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在我國公司法第二十七條下,法人董監事有兩種情形,第 一種是第一項規定:「政府或法人為股東時,得當選為董事或 監察人。但須指定自然人代表行使職務。」第二種是第二項規 定:「政府或法人為股東時,亦得由其代表人當選為董事或監 察人,代表人有數人時,得分別當選,但不得同時當選或擔任 董事及監察人。」且無論是第一項及第二項之代表人,法人股 東均得依其職務關係,隨時改派補足原任期170。
公司法第二十七條就第一項情形,董事為法人股東,法人 股東自應對公司負忠實義務,被指定之自然人既實際代表法人 股東行使董事職務,亦應對公司負忠實義務,均應受關係人交 易之規範。至於公司法第二十七條第二項下,在公司法二○○
一年修正董事不以具有股東身分為必要後,與一般自然人當選 董事之區別在於公司法第二十七條第三項法人股東得隨時改派 補足原任期。理論上,依公司法第二十七條第二項當選之董事 本身,應對公司負忠實義務,惟其所代表之法人雖可以改派法 人董事,但與公司間並無董事委任關係。但依公司法第二十七 條第二項當選之董事通常與其所代表之法人另有委任關係,應 得認屬因職務關係而為董事之關係人。
第二項 控制股東
170 有關法人董事之存廢問題,請參閱林仁光,公司法第二十七條法人董監事制度存廢之研究,
台大法學論叢,40 卷 1 期,2011 年,頁 253-343。
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就控制股東(Controlling Shareholder, Dominant Shareholder)的定 義,一般而言,「控制」(control)係指有權決定公司經營決策,「控制」
存在於幾種形式,第一是所謂的「法律上控制」(de jure control),以 持股數作為認定標準。除非有特別的表決權規定,一般而言,持有百 分之五十以上表決權股份,即得選任過半數的董事,以及對於提交股 東會決議事項有決定權。第二是「事實上控制」(de facto control),持 有未逾百分之五十表決權股份,仍可能掌握足夠的表決權數以實際控 制公司。故須實質認定股東是否透過控制公司的行為以主導公司,並 應由原告對於被告股東是否有主導權負舉證責任171。以下將分述美國 德拉瓦州法院、ALI公司治理原則、英國法及我國法對於控制股東之 定義。
第一款 外國法之規範
一、 德拉瓦州公司法
德拉瓦州公司法並未對控制股東有定義性的條文,然德拉瓦 州法院不僅承認控制股東對少數股東負有受託人義務,亦發展出 對控制股東之認定標準。
在 1987 年 Ivanhoe Partners v. Newmont Min. Corp.172一案中,
171 See Jeffery D. Bauman, Corporations Law and Policy—Materials and Problems, at 862 (7th ed., 2010).
172 Ivanhoe Partners v. Newmont Min. Corp., 535 A.2d 1334(Del. 1987).
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1993 年 Tri-Star Pictures, Inc.174乙案,法院認定持有可口可樂公司 36.8%股份的 Tri-Star Pictures 為控制股東175。1994 年 Kahn v.Lynch Communication Systems, Inc.176案,更進一步對認定「控制」
之標準提出闡釋,當股東擁有公司有表決權股份數少於百分之五
173 原文如下:Under Delaware law a shareholder owes a fiduciary duty only if it owns a majority interest in or exercises control over the business affairs of the corporation. See Ivanhoe Partners v.
Newmont Min. Corp., 535 A.2d 1334(Del. 1987).
174 Tri-Star Pictures, Inc., 634 A.2d 319 (Del. 1993).
175 Dennis J. Block, Nancy E. Barton and Stephen A. Radin, The Business Judgment Rule—Fiduciary Duties of Corporate Directors, Volume I, at 1154-1155 (6th ed, 2009).
176 Kahn v. Lynch Communication Systems, Inc., 638 A.2d 1110(Del. 1994).
177 原文如下:shareholder who own less than 50% of a corporation’s outstanding stocks does not, without more, become a controlling shareholder of that corporation, with a concomitant fiduciary status. For a dominating relationship to exist in the absence of controlling stock ownership, a plaintiff must allege domination by a minority shareholder through actual control of corporation conduct. See Kahn v. Lynch Communication Systems, Inc., 638 A.2d 1113(Del. 1994).
178 Weinstein Enters., Inc. v. Orloff, 870 A.2d 499, 507 (Del. 2005). See also Kahn v. Lynch Commc’ ns Sys., Inc., 669 A.2d 79, 84 (Del. 1995). See Dennis J. Block, Nancy E. Barton and Stephen A. Radin, The Business Judgment Rule—Fiduciary Duties of Corporate Directors, at 1126-1127 (6th ed., 2009).
179 Weinstein Enters., Inc. v. Orloff, 870 A.2d 507 (Del. 2005).
180 Tomczak v. Morton Thiokol, Inc., (1990 Del. Ch. LEXIS 47).
181 Siegman v. Tri- Star Pictures, Inc., 15 Del. J. Corp. L.218, 227 (May, 1989).
182 In re Shoe-Town, Inc. Stockholders Litig., 16 Del. J. Corp. L. 404, 416 (Del. Ch. Feb. 12, 1990)
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(actual exercise of control),亦可能被認定屬控制股東183。
二、 ALI 公司治理原則
184 Principles of Corporate Governance: Analysis and Recommendations, §1.10 provides: (a)A
“controlling shareholder” means a person who, either alone or pursuant to an arrangement or understanding with one or more other persons: (1)Owns and has the power to vote more than 50 percent of outstanding voting equity securities of a corporation; or (2) Otherwise exercises a controlling influence over the management or policies of the corporation or the transaction or conduct in question by virtue of the person’s position as a shareholder. (b) A person who, either alone or pursuant to an arrangement or understanding with one or more other persons, own and has the power to vote more than 25 percent of outstanding voting equity securities of a corporation is presumed to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of the corporation, unless some other person, either alone or pursuant to an arrangement or understanding with one or more other persons, own and has the power to vote a greater percentage of the voting equity securities. A person who does not, either alone or pursuant to an arrangement or understanding with one or more other persons, own and has the power to vote more than 25 percent of outstanding voting equity securities of a corporation is not presumed to be in control of the corporation by virtue solely of ownership of or power to voting equity securities.
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了經合法選任的法律上董事(de jure director)185外,未經合法選 任為董事,但實際上從事董事職務之事實上董事(de facto director)186亦 應 負 有 受 託 人 義 務187。 近 幾 年 英 國 又 發 展 出 幕 後 董 事
(shadow director)188之觀念。在一九九四年 Hydrodam (Corby) Ltd, Re189一案中,Millett J.法官指出事實上董事與幕後董事的區別,
事實上董事雖然未被有效任命為董事,但是對外宣稱為董事並從 事董事的職務;相對地,幕後董事對外宣稱並非董事,但潛藏在 宣稱為真正的董事背後190。
英國法上事實上董事(de facto director),係透過法院判例所 形成,意指未經董事選任程序合法選任、選任無效或於喪失董事 職位後仍繼續從事董事職務而具有董事外觀之人。Hydrodam (Corby) Ltd, Re191一案提供一項判定的標準,即事實上董事雖然
185 A director validly appointed in accordance with the provisions of the ordinance and the articles of association of the relevant company who has consented to the appointment.
186 A person who acts as a director of a company but who is not a de jure director.
187 See Paul L. Davies, Gower and Davies’ Principles of Modern Company Law, at 483 (8th ed., 2008).
188 亦有譯為影子董事。Someone who controls the directors of a company, but who is not seen to do so, acting either through de jure or de facto directors.
189 Re Hydrodam (Corby) Ltd, [1994] 2 B.C.L.C. 180, 183
190 See Paul L. Davies, Gower and Davies’ Principles of Modern Company Law, London, Sweet &
Maxwell 8th ed., 2008, at 484. 原文如下:” A de facto director ...is one who claims to act and purports to act as a director, although not validly appointed as such. A shadow director, by contrary, does not claim or purport to act as director. On the contrary, he claims not to be a director. He lurks in the shadows, sheltering behind others who, he claims, are the only directors of the company to the exclusion of himself. ”
191 Re Hydrodam (Corby) Ltd, [1994] 2 B.C.L.C. 180, 183 at 163. 原文如下:A de facto director is a person who assumes to act as a director. He is held out as a director by the company, and claims to act and purports to act as a director, although not actually or validly appointed as such. To establish that a person was a de facto director of a company it is necessary to plead and prove that he undertook functions in relation to the company which could properly be discharged only by a director. It is not sufficient to show that he was concerned in the management of the company’s affairs or undertook tasks in relation to its business which can properly be performed by a manager below board level.
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事實上未被有效委任為董事,但實際上從事董事的職務,不僅被 公司認定是董事,且要求及對外宣稱為董事。最重要的是,事實 上董事必須從事僅有董事得以執行的職務。如僅從事經理級人員 得以從事的經營事務、或承擔營業相關工作,仍不會被認為是事 實上董事192。
英國 2006 年新公司法第 251 條(1)(2)193,對幕後董事有定義 性規定,所謂「幕後董事」(shadow director),係指公司董事習 慣性地依據其指示為之,但如僅係就專業能力提供意見,不能被 視為幕後董事。法條強調必須係公司董事「習慣性」(are
accustomed to)依照其指示。
第二款 我國法之規範
我國公司法在關係企業專章出現以前,未見對控制股東之規範,
公司法第三六九條之一第一項及第二項訂有控制公司形式及實質認 定基準,惟若控制股東為自然人則不適用。證券交易法第二十二條之 二、第二十五條、第一五七條、第一五七條之一則將持有已發行股份
192黃司熒,控制股東之義務建立及管控手段,國立台灣大學法律學研究所碩士論文,2006 年,頁
65。Paul L. Davies, Gower and Davies’ Principles of Modern Company Law, at 483, 484 (8th ed., 2008).
193 See British Company Act 2006, §250 provides that: In the company Acts “director” includes any person occupying the position of director, by whatever name called. S251 provides that (1)In the Company Acts “shadow director” means a person in accordance with whose directions or
instructions the directors of the company are accustomed to act. (2) A person is not to be regarded as a shadow director by reason only that the directors act on advise by him in a professional capacity.
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定義之人雖須與董事同負民事、刑事及行政罰之責任,但仍非董事。
公司法第八條第三項規範之「非董事」包括兩種情形,其一為實 質上執行董事業務,其二為實質控制公司之人事、財務或業務經營而 實質指揮董事執行業務,前者類似於英國法上事實上董事,後者類似 於英國法上之幕後董事,均未採形式標準,而係以實質認定,得以確 實反映「控制」特性。但英國法上之幕後董事,強調公司董事「習慣 性」(are accustomed to)依照其指示,我國法並未有類似要件,則曾 為單一次或數次之指示,是否亦須負控制股東之責任,日後恐生爭議
197。