A. How to use Conversion Notes
B. Abbreviations and Legislation
B. Rights and duties of the Partners
2) Fiduciary duties of partners
ii. Liabilities of partners to third parties
1) Authority/liability of partners in contract
2) Credit contracts and holding out
i. Incorporation and Registration
ii. Problems relating to incorporation
1) Private vs public companies vs company limited by guarantee
2) Company limited by shares vs limited by guarantee vs unlimited Companies
3) Hong Kong vs Non-Hong Kong Companies
i. Separate corporate personality
1) Liability of members limited by shares or limited by guarantee
C. Piercing or lifting the corporate veil
D. Corporate constitution and authority
i. Memorandum and Articles of Association
ii. Contractual effect of the Memorandum and Articles
iii. Enforcement of the Articles of Association
iv. Amendment to Articles of Association
1) Restrictions under the Companies Ordinance
2) Restrictions under the general law
3) Enforceability of shareholders’ agreements to alter the Articles
i. Subscribers to the Memorandum and Articles of Association
iii. Membership in companies with share capital: issues and transfers of shares
2) Good Faith and Proper Purpose
5) Immunity from liability and secrecy
1) Director’s meetings - Companies Ordinance
2) Director’s meetings – Common law
3) Director’s meetings – Model Articles
4) Director’s meetings – Table A
i. Authority of directors to bind the Company
3) Protected under Indoor management rule
4) Statutory assumptions as to authority
ii. The members’ general meeting
3) Scope of control of the board by the members in general meeting
4) Disclosure obligations (Common Law)
iii. Residual control in general meetings (Doctrine of Unanimous consent)
1) Where the board is unable to act
2) Ratification of directors’ acts
v. Powers conferred by the Companies Ordinance
2) Alteration of articles and objects clause
vi. Powers conferred by the Articles of Association
A. Directors as fiduciaries – Standard of care
B. Acting bona fide in the interests of the Company
C. Exercising powers for proper purposes
i. What is the legal purpose for which the power may be used?
ii. Has the power been used for proper purpose as a matter of fact?
1) Was there a personal interest?
2) Was there adequate disclosure of a material personal interest?
3) Were statutory disclosure obligations satisfied?
1) Was there “secret profits”?
2) Was there a ratification of the breach?
1) Businesses started by former directors
iv. Directors’ personally benefiting from opportunity turned down by the company
E. Acting with due care, skill and diligence
i. Duties in equity and Duties under the common law
F. Forgiveness and enforcement
i. Voidable and Void transactions
ii. Restrictions regarding relieving directors from liability
G. Requirements of the Companies Ordinance
A. Proper plaintiff and irregularity principles: Rule in Foss v Harbottle
B. Derivative actions on behalf of the Company
ii. The statutory derivative action
C. Members’ personal rights of action under the general law
i. Equitable restrictions on the powers of the majority in general meeting
D. Statutory remedy in relation to unfairly prejudicial conduct
E. Winding up on “just and equitable” grounds
i. Under the Company's Articles and under the Companies Ordinance
7. Corporate Insolvency and Liquidation
i. Compulsory winding up by the court and Members’ or creditors’ voluntary winding up
B. Insolvency and other grounds for winding up
C. Effect of a winding up order
1) Member’s Voluntary winding up
2) Creditor’s Voluntary winding up
E. Functions and powers of the liquidator
F. Assets available for distribution
i. Re-opening of antecedent transactions
G. Distributions and priorities
H. Fraudulent/Unfair Preferences