Subchapter IX. Foreign Limited Partnerships
TITLE 6
Commerce and Trade
SUBTITLE II
Other Laws Relating to Commerce and Trade
CHAPTER 17. LIMITED PARTNERSHIPS
Subchapter IX. Foreign Limited Partnerships
§ 17-901. Law governing.
(a) Subject to the Constitution of the State of Delaware:
(1) The laws of the state, territory, possession, or other jurisdiction or country under which a foreign limited partnership is organized govern its organization and internal affairs and the liability of its limited partners; and
(2) A foreign limited partnership may not be denied registration by reason of any difference between those laws and the laws of the State of Delaware.
(b) A foreign limited partnership shall be subject to § 17-106 of this title.
63 Del. Laws, c. 420, § 1; 65 Del. Laws, c. 188, § 1.;
§ 17-902. Registration required; application.
Before doing business in the State of Delaware, a foreign limited partnership shall register with the Secretary of State. In order to register, a foreign limited partnership shall submit to the Secretary of State:
(1) A copy executed by a general partner of an application for registration as a foreign limited partnership, setting forth:
a. The name of the foreign limited partnership and, if different, the name under which it proposes to register and do business in the State of Delaware;
b. The State, territory, possession or other jurisdiction or country where organized, the date of its organization and a statement from a general partner that, as of the date of filing, the foreign limited partnership validly exists as a limited partnership under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization;
c. The nature of the business or purposes to be conducted or promoted in the State of Delaware;
d. The address of the registered office and the name and address of the registered agent for service of process required to be maintained by § 17-904(b) of this title;
e. A statement that the Secretary of State is appointed the agent of the foreign limited partnership for service of process under the circumstances set forth in § 17-910(b) of this title;
f. The name and business, residence or mailing addresses of each of the general partners; and
g. The date on which the foreign limited partnership first did, or intends to do, business in the State of Delaware.
(2) A certificate, as of a date not earlier than 6 months prior to the filing date, issued by an authorized officer of the jurisdiction of its formation evidencing its existence. If such certificate is in a foreign language, a translation thereof, under oath of the translator, shall be attached thereto.
(3) A fee as set forth in § 17-1107(a)(6) of this title shall be paid.
63 Del. Laws, c. 420, § 1; 65 Del. Laws, c. 188, § 1; 66 Del. Laws, c. 316, § 65; 69 Del. Laws, c. 258, §§ 43, 44; 75 Del. Laws, c. 31, § 18; 77 Del. Laws, c. 288, § 25.;
§ 17-903. Issuance of registration.
(a) If the Secretary of State finds that an application for registration conforms to law and all requisite fees have been paid, the Secretary shall:
(1) Certify that the application has been filed in the Secretary's office by endorsing upon the original application the word "Filed," and the date and hour of the filing. This endorsement is conclusive of the date and time of its filing in the absence of actual fraud;
(2) File and index the endorsed application.
(b) The Secretary of State shall prepare and return to the person who filed the application or the person's representative a copy of the original signed application, similarly endorsed, and shall certify such copy as a true copy of the original signed application.
(c) The filing of the application with the Secretary of State shall make it unnecessary to file any other documents under Chapter 31 of this title.
63 Del. Laws, c. 420, § 1; 65 Del. Laws, c. 188, § 1; 69 Del. Laws, c. 258, § 45; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1.;
§ 17-904. Name; registered office; registered agent.
(a) A foreign limited partnership may register with the Secretary of State under any name (whether or not it is the name under which it is registered in the jurisdiction of its organization) that includes the words "Limited Partnership" or the abbreviation "L.P." or the designation "LP" and that could be registered by a domestic limited partnership; provided, however, that a foreign limited partnership may register under any name which is not such as to distinguish it upon the records in the Office of the Secretary of State from the name on such records of any domestic or foreign corporation, partnership, statutory trust, limited liability company or limited partnership reserved, registered, formed or organized under the laws of the State of Delaware with the written consent of the other corporation, partnership, statutory trust, limited liability company or limited partnership, which written consent shall be filed with the Secretary of State.
(b) Each foreign limited partnership shall have and maintain in the State of Delaware:
(1) A registered office which may but need not be a place of its business in the State of Delaware; and
(2) A registered agent for service of process on the limited partnership, having a business office identical with such registered office, which agent may be any of:
a. An individual resident in the State of Delaware,
b. A domestic limited liability company, a domestic corporation, a domestic partnership (whether general (including a limited liability partnership) or limited (including a limited liability limited partnership)), or a domestic statutory trust, or
c. A foreign corporation, a foreign partnership (whether general (including a limited liability partnership) or limited (including a limited liability limited partnership)) (other than the foreign limited partnership itself), a foreign limited liability company or a foreign statutory trust.
(c) A registered agent may change the address of the registered office of the foreign limited partnership(s) for which the agent is registered agent to another address in the State of Delaware by paying a fee as set forth in § 17-1107(a)(7) of this title and filing with the Secretary of State a certificate, executed by such registered agent, setting forth the address at which such registered agent has maintained the registered office for each of the foreign limited partnerships for which it is a registered agent, and further certifying to the new address to which each such registered office will be changed on a given day, and at which new address such registered agent will thereafter maintain the registered office for each of the foreign limited partnerships for which it is a registered agent. Upon the filing of such certificate, the Secretary of State shall furnish to the registered agent a certified copy of the same under the Secretary's hand and seal of office, and thereafter, or until further change of address, as authorized by law, the registered office in the State of Delaware of each of the foreign limited partnerships for which the agent is a registered agent shall be located at the new address of the registered agent thereof as given in the certificate. In the event of a change of name of any person acting as a registered agent of a foreign limited partnership, such registered agent shall file with the Secretary of State a certificate, executed by such registered agent, setting forth the new name of such registered agent, the name of such registered agent before it was changed and the address at which such registered agent has maintained the registered office for each of the foreign limited partnerships for which it is a registered agent, and shall pay a fee as set forth in § 17-1107(a)(7) of this title. Upon the filing of such certificate, the Secretary of State shall furnish to the registered agent a certified copy of the certificate under the Secretary of State's own hand and seal of office. A change of name of any person acting as a registered agent of a foreign limited partnership as a result of a merger or consolidation of the registered agent with or into another person which succeeds to its assets and liabilities by operation of law shall be deemed a change of name for purposes of this section. Filing a certificate under this section shall be deemed to be an amendment of the application of each foreign limited partnership affected thereby and each such foreign limited partnership shall not be required to take any further action with respect thereto to amend its application under § 17-905 of this title. Any registered agent filing a certificate under this section shall promptly, upon such filing, deliver a copy of any such certificate to each foreign limited partnership affected thereby.
(d) The registered agent of 1 or more foreign limited partnerships may resign and appoint a successor registered agent by paying a fee as set forth in § 17-1107(a)(7) of this title and filing a certificate with the Secretary of State stating that it resigns and the name and address of the successor registered agent. There shall be attached to such certificate a statement of each affected foreign limited partnership ratifying and approving such change of registered agent. Upon such filing, the successor registered agent shall become the registered agent of such foreign limited partnerships as have ratified and approved such substitution and the successor registered agent's address, as stated in such certificate, shall become the address of each such foreign limited partnership's registered office in the State of Delaware. The Secretary of State shall then issue a certificate that the successor registered agent has become the registered agent of the foreign limited partnerships so ratifying and approving such change and setting out the names of such foreign limited partnerships. Filing of such certificate of resignation shall be deemed to be an amendment of the application of each foreign limited partnership affected thereby and each such foreign limited partnership shall not be required to take any further action with respect thereto to amend its application under § 17-905 of this title.
(e) The registered agent of 1 or more foreign limited partnerships may resign without appointing a successor registered agent by paying a fee as set forth in § 17-1107(a)(7) of this title and filing a certificate of resignation with the Secretary of State, but such resignation shall not become effective until 30 days after the certificate is filed. The certificate shall contain a statement that written notice of resignation was given to each affected foreign limited partnership at least 30 days prior to the filing of the certificate by mailing or delivering such notice to the foreign limited partnership at its address last known to the registered agent and shall set forth the date of such notice. After receipt of the notice of the resignation of its registered agent, the foreign limited partnership for which such registered agent was acting shall obtain and designate a new registered agent to take the place of the registered agent so resigning. If such foreign limited partnership fails to obtain and designate a new registered agent as aforesaid prior to the expiration of the period of 30 days after the filing by the registered agent of the certificate of resignation, such foreign limited partnership shall not be permitted to do business in the State of Delaware and its registration shall be canceled. After the resignation of the registered agent shall have become effective as provided in this section and if no new registered agent shall have been obtained and designated in the time and manner aforesaid, service of legal process against each foreign limited partnership for which the resigned registered agent had been acting shall thereafter be upon the Secretary of State in accordance with § 17-911 of this title.
63 Del. Laws, c. 420, § 1; 65 Del. Laws, c. 188, § 1; 67 Del. Laws, c. 348, §§ 23-26; 70 Del. Laws, c. 78, §§ 22, 23; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 71 Del. Laws, c. 78, §§ 43, 44; 73 Del. Laws, c. 297, §§ 10, 11; 73 Del. Laws, c. 329, § 24; 76 Del. Laws, c. 104, §§ 35-37.;
§ 17-905. Amendments to application.
If any statement in the application for registration of a foreign limited partnership was false when made or any arrangements or other facts described have changed, making the application false in any respect, the foreign limited partnership shall promptly file in the Office of the Secretary of State a certificate, executed by a general partner, correcting such statement, together with a fee as set forth in § 17-1107(a)(6) of this title.
63 Del. Laws, c. 420, § 1; 65 Del. Laws, c. 188, § 1.;
§ 17-906. Cancellation of registration.
A foreign limited partnership may cancel its registration by filing with the Secretary of State a certificate of cancellation executed by a general partner, together with a fee as set forth in § 17-1107(a)(6) of this title. The registration of a foreign limited partnership shall be canceled as provided in § 17-104(i)(4), § 17-904(e) and § 17-1109(g) of this title. A cancellation does not terminate the authority of the Secretary of State to accept service of process on the foreign limited partnership with respect to causes of action arising out of the doing of business in the State of Delaware.
63 Del. Laws, c. 420, § 1; 65 Del. Laws, c. 188, § 1; 75 Del. Laws, c. 414, § 42; 76 Del. Laws, c. 104, § 38.;
§ 17-907. Doing business without registration.
(a) A foreign limited partnership doing business in the State of Delaware may not maintain any action, suit or proceeding in the State of Delaware until it has registered in the State of Delaware, and has paid to the State of Delaware all fees and penalties for the years or parts thereof during which it did business in the State of Delaware without having registered.
(b) The failure of a foreign limited partnership to register in the State of Delaware does not impair:
(1) The validity of any contract or act of the foreign limited partnership;
(2) The right of any other party to the contract to maintain any action, suit or proceeding on the contract; or
(3) Prevent the foreign limited partnership from defending any action, suit or proceeding in any court of the State of Delaware.
(c) A limited partner of a foreign limited partnership is not liable as a general partner of the foreign limited partnership solely by reason of the foreign limited partnership's having done business in the State of Delaware without registration.
(d) Any foreign limited partnership doing business in the State of Delaware without first having registered shall be fined and shall pay to the Secretary of State $200 for each year or part thereof during which the foreign limited partnership failed to register in the State of Delaware.
63 Del. Laws, c. 420, § 1; 65 Del. Laws, c. 188, § 1; 70 Del. Laws, c. 78, § 24.;
§ 17-908. Foreign limited partnerships doing business without having qualified; injunctions.
The Court of Chancery shall have jurisdiction to enjoin any foreign limited partnership, or any agent thereof, from doing any business in the State of Delaware if such foreign limited partnership has failed to register under this subchapter or if such foreign limited partnership has secured a certificate of the Secretary of State under § 17-903 of this title on the basis of false or misleading representations. The Attorney General shall, upon the Attorney General's own motion or upon the relation of proper parties, proceed for this purpose by complaint in any county in which such foreign limited partnership is doing or has done business.
63 Del. Laws, c. 420, § 1; 65 Del. Laws, c. 188, § 1; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1.;
§ 17-909. Execution; liability.
Sections 17-204(d) and 17-207 of this title shall be applicable to foreign limited partnerships as if they were domestic limited partnerships.
63 Del. Laws, c. 420, § 1; 65 Del. Laws, c. 188, § 1; 77 Del. Laws, c. 288, § 6.;
§ 17-910. Service of process on registered foreign limited partnerships.
(a) Service of legal process upon any foreign limited partnership shall be made by delivering a copy personally to any managing or general agent or general partner of the foreign limited partnership in the State of Delaware or the registered agent of the foreign limited partnership in the State of Delaware, or by leaving it at the dwelling house or usual place of abode in the State of Delaware of any such managing or general agent, general partner or registered agent (if the registered agent be an individual), or at the registered office or other place of business of the foreign limited partnership in the State of Delaware. If the registered agent be a corporation, service of process upon it as such may be made by serving, in the State of Delaware, a copy thereof on the president, vice-president, secretary, assistant secretary or any director of the corporate registered agent. Service by copy left at the dwelling house or usual place of abode of any officer, managing or general agent, general partner or registered agent, or at the registered office or other place of business of the foreign limited partnership in the State of Delaware, to be effective must be delivered thereat at least 6 days before the return date of the process, and in the presence of an adult person, and the officer serving the process shall distinctly state the manner of service in the return thereto. Process returnable forthwith must be delivered personally to the officer, managing or general agent, general partner or registered agent.
(b) In case the officer whose duty it is to serve legal process cannot by due diligence serve the process in any manner provided for by subsection (a) of this section, it shall be lawful to serve the process against the foreign limited partnership upon the Secretary of State, and such service shall be as effectual for all intents and purposes as if made in any of the ways provided for in subsection (a) of this section. Process may be served upon the Secretary of State under this subsection by means of electronic transmission but only as prescribed by the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State is authorized to issue such rules and regulations with respect to such service as the Secretary of State deems necessary or appropriate. In the event that service is effected through the Secretary of State in accordance with this subsection, the Secretary of State shall forthwith notify the foreign limited partnership by letter, directed to the foreign limited partnership at the address of a general partner as it appears on the records relating to such foreign limited partnership on file with the Secretary of State or, if no such address appears, at its last registered office. Such letter shall be sent by a mail or courier service that includes a record of mailing or deposit with the courier and a record of delivery evidenced by the signature of the recipient. Such letter shall enclose a copy of the process and any other papers served on the Secretary of State pursuant to this subsection. It shall be the duty of the plaintiff in the event of such service to serve process and any other papers in duplicate, to notify the Secretary of State that service is being effected pursuant to this subsection, and to pay to the Secretary of State the sum of $50 for the use of the State of Delaware, which sum shall be taxed as a part of the costs in the proceeding if the plaintiff shall prevail therein. The Secretary of State shall maintain an alphabetical record of any such service setting forth the name of the plaintiff and defendant, the title, docket number and nature of the proceeding in which process has been served upon the Secretary, the fact that service has been effected pursuant to this subsection, the return date thereof and the day and hour when the service was made. The Secretary of State shall not be required to retain such information for a period longer than 5 years from receipt of the service of process.
63 Del. Laws, c. 420, § 1; 65 Del. Laws, c. 188, § 1; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 77 Del. Laws, c. 288, § 26.;
§ 17-911. Service of process on unregistered foreign limited partnerships.
(a) Any foreign limited partnership which shall do business in the State of Delaware without having registered under § 17-902 of this title shall be deemed to have thereby appointed and constituted the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware its agent for the acceptance of legal process in any civil action, suit or proceeding against it in any state or federal court in the State of Delaware arising or growing out of any business done by it within the State of Delaware. The doing of business in the State of Delaware by such foreign limited partnership shall be a signification of the agreement of such foreign limited partnership that any such process when so served shall be of the same legal force and validity as if served upon an authorized general partner or agent personally within the State of Delaware. Process may be served upon the Secretary of State under this subsection by means of electronic transmission but only as prescribed by the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State is authorized to issue such rules and regulations with respect to such service as the Secretary of State deems necessary or appropriate.
(b) Whenever the words "doing business," "the doing of business" or "business done in the State," by any such foreign limited partnership are used in this section, they shall mean the course or practice of carrying on any business activities in the State of Delaware, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the solicitation of business or orders in the State of Delaware.
(c) In the event of service upon the Secretary of State in accordance with subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary of State shall forthwith notify the foreign limited partnership thereof by letter, directed to the foreign limited partnership at the address furnished to the Secretary of State by the plaintiff in such action, suit or proceeding. Such letter shall be sent by a mail or courier service that includes a record of mailing or deposit with the courier and a record of delivery evidenced by the signature of the recipient. Such letter shall enclose a copy of the process and any other papers served upon the Secretary of State. It shall be the duty of the plaintiff in the event of such service to serve process and any other papers in duplicate, to notify the Secretary of State that service is being made pursuant to this subsection, and to pay to the Secretary of State the sum of $50 for the use of the State of Delaware, which sum shall be taxed as part of the costs in the proceeding, if the plaintiff shall prevail therein. The Secretary of State shall maintain an alphabetical record of any such process setting forth the name of the plaintiff and defendant, the title, docket number and nature of the proceeding in which process has been served upon the Secretary, the return date thereof, and the day and hour when the service was made. The Secretary of State shall not be required to retain such information for a period longer than 5 years from receipt of the service of process.
63 Del. Laws, c. 420, § 1; 65 Del. Laws, c. 188, § 1; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 77 Del. Laws, c. 288, §§ 27, 28.;
§ 17-912. Activities not constituting doing business.
(a) Activities of a foreign limited partnership in the State of Delaware that do not constitute doing business for the purpose of this subchapter include:
(1) Maintaining, defending or settling an action or proceeding;
(2) Holding meetings of its partners or carrying on any other activity concerning its internal affairs;
(3) Maintaining bank accounts;
(4) Maintaining offices or agencies for the transfer, exchange or registration of the limited partnership's own securities or maintaining trustees or depositories with respect to those securities;
(5) Selling through independent contractors;
(6) Soliciting or obtaining orders, whether by mail or through employees or agents or otherwise, if the orders require acceptance outside the State of Delaware before they become contracts;
(7) Selling, by contract consummated outside the State of Delaware, and agreeing, by the contract, to deliver into the State of Delaware, machinery, plants or equipment, the construction, erection or installation of which within the State of Delaware requires the supervision of technical engineers or skilled employees performing services not generally available, and as part of the contract of sale agreeing to furnish such services, and such services only, to the vendee at the time of construction, erection or installation;
(8) Creating, as borrower or lender, or acquiring indebtedness with or without a mortgage or other security interest in property;
(9) Collecting debts or foreclosing mortgages or other security interests in property securing the debts, and holding, protecting and maintaining property so acquired;
(10) Conducting an isolated transaction that is not one in the course of similar transactions;
(11) Doing business in interstate commerce; and
(12) Doing business in the State of Delaware as an insurance company.
(b) A person shall not be deemed to be doing business in the State of Delaware solely by reason of being a partner of a domestic limited partnership or a foreign limited partnership.
(c) This section does not apply in determining whether a foreign limited partnership is subject to service of process, taxation or regulation under any other law of the State of Delaware.
75 Del. Laws, c. 31, § 19.;