第六章 結語與展望
第一節 忠實義務
忠實義務(Fiduciary Duty),在我國亦有「忠誠義務」、「受託義務」、「受任 人義務」等不同翻譯184。忠實義務為英美法發展出之概念,學者認為我國法制傳 統上並無忠實義務,其引入係於民國90 年修正之公司法第 23 條,在我國法體系
181 黃國展,前揭註 109,頁 3。
182 劉連煜,前揭註 35,頁 122;曾宛如(2010),〈董事忠實義務於台灣實務上之實踐-相關判 決之觀察〉,《月但民商法雜誌》,29 期,頁 120。
183 Alessandra Zanardo, Fiduciary Duties of Directors of Insolvent Corporations: A Comparative Perspective, 93(3) CHI.-KENT L.REV. 867, 867-68 (2018).
184 採不同翻譯者如林國彬(2007)〈董事忠誠義務與司法審查標準之研究─以美國德拉瓦州公司 法為主要範圍〉,《政大法學評論》,100 期;黃朝琮(2015)〈公司出售時之受託義務與程序機制
-美國德拉瓦州案例法之考察〉,《臺北大學法學論叢》,95 期;陳俊仁(2015)〈招牌理論與受任 人忠實義務-從美國證券商義務理論實務發展論臺灣證券商監理法制之強化〉,《月旦民商法雜 誌》,48 期。
下,僅有法條文字並不夠,對忠實義務之內涵需要更清楚之闡述185。本文認為要 更理解忠實義務,就需要從英美法發展之脈絡出發,理解各種類型化的義務及其 內涵。
第一項 忠實義務之發展與沿革
忠實義務起源於英美的衡平法,且忠實義務並非專指董事與公司或股東間的 關係,而是泛稱一方將財產交付他方管理,受託管理的受託人(trustee)所應負 的義務186。此受託關係法理在英美法有250 年以上之發展歷史187,針對董事之受 託義務案例則是在 19 世紀中葉漸漸出現188,英國 1844 年合股公司法尚未出現 時,公司並未法人化,而係由一群投資人將財產交付給執行業務董事,董事管理 財產並將其運用於商業行為,因此形成類似信託關係,衡平法院便援引適用信託 關係上的原則189。而董事忠實義務亦在普通法中被加以主張運用,不斷透過案例 累積發展出相當豐富的類型與內涵190。
英國2006 年公司法修正首次將董事之忠實義務明文化、類型化在成文法典 中191。在修法討論階段就有相當多專家學者建議應將董事忠實義務之內涵加以明
185 曾宛如(2007),〈董事忠實義務之內涵及適用疑義-評析公司法第二十三條第一項〉,氏著,
《公司管理與資本市場法制專論》,第二版,頁4,台北:元照;劉連煜,前揭註 35,頁 120-122;
王文宇,前揭註35,頁 29-30。
186 曾宛如,前揭註 185,頁 6-7;Deborah A. DeMott, Beyond Metaphor: An Analysis of Fiduciary Obligation, 1988(5) DUKE L.J. 879, 880-81 (1988).
187 Robert Cooter & Bradley J. Freedman, The Fiduciary Relationship: Its Economic Character and Legal Consequences, 66(4) N.Y.U.L.REV. 1045, 1045-46 (1991).
188 Andrea Lista, Directors’ Duties in the UK, in RESEARCH HANDBOOK ON DIRECTORS’DUTIES 72, 72 (Adolfo Paolini ed., 2014).
189 PAUL L.DAVIES &SARAH WORTHINGTON, PRINCIPLES OF MODERN COMPANY LAW, 485-86 (10th ed.
2016).
190 Id. at 478-80;David J. Seipp, Trust and Fiduciary Duty in the Early Common Law, 91(3) B.U.L.
REV. 1011, 1012 (2011).
191 Lista, supra note 188, at 74-75.
文化,並在修法建議中羅列董事忠實義務之類型192。不過在相關建議中,有些認 為應鉅細靡遺明訂判例法揭示之規則,亦有認為應訂定原則性規範,而保留實務 見解發展空間者,而最後修法的結果是以原則性規定為主193。
美國和英國一樣,在忠實義務相關議題有相當豐富發展與案例累積,尤其在 著名的公司法重鎮德拉瓦州,其法院所作出的判決是形塑美國商業法律見解發展 的重要推手194。德拉瓦州並未如英國 2006 年公司法修正一般將董事忠實義務類 型化、明文化,而是維持由實務累積成判例法的方式,此種模式雖然保留個案判 斷與實務見解發展的彈性,但也被批評為「模糊而難以預測」195。雖然美國德拉 瓦州並未將忠實義務明文化,但在由美國律師協會(American Bar Association)
起草,供各州立法或司法機構參考的「模範商業公司法」(Model Business Corporation Act)中,則將忠實義務明文化196。
第二項 忠實義務之內涵
第一款 傳統忠實義務內涵
關於忠實義務之內涵,英國與美國之見解相當類似,不過有部分不同,例如 美國發展蓬勃的「商業判斷法則」(Business Judgement Rule)197。傳統上,忠實 義務可分為兩大部分-「Duties of Skill, Care and Diligence」以及「Duties of Good Faith and Loyalty」198。
192 See Davies & Worthington, supra note 189, at 463; THE COMPANY LAW REVIEW STEERING GROUP, MODERN COMPANY LAW FOR A COMPETITIVE ECONOMY FINAL REPORT VOLUME 1, 343-55 (2001).
193 Davies & Worthington, supra note 189, at 463-65.
194 Cyril Moscow, Michigan or Delaware Incorporation, 42(4)WAYNE L.REV. 1897, 1902-05 (1996).
195 E. Norman Veasey, On Corporate Codification: A Historical Peek at the Model Business Corporation Act and the American Law Institute Principles through the Delaware Lens, 74(1) LAW &CONTEMP. PROBS. 95, 96-98 (2011).
196 MODEL BUS.CORP.ACT § 8.30 (2016).
197 曾宛如,前揭註 185,頁 18-20。
198 本文對忠實義務的分類以英國法分類為主,美國常區分為「Duty of Care」與「Duty of Loyalty」。 See EDWARD P. WELCH, ANDREW J. TUREZYN & ROBERT S. SAUNDERS, FOLK ON THE DELAWARE
第一目 Duties of Skill, Care and Diligence
本義務由普通法發展而來,係指董事應有執行相關業務所應有的知識、技能 與經驗199。英國早期係採取主觀判斷標準,也就是以董事個人主觀的經驗與學識 為判斷標準。不過隨著判例累積,採取主觀及客觀雙重標準,即董事應具有一般 擔任董事之人所具有的客觀能力,惟若該董事主觀上具有比一般董事更優秀的學 識、經驗或能力,則以該董事主觀標準為斷200。
第二目 Duties of Good Faith and Loyalty
本義務從衡平法發展而來,係早期法院將董事與受託人類比後產生的諸多義 務201。本部分與董事個人的能力或經驗較無關,而是身為公司財產的受託人,在 決策時應該考量到的面向。主要可分為兩部分,其一是董事應為公司利益而誠實 且善盡自己的職權執行業務,其二則是董事要避免自己與公司間產生利益衝突,
以及在此狀況下應如何處理202。在此部分有各種類型化的義務,有鑑於英國公司 法現已明文化董事的忠實義務內涵,本文擬在以下藉英國公司法條文介紹類型化 的忠實義務。
第二款 英國公司法之類型化規定
英國公司法 2006 年修正後,在第 10 部分的第 2 章規範了董事的一般義務
(General Duties of Directors),其中第 171 條到第 177 條規範了 7 種忠實義務之 內涵203:
第一目 Sec. 171 Duty to act with powers
本條文指董事應依據公司章程,以及在董事所被賦予的目標內執行業務204,
GENERAL CORPORATION LAW 113-14 (2014 ed.).
199 曾宛如,前揭註 185,頁 9。
200 Lista, supra note 188, at 92-93; Welch et al.,supra note 198, at 480.
201 曾宛如,前揭註 185,頁 10;Welch et al.,supra note 198, at 485-86.
202 Welch et al.,supra note 198, at 486.
203 The Companies Act 2006, c. 46, §§ 171-177.
204 條文原文為:
本規定係表彰了普通法上的「正當目的原則」(Proper Purpose Rule)205。董事行
A director of a company must—
(a) act in accordance with the company's constitution, and
(b) only exercise powers for the purposes for which they are conferred.
205 Lista, supra note 188, at 78-79.
206 Welch et al.,supra note 198, at 488-92.
207 條文原文為:
(1) A director of a company must act in the way he considers, in good faith, would be most likely to promote the success of the company for the benefit of its members as a whole, and in doing so have regard (amongst other matters) to—
(a) the likely consequences of any decision in the long term, (b) the interests of the company's employees,
(c) the need to foster the company's business relationships with suppliers, customers and others, (d) the impact of the company's operations on the community and the environment,
(e) the desirability of the company maintaining a reputation for high standards of business conduct, and (f) the need to act fairly as between members of the company.
(2) Where or to the extent that the purposes of the company consist of or include purposes other than the benefit of its members, subsection (1) has effect as if the reference to promoting the success of the company for the benefit of its members were to achieving those purposes.
(3) The duty imposed by this section has effect subject to any enactment or rule of law requiring directors, in certain circumstances, to consider or act in the interests of creditors of the company.
208 Welch et al.,supra note198,at128; Davies & Worthington,supra note 189 , at465-67.
決策時應考量的範圍,除了以公司的利益為出發點外,還要適度考量社區、環境 甚至公司清償能力等因素。
第三目 Sec. 173 Duty to exercise independent judgement
本條要求公司董事獨立行使職權,依自己之判斷做出決策,不過在受公司透 過契約或章程限制時不在此限209。本條體現了傳統忠實義務中的「Not to Fetter Discretion」之要求210。
第四目 Sec. 174 Duty to exercise reasonable care, skill and diligence
本條指董事應有足夠的專業能力與注意能力,並勤勉執行業務,也就是從普 通法發展出來的「Duty of Care, Skill and Diligence」211。而有關英美法上如何判 斷董事是否具有足夠能力,如前所述,目前英美法採取二階段判斷模式,原則上 為客觀標準,但若董事本身主觀能力較高,則以董事之個人能力為標準。
第五目 Sec. 175 Duty to avoid conflict of interest
本條指董事應避免自己陷入與公司利益衝突之狀況,此義務為忠實義務的討 論重點,英美法透過相關判決見解的發展累積各種利益衝突之態樣212。原則上與
209 條文原文為:
(1) A director of a company must exercise independent judgment.
(2) This duty is not infringed by his acting—
(a) in accordance with an agreement duly entered into by the company that restricts the future exercise of discretion by its directors, or
(b) in a way authorised by the company's constitution.
210 Lista, supra note 188, at 90.
211 條文原文為:
(1) A director of a company must exercise reasonable care, skill and diligence.
(2) This means the care, skill and diligence that would be exercised by a reasonably diligent person with—
(a) the general knowledge, skill and experience that may reasonably be expected of a person carrying out the functions carried out by the director in relation to the company, and
(b) the general knowledge, skill and experience that the director has.
212 Lista, supra note 188, at 94-97.
公司具有利益衝突之情形發生在:(1)與公司進行交易(2)利用公司之資產、
資訊或機會(3)與公司競爭等情形213。當董事遇到利益衝突情形時,可以選擇 迴避不進行相關交易,或是充分揭露之後由公司決定該董事能否進行交易,並進 行授權214。
第六目 Sec. 176 Duty not to accept benefits from third parties
本條限制董事除了例外情形,不得在執行業務時收受來自第三方的利益215。
213 曾宛如,前揭註 185,頁 15。
214 條文原文為:
(1) A director of a company must avoid a situation in which he has, or can have, a direct or indirect interest that conflicts, or possibly may conflict, with the interests of the company.
(2) This applies in particular to the exploitation of any property, information or opportunity (and it is immaterial whether the company could take advantage of the property, information or opportunity).
(3) This duty does not apply to a conflict of interest arising in relation to a transaction or arrangement with the company.
(4) This duty is not infringed—
(a)if the situation cannot reasonably be regarded as likely to give rise to a conflict of interest; or (b)if the matter has been authorised by the directors.
(5) Authorisation may be given by the directors—
(a) where the company is a private company and nothing in the company's constitution invalidates such authorisation, by the matter being proposed to and authorised by the directors; or
(b) where the company is a public company and its constitution includes provision enabling the directors to authorise the matter, by the matter being proposed to and authorised by them in accordance with the constitution.
(6) The authorisation is effective only if—
(a) any requirement as to the quorum at the meeting at which the matter is considered is met without counting the director in question or any other interested director, and
(b) the matter was agreed to without their voting or would have been agreed to if their votes had not been counted.
(7) Any reference in this section to a conflict of interest includes a conflict of interest and duty and a conflict of duties.
215 條文原文為:
Duty not to accept benefits from third parties
(1) A director of a company must not accept a benefit from a third party conferred by reason of—
(a) his being a director, or
收受第三方利益係從英美法判決中累積而來的違反忠實義務態樣,亦為利益衝突 防止之一環216。
第七目 Sec. 177 Duty to declare interest in proposed transaction or
arrangement
最後則是規範當董事涉及與公司間交易時,所應負有的揭露義務,此亦為利
最後則是規範當董事涉及與公司間交易時,所應負有的揭露義務,此亦為利