. So, paid- up capital of public company must be maintained as per this legal provision. Private companies can manage its paid up capital as per its necessity, nature & volume of business transaction.
As per section 18(1) (e) of the Companies Act, the paid-up capital of company must be mentioned in MoA. Private company can mention the paid up capital as per their needs, no any legal instructions for private companies.
As per legal provision of section 51 (2 ) (c) of Nepalese company Act every company shall prepare the inventory regarding paid-up capital and shares of the company.
As per Section 56(1)& (5),every company can make alteration on its share capital by adopting a special resolution in general meeting. It means the paid up capital of company may be altered, if altered, the MoA & AoA must be amended as per section 56(2) of the Companies Act.

Other Types of Capital

Subscribed Capital

Subscribed capital is the amount of share capital which the shareholders have subscribed or agreed to subscribe.
The subscribed capital should be described in balance sheet of company.
Sometime the issued shares of a public company may not be sold or subscribed. The part of issued capital which has been actually taken up or subscribed for the public is the subscribed capital. Which the shareholders have actually subscribed or agreed to subscribe. All issued capital may not be subscribed or agreed to subscribe. So, subscribed capital is the capital which is actually subscribed or agreed to subscribe.
The entire issued capital may be agreed to subscribe or subscribed by public in case of a reputed company because of has lot of good will, but in case of very unpopular or unsound companies the subscribed capital may be less than issued capital.
The subscribed capital is not mentioned in MoA & AoA, it is mentioned only in balance sheet of company.
Though there is no clear provision regarding subscribed capital in Nepalese companies Act, but the concept of subscribed capital is accepted by this Act. That can be found by reading of respective sections of chapter 4 of the Companies Actg. the provisions relating to alteration & reduction of share capital, mentioned in section 56 & 57 of the Companies Act.

Reserved Capital

The capital of a company which can be generated by issuing of share in particular event, if the board feels necessary. The reserved capital is collected from the remaining part of issued capital which is not called for payment or subscribed before.
The reserved capital is the part of issued capital of a company, which the company has not issued but that is the amount within the issued capital. From such part of issued capital, if the board feels necessary, the board can collect the reserve fund from that part of issued capital only in the event of liquidation or insolvency of company.
There will not be provision of reserve capital in all companies. As per the legal provision of section 53(7) of the Companies Act 2063 “ a company which has been making profit for a period of 3 consecutive years or more may , by a special resolution adopted at its general meeting, determine that a call may not be made in respect of certain portion of its share capital not call in expect in case of liquidation or insolvency of company.’’ Such uncalled capital is reserve capital of company.

Features of Company

Company Law Notes — Sun, 18 Aug 2013 05:41:42 +0000

The most distinguishing features of company are as follows;

1. Separate Personality or Distinct Personality or Legal Personality

Company will have separate legal personality after its incorporation.
Other enterprises like Partnership, Proprietorship have no separate legal personality.
Personality different and distinct than shareholders or member.
Distinct personality is the main feature of company. Other features are the outcomes of this main feature.
No material existence but separate personality.
Section 7 of the Companies Act 2063 B.S – “Company to be body Corporate”.
An autonomous and corporate body with perpetual succession.
Company may acquire, hold, sell dispose of, or otherwise deal any movable and immovable property like an individual.
Company may sue and be sued like an individual.
Company may enter in to a contract and exercise the rights and perform the obligation as referred to in such contract.
Different than shareholders/ members after its incorporation.
Common seal.
The concept of separate or distinct personality originated from these cases in different time
Saloman V. Salomon and Co. at the end of 19th century ( See; Company Kanoon of Bharat Raj Upreti)
Piush Raj Pandey v. Tax Office Kathmandu(D.No 1857,NLJ 2040,) (See; Company Kanoon of Bharat Raj Upreti)
Bijaya Kumar Dugar V. Industrial Promotion Board (D.No 7401 NlJ 2061) (See; Company Kanoon of Bharat Raj Upreti)
Abdul Hok V. Das Mal (1910 19 IC 595) (See; Company Law of Ashok K Bagrial)
Lee and Lee’s Air Farming ltd (1960 3 All E.R.420) (See; Company Kanoon of Bharat Raj Upreti)
Company has a legal entity distinct from and independent of its members.

2. Limited liability

One of the important advantages of company is that liability of its member’s is limited.
The creditor can recover their money only from company, not from individual behind the company.
Shareholders are not liable to pay the debt personally dues. This is very limited liability nature of company’s shareholders. Only, company is liable to pay not the shareholders.
Actually limited liability for only its shareholders /members, not for the company.
The shareholders are only liable for the value of their share.
Shareholders liability is limited within the extent of maximum value of their shares amount.
If any shareholder paid the nominal value of its share his liability is nil. But in the proprietorship and partnership firm they are not free from this liability they are individually liable.
Section 8 of the Companies Act.

3. Perpetual Succession (Permanent Existence)

Section 7(1) of the Companies Act 2063 states about this feature.
-A company shall be an autonomous and corporate body with the perpetual secession after its incorporation.

Company shall carry on all of its activities and transactions by its name. (Section 10 (a) of the Companies Act)

Natural persons have age and certain period for fix time but no for company.
Company cannot be ended without fulfilling legal procedure determined by law.
Without dissolution company cannot die.
C.B.Gower: “The death of members leaves the company unmoved. Members may come and go but the company can go on the forever.’’ (Davies Paul L, Gower and Davies’ Principle of Modern Company law 7th Edition, Sweet& Maxwell London)

During the World War- II,
All members and their employers of one American Private Company, were killed by a bomb while they were in a general meeting, but court declared that company can survive even in this situation. Not even a hydrogen bomb could have destroyed a company.

K/g meat suppliers (Guildford ) ltd. Re 1966
(Ashish Adhikary & Sudeep Gautam; Business Law in Nepal p.no 269)

Perpetual succession leads stability and long life to a company as compared to other forms of business organization.

In Re Neel Tedman Holding Pvt. Ltd Only two members were killed in a road accident, the Company was held could operate even after their death. (Ashish Adhikary & Sudeep Gautam; Business Law in Nepal)

Only the shares are traded with due the process, not the company –sec 42(1) (2)
Corporate life of company never ends without following particular legal formalities.
Even One Man Company cannot be ended after the death of the shareholder. It can end by the legal procedures.
Incorporated Association

Section 2(a) &3, 4, 5,6&7 of the Nepalese Company Act

Common Seal
Sec 26

Transferable Share
as movable property
Sec 42, 43

Capacity to sue and being sued
Sec 7(3) of the Company Act

(Bed Krishna Shrestha v. Govinda Krishna Shrestha; Kanoon Bibarnika, 2041,Year 2 p. 13)

Legal capacity to enjoy property right
Sec 7(2) of Nepalese Company Act
Purshotam Aacharya v. Boris Bar & Restruant pvt. Ltd (NLJ 2044 p.934 Decision No. 3206)
Management of representatives
Sec .86, 87 of Nepalese Company Act
“Board of Directors are the brains and the only the brains of company, and does act only through them’’ Bates V. Standard land 1910 2 Ch. 408 at p.16
Registered Office
Section 4 , 5,6 & 10(a) & (b) of Nepalese Company Act

General Meeting

Company Law Notes — Sun, 18 Aug 2013 05:41:42 +0000

General Meeting is a major organ. Ordinarily, a meeting may be defined as assembly of people for a lawful purpose or the coming together of at least two persons for common objects.
But a company meeting may be defined as a concurrence or coming together of at least a quorum of members in order to run of company.
Company’s meetings are of considerable importance.
Since a company is an artificial person, it cannot act on its own, The directors meeting is important. Important matters relating to control, management and business of company are decided by the directors’ meetings.
Similarly, shareholders meeting (general meetings) are also important because shareholders, who have invested the capital, can exercise their power conferred by law for their security and fulfillment of interest.
The meeting provides opportunity to shareholders to come together and take decision for their welfare by controlling the board of directors. Besides, there are certain matters which can be only decided only by the shareholders.
Mainly there are 2 types of meeting in a company one is meeting of BOD section 97. The next is meeting of shareholders General Meeting (Section 67 to 77 of Nepalese Company Act.)
Generally the shareholders’ meeting formulates policies, gives the guidelines to the Board of Directors, and holds the right like a parliament. The amendment of MOA and AOA, to pass the financial statement of company are main functions of general meeting.
There are certain matters which can only be decided by the shareholders. Therefore shareholders’ meeting is held time to time.
So, meeting is an assembly or gathering of person for some business or for discussion. General meeting is the type of meeting where all members/ shareholders of company can participate and decide on the matters provided by MOA, AOA, and Consensus Agreement (in case of private company)
General meeting is the highest governing organ of company, the directors’ meeting determines the control and management of company the general meeting controls and gives guide lines to the boar of directors on the limitation of area provided by law, MOA and AOA.
Generally directors are appointed by general meeting. Directors are accountable to general meeting individually and collectively, general meeting is an important assembly to show the control over the management by shareholders for their interest.
A company is a kind of democratic association. To exercise the rights of shareholders the shareholders meeting are held time to time in a company. The shareholders’ meeting is general meeting but all meetings of shareholders are not general meetings. The general meetings constitute the board of directors’. The board of directors gets legitimacy or authority through the authority of the general meeting.

Type of General Meeting

In Nepal ,the Companies Act 2063 mention about 2 types of general meetings.

As per Section 67(1) of the Acts- The general meetings of company will be;

Annual General Meeting (AGM)

Routine or scheduled meeting
Every company must conduct the AGM annually within the determined time frame and as per the procedures stipulated in MOA, AOA, and concerned statutes.
Sec 76(1) – every public company shall hold its first general meeting after it is licensed to commence business, thereafter it shall hold the annual general meeting every year within six months after expiry of financial year.
76(2)- In case of failing to call annual general meeting within this time frame, after expiry of time limit the office may extend another 3 month time limit on the request of company on the basis of reasonable grounds.
Sec 76(3) – If a company fails to call AGM even within this extended period, the shareholder may file a petition to court for the general meeting, court issues the appropriate order.

Extra – Ordinary General Meeting(EGM)

This is nonscheduled meeting.
EGM is depended upon the situation or if there is necessity to call meeting in any time the company extra ordinary meeting.
Section 82
- If it deems necessary.
- In course of examining accounts of company if it deems necessary
- if directors fail to call general meeting.
- On the request of auditor- section – section 82 (2)
- On the request of shareholder –section 82(3)
- On the basis of inspection of ‘office’- section 82(3)
- The shareholders can file petition to CRO and CRO issues the orders to call EGM.

Types of General Meeting

In Practice;

1. Preliminary General Meeting (PGM)
First general meeting section 76(1) of the Nepalese Company Act does not directly tell the preliminary general meeting but the matters of shares, the amount collected by shares are decided in PGM. It can be mentioned AoA.

2. Annual General Meeting (AGM)
3. Extra – Ordinary General Meeting (EGM)

Power and Functions of General Meeting

Like the power of legislative on the basis of theory of check and balance.
The powers of general meetings are used by the shareholders by adopting resolutions in such meetings.
GM makes policy level decision. Generally, the important functions of GM are;
To constitute BoD.
Discussion on reports and resolutions.
To pass Board’s report, financial report and auditors report.
Appointment of auditor.
Determination of dividend.
To exercise supreme power to conduct the company in better way.
Amendments in MoA & AoA.
As being the supreme organ of company, the general meeting has following special powers and function as per Nepalese legal provision which are as follows;
Conversion of private company in to public company- section 13(1)(a)
Conversion of public company into private company section 14 (Necessary amendments in MoA & AoA)
Issuance of premium shares section – 29(1) (C)
Alteration in share capital Increment of capital-section – 56(5)

Reduction of capital section – 57(1)

Discussion on resolution submitted by the directors in the situation of loss of net worth of company section- 60(1)
Buyback of shares; section 61(2)(d) on the basis of various reasons the General Meeting must approve for it .
Issuance of shares on discount – Section 64(2)
Discuss on the matters to be submitted in general meeting; Section 77(1),such matters are;
- Audited Financial Report
- Audit Report
- Report of Board etc.
Decision on dividend, appointment of directors and their remuneration, appointment of auditor and their remuneration; Section 77(6), Section 111(1) Section 118
Adoption of special resolution sec 83 This section is specially related )
Appointment and Removable of directors from office.

Section 87(1), 89(3) (b)

Power to determine ,remuneration, allowance, reward etc. of directors.- Section 91
By ordinary resolution;
- meeting allowance
- monthly remuneration
- daily allowance
- Travel allowance
- other facilities

By adopting special resolution;

grant a reward in a sum not exceeding 3% of net profits after payment of income tax to the directors who work full time in a company as to encourage them.
Power to permit the compensation to the directors for relief or retirement – section 91(4)
Approval of transaction of director and their close relative with companies- sec 93.
To instruct the BOD on the powers and duties .Section 95(1)
power to specify the remuneration and other facilities to MD/CEO sec 96(3)
Power to ratify any act or transaction done by a director beyond the authority conferred to him-section 103(3)
Power to permit the authority of directors relating to receiving the loan and major transaction.
Power to adopt special resolution relating to liquidation of company- Section 126(1).
Power to appoint liquidator and auditor in the process of liquidation – Section 127.
Power to make decision regarding merger – Section177 (1) by adoption special resolution.
Power to issue bonus share- Section 179
Power to determine and provide the dividend, Section 182(8)
All power and duties where special resolution is needed, that falls under the scopes of power and duties of general meeting.
Approval of BOD’s strategy in the situation of loss of net worth of company, Section 60.

Notice for General Meeting

For public company –Section 67(2).
Section 67(11) for private company (as per provision of AoA).
Time, date and venue – the district where registered office of company situated or such place adjoining to district of registered office. Section 67(4)
Earlier notice
21 days for Annual General Meeting.
15 days for EGM.
7 days in case of failing in above mentioned time.

In notice, there must be agenda Section 67(2).

All such procedures of private companies will be as per the provisions of AoA & Consensus Agreement.

Quorum

Quorum must be followed as per Section 73 in case of public company, but for private company as specified in AoA.
But not mandatory for profit not distributing company & company converted by corporation, Section 3(3) ,73 (4) & 173.

Validity or legality of general meeting

Section 69 speaks that before general meeting commences legality of meeting should be ascertain.

Special and General Resolution

Resolution is a proposal or motion.
Set of declaration
Set of proposal, presented for discussion or decision,
The resolution are presented in General meeting, such as;
- In AGM
- In EGM
- in Board Meeting.,

Section 74(2) – agenda of meeting shall be presented in form of resolution.

Nepalese Company Act provides two types resolution:

Special resolution
General resolution.

Section 83 of Nepalese Company Act provides the matters requiring special resolution such as:

Change in MOA &AOA, Section – 21.
Regarding remuneration, allowance, reward etc. of directors Section -91 (2).
Approval of transaction of directors beyond their working scope, Section -103(4).
Restriction on authority of directors to conduct major transactions or to obtain loan, Section – 105(1).
In case of voluntary liquidation, Section -126(1).

Proxy

A proxy may be defined as a person authorized to act and vote for another at a meeting, through the expression is commonly applied to the document by which proxy is appointed.
A proxy is a person, representative of shareholders of a meeting of company, who may be described as his agent to carry out a course which the shareholder himself decided upon.
Section 71(2) provides the option for appointment of proxy determining certain conditions.

(Single Shareholder Company has no compulsion to conduct a general meeting, Section 152)

If a Company fails to submit report (approved by general meeting) on CRO for regular 3 consecutive financial years, such company’s registration cancelled. (Section – 136)

Procedural Formalities for General Meeting

Notice

A company is not corporately assembled so as to transact any business, unless the meeting is convened by a proper notice.
Notice is an advance intimation of the meeting so as to give the person receiving it an opportunity to prepare himself for it.
Every member of company is entitled to a notice of every general meeting and such notice will be in and must be given in certain writing duration of days before the date of meeting.
The first and essential requisite of a valid meeting is that it should be called by proper authority .Obviously the proper authority is the board of directors. Similarly the second requirement of a valid meeting is that a proper notice of meeting should be given to members of the company.
‘Corporately assembled’ means that meeting shall be one held upon notice which gives every corporates the opportunity of being present.

Contents of Notice

Notice should specify the agenda, place, day and hour of meeting to be a valid meeting must be held at the day, place and time specified.

Statement of Business (agenda)

a notice must contain a statement of business to be transacted. Generally there are two types of statement of business, namely;

General business (general agenda)
at the annual general meeting, there must be the directors report, Financial statement , declaration of directors and auditors and fixing the remuneration.

Special business (special agenda)
Any other business than above mentioned business and all business presented in extra ordinary general meeting (EGM) are regarded as special business.

As per legal provision of section 67 subsection 2 of Nepalese Companies Act 2063 B.S.

A public company shall send a notice specifying the agenda of meeting to every shareholder at the address given by that shareholder at the address given by that shareholder to the company, in advanced of at least 15 days to hold extra- ordinary general meeting. A notice thereof shall also be published at least twice in national daily newspapers.

Proviso of 67(2)

If such meeting is adjourned in first time a notice of that meeting published in a national daily newspaper in advanced of at least seven days shall be deemed to have been duly given .But there should be same agenda to enjoy the seven day notice.

For private companies
Section 67 subsection (11) – As AoA specifies.