第二章 閉鎖性公司之基本概念
第二節、 各國閉鎖性公司之立法制度
國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
11
東多期待係以股票之增值及股利之分配以獲利;關於公司解散則通 常須經特別決議始可為之。
綜上所述,按閉鎖性公司之組織特性,主要為股東人數較少,
且股東地位之轉讓或設質受法律、章程或契約之限制,其股份欠缺 次級市場可供流通。大部分股東通常擔任公司之董事、經理人或員 工,直接參與公司之經營管理,形成所有權與經營權合一之現象,
使股東不僅居於投資人之地位,亦與公司間存在委任關係或僱傭關 係。相對地,公開性公司通常因股東人數眾多且股份轉讓自由,形 成經營權與所有權分離,其股東通常不直接參與公司經營,而較少 身兼公司之董事、經理人或受僱人。由於閉鎖性公司之股東,不僅 依其與公司間所存在之委任關係或僱傭關係,直接參與公司之經營 管理,且其所獲得之報酬或薪資,實質上亦成為其回收投資之一種 重要方式20。
再者,就股東之退出機制而言,因股份之轉讓受有章程或股東 書面契約之限制,同時因未申請上市或上櫃使股份轉讓受到事實上 之限制,使閉鎖性公司之股東結構穩定且不易變動。透過股東書面 契約限制股份轉讓或訂定優先承購權條款,維持公司內部之和諧及 股東間之高度信賴關係。換言之,由於股東原則上僅限於特定成 員,股東之變更受到章程或股東書面契約之嚴格限制,他人除非取 得全體股東之同意,否則難以成為閉鎖性公司之新股東21。
第二節、 各國閉鎖性公司之立法制度
在美國以及英國對於閉鎖性之資合公司增設了閉鎖性公司之立 法例,在分類上仍屬股份有限公司,但卻針對其規模較小的特性,
賦予靈活彈性的空間22;日本則是承襲德國立法對於此類公司設計 之有限責任公司加以改良,係定位在人合公司與資合公司之中間型
20 王志誠,前揭註 1,頁 213。
21 同前揭註。
22 廖郁晴,淺析我國人合型企業組織型態,萬國法律雜誌,第 149 期,2006 年,頁 43。
‧ 國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
12
態。閉鎖性公司之存在與中小企業有很大的關聯,絕非一朝一夕之 問題,美國早在 1930 年代即意識到此問題之重要性;英國亦於 1960 年代的白皮書中即已指出資本不足的小企業濫用公司制度所產 生之問題;日本亦自 1950 年起意識到大小公司區分在公司相關法 制中之重要性23。
美國除了法律規定外,於司法實務上亦發展出相當多的股東協 議加以彈性化解決閉鎖性公司之問題,而法律又有聯邦法律及州法 之分,本文在美國部分將以模範商業公司法(MBCA)與德拉瓦州 公司法(DGCL)為主要探討對象。此外,就英國 2006 年公司法之 私人公司制度作說明。而日本則在 2005 年成立之會社法中,介紹 對於合同公司與未設置董事會公司之法制。以下分別說明各國之閉 鎖性公司立法制度,用以分析閉鎖性公司的界定標準與制度設計,
藉由介紹各國立法例,期盼能於此項議題上有更深入的了解。
第一項、 美國
美國於 20 世紀初期即有學者提出,既有的公司法缺乏針對閉 鎖性公司特性供其適用之規範24。換言之,單一的公司法架構下,
事實上存在兩種不同系統的公司25,因此,提出閉鎖性公司之立法 建議26。直至 60 年代,僅少數州的立法者,對於此些建議制定相關 的法律規範27。大多數州,基於無法精確定義閉鎖性公司,使之與 公開發行公司作區別,因此仍然使閉鎖性公司與公開發行公司適用 相同的法律及法律原則28。
23 洪邦桓,中小企業之組織型態與法律架構,國立台灣大學法律學院法律學系碩士論文,2007
年 6 月,頁 104。
24 Joseph L. Weiner, Legislative Recognition of the Close Corporation, 27 MICH.LAW REV. 273, 273-284 (1929).
25 Henry G. Manne, Our Two Corporation Systems: Law and Economics, 53 VA.L.REV. 259, 259 (1967).
26 F. Hodge O'Neal, Close Corporation Legislation: A Survey and an Evaluation, 1972DUKE L.J. 867, 868-869 (1972).
27 Id.
28 Id. at 869-870.
‧ 國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
13
觀諸美國各州對閉鎖性公司所採取之立法類型,可分為以下二 種模式:其一是採取分散立法模式(Non-integrated Approach),主 要在公司法中針對閉鎖性公司之特殊需要,就個別重要議題增訂相 關條款,而散落於公司法之各個章節29。其中最具參考價值之法 源,為美國律師協會(American Bar Association,ABA)所編寫的模 範商業公司法(Model Business Corporation Act,MBCA)。這是因為 1969 年版的模範商業公司法,被美國共 35 州所全部或部分採用,
作為其立法之依據;1984 年版以及 2002 年版仍有 24 州完全採用,
有些州採用部分條款。德拉瓦州、紐約州以及加州是僅存最後堅持 其自己法律體系者,然而亦皆有採用部分模範商業公司法之元素
30。其二為採取集中立法模式(Integrated Approach),在公司法中 特別增訂閉鎖性公司之專章或專節,除了對閉鎖性公司為定義性規 定以外,並訂定相關規定,以規範符合閉鎖性公司定義之公司31。 其中最具代表性者莫過於聲譽卓著的德拉瓦州公司法。德拉瓦州公 司法之閉鎖性公司專章的規範模式乃針對適合中小型企業之型態,
基於契約自由並且在不影響整體社會經濟之狀況下,為閉鎖性公司 量身訂做一套適合其發展的法律規範,建立了全面的閉鎖性公司制 度,給公司自行選入適用。
從模範商業公司法與德拉瓦州公司法內容觀之,二者僅規範之 法律架構不同,效果上均使閉鎖性公司得適用針對其特別設計之法 律規範,事實上這兩部法典之內容經常相互影響32。因此,本文以 下於討論美國法時,係以上述德拉瓦州一般公司法以及模範商業公 司法為基本架構,在個別部分並輔以具有參考價值之其他州法,合 先敘明。
29 例如 1955 年北卡羅來納州(North Carolina)之「商業公司法」(Business Corporation Act)。
E. Latty, The Close Corporation and the New North Carolina Business Corporation Act, 34 NORTH CAROLINA LAW REVIEW 432, 434 (1956).
30 STEPHEN M.BAINBRIDGE,CORPORATE LAW 9 (2nd ed., 2009).
31 例如 1961 年紐約州(New York)之「商業公司法」(Business Corporation Law)、1962 年南 卡羅來納州(South Carolina)之「商業公司法」(Business Corporation Act)及 1967 年德拉瓦 州(Delaware)之「一般公司法」(General Corporation Law)。
32 JOHN C.COFFEE,JR.,CASE AND MATERIALS ON CORPORATIONS 714 (5th ed., 2000).
‧
35 MBCA §7.32. SHAREHOLDER AGREEMENTS: (a) An agreement among the shareholders of a corporation that complies with this section is effective among the shareholders and the corporation even though it is inconsistent with one or more other provisions of this Act in that it: (1) eliminates the board of directors or restricts the discretion or powers of the board of directors; (2) governs the authorization or making of distributions whether or not in proportion to ownership of shares, subject to the limitations in section 6.40; (3) establishes who shall be directors or officers of the corporation, or their terms of office or manner of selection or removal; (4) governs, in general or in regard to specific matters, the exercise or division of voting power by or between the shareholders and directors or by or among any of them, including use of weighted voting rights or director proxies; (5) establishes the terms and conditions of any agreement for the transfer or use of property or the provision of services between the corporation and any shareholder, director, officer or employee of the corporation or among any of them; (6) transfers to one or more shareholders or other persons all or part of the authority to exercise the corporate powers or to manage the business and affairs of the corporation, including the resolution of any issue about which there exists a deadlock among
directors or shareholders; (7) requires dissolution of the corporation at the request of one or more of the shareholders or upon the occurrence of a specified event or contingency; or (8) otherwise governs the exercise of the corporate powers or the management of the business and affairs of the corporation or the relationship among the shareholders, the directors and the corporation, or among any of them, and is not contrary to public policy. (b) An agreement authorized by this section shall be: (1) as set forth (A) in the articles of incorporation or bylaws and approved by all persons who are shareholders at the time of the agreement or (B) in a written agreement that is signed by all persons who are shareholders at the time of the agreement and is made known to the corporation; (2)
subject to amendment only by all persons who are shareholders at the time of the amendment, unless the agreement provides otherwise; and (3) valid for 10 years, unless the agreement provides otherwise. (c) The existence of an agreement authorized by this section shall be noted conspicuously on the front or back of each certificate for outstanding shares or on the information statement required by section 6.26(b). If at the time of the agreement the corporation has shares outstanding represented by certificates, the corporation shall recall the outstanding certificates and issue substitute certificates that comply with this subsection. The failure to note the existence of the agreement on the certificate or information statement shall not affect the validity of the agreement or any action taken pursuant to it. Any purchaser of shares who, at the time of purchase, did not have knowledge of the existence of the agreement shall be entitled to rescission of the purchase. A purchaser shall be deemed to have knowledge of the existence of the agreement if its existence is noted on the certificate or information statement for the shares in compliance with this subsection and, if the shares are not represented by a certificate, the information statement is delivered to the purchaser at or prior to the time of purchase of the shares. An action to enforce the right of rescission authorized by this subsection must be commenced within the earlier of 90 days after discovery of the existence of the agreement or two years after the time of purchase of the shares. (d) An agreement authorized by this section shall cease to be effective when the corporation
‧
以專篇規定「模範法定閉鎖性公司補編」(Model Statutory Close Corporation Supplement),提供完善的股東書面協議架構供公司參 與者自由約定選用,以供各州進行公司立法之範本及參考,對股東 提供適當之法律保護。該補編並非是模範商業公司法的一部份,而 是針對閉鎖性公司與非閉鎖性公司間本質上之差異,量身訂作一套
becomes a public corporation. If the agreement ceases to be effective for any reason, the board of directors may, if the agreement is contained or referred to in the corporation’s articles of
incorporation or bylaws, adopt an amendment to the articles of incorporation or bylaws, without shareholder action, to delete the agreement and any references to it.
36 ROBERT A.RAGAZZO &FRANCES S.FENDLER,CLOSELY HELD BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS:CASES,MATERIALS,AND PROBLEMS 402 (2nd ed., 2012).
37 MBCA §14.30. GROUNDS FOR JUDICIAL DISSOLUTION: The [name or describe court or courts] may dissolve a corporation: (a)(2) in a proceeding by a shareholder if it is established that: (i) the directors are deadlocked in the management of the corporate affairs, the shareholders are unable to break the deadlock, and irreparable injury to the corporation is threatened or being suffered, or the business and affairs of the corporation can no longer be conducted to the advantage of the shareholders generally, because of the deadlock; (ii) the directors or those in control of the corporation have acted, are acting, or will act in a manner that is illegal, oppressive, or fraudulent; (iii) the
shareholders are deadlocked in voting power and have failed, for a period that includes at least two consecutive annual meeting dates, to elect successors to directors whose terms have expired; or the corporate assets are being misapplied or wasted.
38 MBCA §14.34. ELECTION TO PURCHASE IN LIEU OF DISSOLUTION: (a) In a proceeding under section 14.30(a) (2) to dissolve a corporation, the corporation may elect or, if it fails to elect, one or more shareholders may elect to purchase all shares owned by the petitioning shareholder at the fair value of the shares. An election pursuant to this section shall be irrevocable unless the court determines that it is equitable to set aside or modify the election.
‧ 國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
16
適合其發展之法規範。其制訂目的乃在於提供其他州政府欲訂立閉 鎖性公司專章之參考,與模範商業公司法同樣不具法律拘束力39。 首先,模範法定閉鎖性公司補編規定40法定閉鎖公司應在公司 章程中聲明該公司為法定閉鎖公司,且模範商業公司法之規定於不 牴觸本補編之範圍內始得適用。其次,就股份轉讓方面,則明文規 定公司得禁止自願及非自願性轉讓及例外轉讓與第三人之規定,對
適合其發展之法規範。其制訂目的乃在於提供其他州政府欲訂立閉 鎖性公司專章之參考,與模範商業公司法同樣不具法律拘束力39。 首先,模範法定閉鎖性公司補編規定40法定閉鎖公司應在公司 章程中聲明該公司為法定閉鎖公司,且模範商業公司法之規定於不 牴觸本補編之範圍內始得適用。其次,就股份轉讓方面,則明文規 定公司得禁止自願及非自願性轉讓及例外轉讓與第三人之規定,對