Subchapter IV. General Partners
TITLE 6
Commerce and Trade
SUBTITLE II
Other Laws Relating to Commerce and Trade
CHAPTER 17. LIMITED PARTNERSHIPS
Subchapter IV. General Partners
§ 17-401. Admission of general partners.
(a) A person may be admitted to a limited partnership as a general partner of the limited partnership and may receive a partnership interest in the limited partnership without making a contribution or being obligated to make a contribution to the limited partnership. Unless otherwise provided in a partnership agreement, a person may be admitted to a limited partnership as a general partner of the limited partnership without acquiring a partnership interest in the limited partnership. Unless otherwise provided in a partnership agreement, a person may be admitted as the sole general partner of a limited partnership without making a contribution or being obligated to make a contribution to the limited partnership or without acquiring a partnership interest in the limited partnership. Nothing contained in this subsection shall affect the first sentence of § 17-403(b) of this title.
(b) After the filing of a limited partnership's initial certificate of limited partnership, unless otherwise provided in the partnership agreement, additional general partners may be admitted only with the written consent of each partner.
(c) Unless otherwise provided in a partnership agreement or another agreement, a general partner shall have no preemptive right to subscribe to any additional issue of partnership interests or another interest in a limited partnership.
63 Del. Laws, c. 420, § 1; 65 Del. Laws, c. 188, § 1; 66 Del. Laws, c. 316, § 37; 67 Del. Laws, c. 348, § 19; 69 Del. Laws, c. 258, § 32; 71 Del. Laws, c. 78, § 35; 73 Del. Laws, c. 297, § 8.;
§ 17-402. Events of withdrawal.
(a) A person ceases to be a general partner of a limited partnership upon the happening of any of the following events:
(1) The general partner withdraws from the limited partnership as provided in § 17-602 of this title;
(2) The general partner ceases to be a general partner of the limited partnership as provided in § 17-702 of this title;
(3) The general partner is removed as a general partner in accordance with the partnership agreement;
(4) Unless otherwise provided in the partnership agreement, or with the written consent of all partners, the general partner:
a. Makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors;
b. Files a voluntary petition in bankruptcy;
c. Is adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent, or has entered against him or her an order for relief in any bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding;
d. Files a petition or answer seeking for himself or herself any reorganization, arrangement, composition, readjustment, liquidation, dissolution or similar relief under any statute, law or regulation;
e. Files an answer or other pleading admitting or failing to contest the material allegations of a petition filed against him or her in any proceeding of this nature; or
f. Seeks, consents to or acquiesces in the appointment of a trustee, receiver or liquidator of the general partner or of all or any substantial part of his properties;
(5) Unless otherwise provided in the partnership agreement, or with the written consent of all partners, 120 days after the commencement of any proceeding against the general partner seeking reorganization, arrangement, composition, readjustment, liquidation, dissolution or similar relief under any statute, law or regulation, the proceeding has not been dismissed, or if within 90 days after the appointment without the general partner's consent or acquiescence of a trustee, receiver or liquidator of the general partner or of all or any substantial part of his or her properties, the appointment is not vacated or stayed, or within 90 days after the expiration of any such stay, the appointment is not vacated;
(6) In the case of a general partner who is a natural person:
a. The general partner's death; or
b. The entry by a court of competent jurisdiction adjudicating the general partner incompetent to manage his or her person or property;
(7) In the case of a general partner who is acting as a general partner by virtue of being a trustee of a trust, the termination of the trust (but not merely the substitution of a new trustee);
(8) In the case of a general partner that is a separate partnership, the dissolution and commencement of winding up of the separate partnership;
(9) In the case of a general partner that is a corporation, the filing of a certificate of dissolution, or its equivalent, for the corporation or the revocation of its charter and the expiration of 90 days after the date of notice to the corporation of revocation without a reinstatement of its charter;
(10) Unless otherwise provided in the partnership agreement, or with the written consent of all partners, in the case of a general partner that is an estate, the distribution by the fiduciary of the estate's entire interest in the limited partnership;
(11) In the case of a general partner that is a limited liability company, the dissolution and commencement of winding up of the limited liability company; or
(12) In the case of a general partner who is not an individual, partnership, limited liability company, corporation, trust or estate, the termination of the general partner.
(b) A general partner who suffers an event that with the passage of the specified period becomes an event of withdrawal under subsection (a)(4) or (5) of this section shall notify each other general partner, or in the event that there is no other general partner, each limited partner, of the occurrence of the event within 30 days after the date of occurrence of the event of withdrawal.
6 Del. C. 1953, § 1720; 59 Del. Laws, c. 105, § 1; 63 Del. Laws, c. 420, § 1; 65 Del. Laws, c. 188, § 1; 66 Del. Laws, c. 316, §§ 38-43; 69 Del. Laws, c. 258, § 33; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 72 Del. Laws, c. 128, § 11.;
§ 17-403. General powers and liabilities.
(a) Except as provided in this chapter or in the partnership agreement, a general partner of a limited partnership has the rights and powers and is subject to the restrictions of a partner in a partnership that is governed by the Delaware Uniform Partnership Law in effect on July 11, 1999 (6 Del. C. § 1501, et seq.).
(b) Except as provided in this chapter, a general partner of a limited partnership has the liabilities of a partner in a partnership that is governed by the Delaware Uniform Partnership Law in effect on July 11, 1999 (6 Del. C. § 1501, et seq.) to persons other than the partnership and the other partners. Except as provided in this chapter or in the partnership agreement, a general partner of a limited partnership has the liabilities of a partner in a partnership that is governed by the Delaware Uniform Partnership Law in effect on July 11, 1999 (6 Del. C. § 1501, et seq.) to the partnership and to the other partners.
(c) Unless otherwise provided in the partnership agreement, a general partner of a limited partnership has the power and authority to delegate to 1 or more other persons the general partner's rights and powers to manage and control the business and affairs of the limited partnership, including to delegate to agents, officers and employees of the general partner or the limited partnership, and to delegate by a management agreement or another agreement with, or otherwise to, other persons. Unless otherwise provided in the partnership agreement, such delegation by a general partner of a limited partnership shall not cause the general partner to cease to be a general partner of the limited partnership or cause the person to whom any such rights and powers have been delegated to be a general partner of the limited partnership.
(d) A judgment creditor of a general partner of a limited partnership may not levy execution against the assets of the general partner to satisfy a judgment based on a claim against the limited partnership unless:
(1) A judgment based on the same claim has been obtained against the limited partnership and a writ of execution on the judgment has been returned unsatisfied in whole or in part;
(2) The limited partnership is a debtor in bankruptcy;
(3) The general partner has agreed that the creditor need not exhaust the assets of the limited partnership;
(4) A court grants permission to the judgment creditor to levy execution against the assets of the general partner based on a finding that the assets of the limited partnership that are subject to execution are clearly insufficient to satisfy the judgment, that exhaustion of the assets of the limited partnership is excessively burdensome, or that the grant of permission is an appropriate exercise of the court's equitable powers; or
(5) Liability is imposed on the general partner by law or contract independent of the existence of the limited partnership.
6 Del. C. 1953, § 1709; 59 Del. Laws, c. 105, § 1; 63 Del. Laws, c. 420, § 1; 65 Del. Laws, c. 188, § 1; 69 Del. Laws, c. 258, § 34; 71 Del. Laws, c. 78, § 36; 73 Del. Laws, c. 73, §§ 22, 23; 73 Del. Laws, c. 297, § 9.;
§ 17-404. Contributions by a general partner.
A general partner of a limited partnership may make contributions to the limited partnership and share in the profits and losses of, and in distributions from, the limited partnership as a general partner. A general partner also may make contributions to and share in profits, losses and distributions as a limited partner. A person who is both a general partner and a limited partner has the rights and powers, and is subject to the restrictions and liabilities, of a general partner and, except as provided in the partnership agreement, also has the rights and powers, and is subject to the restrictions, of a limited partner to the extent of his or her participation in the partnership as a limited partner.
63 Del. Laws, c. 420, § 1; 65 Del. Laws, c. 188, § 1; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1.;
§ 17-405. Classes and voting.
(a) A partnership agreement may provide for classes or groups of general partners having such relative rights, powers and duties as the partnership agreement may provide, and may make provision for the future creation in the manner provided in the partnership agreement of additional classes or groups of general partners having such relative rights, powers and duties as may from time to time be established, including rights, powers and duties senior to existing classes and groups of general partners.
A partnership agreement may provide for the taking of an action, including the amendment of the partnership agreement, without the vote or approval of any general partner or class or group of general partners, including an action to create under the provisions of the partnership agreement a class or group of partnership interests that was not previously outstanding.
(b) The partnership agreement may grant to all or certain identified general partners or a specified class or group of the general partners the right to vote, separately or with all or any class or group of the limited partners or the general partners, on any matter. Voting by general partners may be on a per capita, number, financial interest, class, group or any other basis.
(c) A partnership agreement may set forth provisions relating to notice of the time, place or purpose of any meeting at which any matter is to be voted on by any general partner, waiver of any such notice, action by consent without a meeting, the establishment of a record date, quorum requirements, voting in person or by proxy, or any other matter with respect to the exercise of any such right to vote.
(d) Unless otherwise provided in a partnership agreement, meetings of general partners may be held by means of conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and participation in a meeting pursuant to this subsection shall constitute presence in person at the meeting. Unless otherwise provided in a partnership agreement, on any matter that is to be voted on, consented to or approved by general partners, the general partners may take such action without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote if a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed by the general partners having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all general partners entitled to vote thereon were present and voted. Unless otherwise provided in a partnership agreement, on any matter that is to be voted on by general partners, the general partners may vote in person or by proxy, and such proxy may be granted in writing, by means of electronic transmission or as otherwise permitted by applicable law. Unless otherwise provided in a partnership agreement, a consent transmitted by electronic transmission by a general partner or by a person or persons authorized to act for a general partner shall be deemed to be written and signed for purposes of this subsection (d). For purposes of this subsection (d), the term "electronic transmission" means any form of communication not directly involving the physical transmission of paper that creates a record that may be retained, retrieved and reviewed by a recipient thereof and that may be directly reproduced in paper form by such a recipient through an automated process.
63 Del. Laws, c. 420, § 1; 65 Del. Laws, c. 188, § 1; 66 Del. Laws, c. 316, §§ 44, 45; 71 Del. Laws, c. 78, § 37; 71 Del. Laws, c. 340, § 14; 72 Del. Laws, c. 386, § 21; 73 Del. Laws, c. 73, § 24; 75 Del. Laws, c. 414, § 41.;
§ 17-406. Remedies for breach of partnership agreement by general partner.
A partnership agreement may provide that (1) a general partner who fails to perform in accordance with, or to comply with the terms and conditions of, the partnership agreement shall be subject to specified penalties or specified consequences, and (2) at the time or upon the happening of events specified in the partnership agreement, a general partner shall be subject to specified penalties or specified consequences. Such specified penalties or specified consequences may include and take the form of any penalty or consequence set forth in § 17-502(c) of this title.
67 Del. Laws, c. 348, § 20; 73 Del. Laws, c. 73, § 25.;
§ 17-407. Reliance on reports and information by limited partners, liquidating trustees, and general partners.
(a) A limited partner or liquidating trustee of a limited partnership shall be fully protected in relying in good faith upon the records of the limited partnership and upon information, opinions, reports or statements presented by a general partner of the limited partnership, an officer or employee of a general partner of the limited partnership, another liquidating trustee, or committees of the limited partnership, limited partners or partners, or by any other person as to matters the limited partner or liquidating trustee reasonably believes are within such other person's professional or expert competence, including information, opinions, reports or statements as to the value and amount of the assets, liabilities, profits or losses of the limited partnership, or the value and amount of assets or reserves or contracts, agreements or other undertakings that would be sufficient to pay claims and obligations of the limited partnership or to make reasonable provision to pay such claims and obligations, or any other facts pertinent to the existence and amount of assets from which distributions to partners or creditors might properly be paid.
(b) A general partner of a limited liability limited partnership shall be fully protected in relying in good faith upon the records of the limited partnership and upon information, opinions, reports or statements presented by another general partner of the limited partnership, an officer or employee of the limited partnership, a liquidating trustee, or committees of the limited partnership, limited partners or partners, or by any other person as to matters the general partner reasonably believes are within such other person's professional or expert competence, including information, opinions, reports or statements as to the value and amount of the assets, liabilities, profits or losses of the limited partnership, or the value and amount of assets or reserves or contracts, agreements or other undertakings that would be sufficient to pay claims and obligations of the limited partnership or to make reasonable provision to pay such claims and obligations, or any other facts pertinent to the existence and amount of assets from which distributions to partners or creditors might properly be paid.
(c) A general partner of a limited partnership that is not a limited liability limited partnership shall be fully protected from liability to the limited partnership, its partners or other persons party to or otherwise bound by the partnership agreement in relying in good faith upon the records of the limited partnership and upon information, opinions, reports or statements presented by another general partner of the limited partnership, an officer or employee of the limited partnership, a liquidating trustee, or committees of the limited partnership, limited partners or partners, or by any other person as to matters the general partner reasonably believes are within such other person's professional or expert competence, including information, opinions, reports or statements as to the value and amount of the assets, liabilities, profits or losses of the limited partnership, or the value and amount of assets or reserves or contracts, agreements or other undertakings that would be sufficient to pay claims and obligations of the limited partnership or to make reasonable provision to pay such claims and obligations, or any other facts pertinent to the existence and amount of assets from which distributions to partners or creditors might properly be paid.
75 Del. Laws, c. 31, § 9.;