Article 8 - Directors And Officers
(805 ILCS 105/108.15) (from Ch. 32, par. 108.15) Sec. 108.15. Quorum of directors. (a) Unless otherwise provided in the articles of incorporation or the bylaws, a majority of the directors then in office shall constitute a quorum; provided, that in no event shall a quorum consist of less than one‑third of the directors then in office. (b) The act of the majority of the directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the board of directors, unless the act of a greater number is required by the articles of incorporation or the bylaws. (c) Unless specifically prohibited by the articles of incorporation or bylaws, directors or nondirector committee members may participate in and act at any meeting of such board or committee through the use of a conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can communicate with each other. Participation in such meeting shall constitute attendance and presence in person at the meeting of the person or persons so participating. (Source: P.A. 84‑1423.) |
(805 ILCS 105/108.20) (from Ch. 32, par. 108.20) Sec. 108.20. Place of directors' meetings. Regular or special meetings of the board of directors may be held either within or without this State. (Source: P.A. 84‑1423.) |
(805 ILCS 105/108.25) (from Ch. 32, par. 108.25) Sec. 108.25. Notice of directors' meetings. Meetings of the board of directors shall be held upon such notice as the bylaws may prescribe. Attendance of a director at any meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting except where a director attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Unless provided otherwise in the articles of incorporation or the bylaws, neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any regular or special meeting of the board of directors need be specified in the notice or waiver of notice of such meeting, except that no special meeting of directors may remove a director under Section 108.35(b) of this Act unless written notice of the proposed removal is delivered to all directors at least twenty days prior to such meeting. (Source: P.A. 84‑1423.) |
(805 ILCS 105/108.30) (from Ch. 32, par. 108.30) Sec. 108.30. Vacancies. Any vacancy occurring in the board of directors and any directorship to be filled by reason of an increase in the number of directors may be filled by the board of directors unless the articles of incorporation or the bylaws provide that a vacancy or directorship so created shall be filled in some other manner, in which case such provision shall control. A director elected or appointed, as the case may be, to fill a vacancy shall be elected or appointed for the unexpired term of his or her predecessor in office. (Source: P.A. 84‑1423.) |
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(2) No director shall be removed at a meeting of | ||
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(3) In the case of a corporation having cumulative | ||
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(4) If a director is elected by a class of voting | ||
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(d) The provisions of subsections (a), (b) and (c) shall not preclude the Circuit Court from removing a director of the corporation from office in a proceeding commenced either by the corporation or by members entitled to vote holding at least 10 percent of the outstanding votes of any class if the court finds (1) the director is engaged in fraudulent or dishonest conduct or has grossly abused his or her position to the detriment of the corporation, and (2) removal is in the best interest of the corporation. If the court removes a director, it may bar the director from reelection for a period prescribed by the court. If such a proceeding is commenced by a member entitled to vote, such member shall make the corporation a party defendant. (Source: P.A. 96‑649, eff. 1‑1‑10.) |
(805 ILCS 105/108.40) (from Ch. 32, par. 108.40) Sec. 108.40. Committees. (a) If the articles of incorporation or bylaws so provide, a majority of the directors may create one or more committees and appoint directors or such other persons as the board designates, to serve on the committee or committees. Each committee shall have two or more directors, a majority of its membership shall be directors, and all committee members shall serve at the pleasure of the board. However, committees appointed by the board or otherwise authorized by the bylaws relating to the election, nomination, qualification, or credentials of directors or other committees involved in the process of electing directors may be composed entirely of non‑directors. (b) Unless the appointment by the board of directors requires a greater number, a majority of any committee shall constitute a quorum, and a majority of committee members present and voting at a meeting at which a quorum is present is necessary for committee action. A committee may act by unanimous consent in writing without a meeting and, subject to the provisions of the bylaws or action by the board of directors, the committee by majority vote of its members shall determine the time and place of meetings and the notice required therefor. (c) To the extent specified by the board of directors or in the articles of incorporation or bylaws, each committee may exercise the authority of the board of directors under Section 108.05 of this Act; provided, however, a committee may not: (1) Adopt a plan for the distribution of the assets | ||
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(2) Approve or recommend to members any act this Act | ||
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(3) Fill vacancies on the board or on any of its | ||
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(4) Elect, appoint or remove any officer or director | ||
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(5) Adopt, amend, or repeal the bylaws or the | ||
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(6) Adopt a plan of merger or adopt a plan of | ||
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(7) Amend, alter, repeal or take action inconsistent | ||
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(d) The board of directors may create and appoint persons to a commission, advisory body or other such body which may or may not have directors as members, which body may not act on behalf of the corporation or bind it to any action but may make recommendations to the board of directors or to the officers. (Source: P.A. 90‑188, eff. 7‑24‑97.) |
(805 ILCS 105/108.50) (from Ch. 32, par. 108.50) Sec. 108.50. Officers. (a) A corporation shall have such officers as shall be provided in the bylaws. Officers and assistant officers and agents as may be deemed necessary may be elected or appointed by the board of directors or chosen in such other manner as may be prescribed by the bylaws. If the bylaws so provide, any two or more offices may be held by the same person. One officer, in this Act generally referred to as the secretary, shall have the authority to certify the bylaws, resolutions of the members and board of directors and committees thereof, and other documents of the corporation as true and correct copies thereof. (b) All officers and agents of the corporation, as between themselves and the corporation, shall have such express authority and perform such duties in the management of the property and affairs of the corporation as may be provided in the bylaws, or as may be determined by resolution of the board of directors not inconsistent with the bylaws and such implied authority as recognized by the common law from time to time. (c) The articles of incorporation or the bylaws may provide that any one or more officers of the corporation or any other person holding a particular office outside the corporation shall be a director or directors while he or she holds that office. Unless the articles of incorporation or the bylaws provide otherwise, such director or directors shall have the same rights, duties and responsibilities as other directors. (Source: P.A. 84‑1423.) |
(805 ILCS 105/108.55) (from Ch. 32, par. 108.55) Sec. 108.55. Removal of Officers. Any officer or agent may be removed by the board of directors or other persons authorized to elect or appoint such officer or agent but such removal shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the person so removed. Election or appointment of an officer or agent shall not of itself create any contract rights. (Source: P.A. 84‑1423.) |
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(2) The material facts of the transaction and the | ||
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(c) The presence of the director, who is directly or indirectly a party to the transaction described in subsection (a), or a director who is otherwise not disinterested, may be counted in determining whether a quorum is present but may not be counted when the board of directors or a committee of the board takes action on the transaction. (d) For purposes of this Section, a director is "indirectly" a party to a transaction if the other party to the transaction is an entity in which the director has a material financial interest or of which the director is an officer, director or general partner; except that if a director is an officer or director of both parties to a transaction involving a grant or contribution, without consideration, from one entity to the other, that director is not "indirectly" a party to the transaction provided the director does not have a material financial interest in the entity that receives the grant or contribution. (e) (Blank). (Source: P.A. 96‑649, eff. 1‑1‑10; 96‑994, eff. 7‑2‑10.) |
(805 ILCS 105/108.65) (from Ch. 32, par. 108.65) Sec. 108.65. Liability of directors in certain cases. (a) In addition to any other liabilities imposed by law upon directors of a corporation, they are liable as follows: (1) The directors of a corporation who vote for or assent to any distribution not authorized by Section 109.10 or Article 12 of this Act shall be jointly and severally liable to the corporation for the amount of such distribution. (2) If a dissolved corporation shall proceed to bar any known claims against it under Section 112.75 of this Act, the directors of such corporation who fail to take reasonable steps to cause the notice required by Section 112.75 of this Act to be given to any known creditor of such corporation shall be jointly and severally liable to such creditor for all loss and damage occasioned thereby. (3) The directors of a corporation that conducts its affairs after the filing by the Secretary of State of articles of dissolution, otherwise than so far as may be necessary for the winding up thereof, shall be jointly and severally liable to the creditors of such corporation for all debts and liabilities of the corporation incurred in so conducting its affairs. (b) A director of a corporation who is present at a meeting of its board of directors at which action on any corporate matter is taken is conclusively presumed to have assented to the action taken unless his or her dissent or abstention is entered in the minutes of the meeting or unless he or she files his or her written dissent or abstention to such action with the person acting as the secretary of the meeting before the adjournment thereof or forwards such dissent or abstention by registered or certified mail to the secretary of the corporation immediately after the adjournment of the meeting. Such right to dissent or abstain does not apply to a director who voted in favor of such action. (c) A director shall not be liable for a distribution of assets to any person in excess of the amount authorized by Section 109.10 or Article 12 of this Act if he or she relied and acted in good faith upon a balance sheet and profit and loss statement of the corporation represented to him or her to be correct by the president or the officer of such corporation having charge of its books of account, or certified by an independent public or certified public accountant or firm of such accountants to fairly reflect the financial condition of such corporation, nor shall he or she be so liable if in good faith in determining the amount available for any such distribution he or she considered the assets to be of their book value. (d) Any director against whom a claim is asserted under this Section and who is held liable thereon, is entitled to contribution from the other directors who are likewise liable thereon. Any director against whom a claim is asserted for the improper distribution of assets of a corporation, and who is held liable thereon, is entitled to contribution from the persons who knowingly accepted or received any such distribution in proportion to the amounts received by them respectively. (Source: P.A. 84‑1423.) |
(805 ILCS 105/108.75) (from Ch. 32, par. 108.75) Sec. 108.75. Indemnification of officers, directors, employees and agents; insurance. (a) A corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party, or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or who is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, if such person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation or, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, that the person had reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful. (b) A corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party, or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit, if such person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the corporation, provided that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable for negligence or misconduct in the performance of his or her duty to the corporation, unless, and only to the extent that the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability, but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses as the court shall deem proper. (c) To the extent that a present or former director, officer or employee of a corporation has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in subsections (a) and (b), or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, such person shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection therewith, if that person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the corporation. (d) Any indemnification under subsections (a) and (b) (unless ordered by a court) shall be made by the corporation only as authorized in the specific case, upon a determination that indemnification of the present or former director, officer, employee or agent is proper in the circumstances because he or she has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in subsections (a) or (b). Such determination shall be made with respect to a person who is a director or officer at the time of the determination: (1) by the majority vote of the directors who are not parties to such action, suit or proceeding, even though less than a quorum, (2) by a committee of the directors designated by a majority vote of the directors, even through less than a quorum, (3) if there are no such directors, or if the directors so direct, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion, or (4) by the members entitled to vote, if any. (e) Expenses (including attorney's fees) incurred by an officer or director in defending a civil or criminal action, suit or proceeding may be paid by the corporation in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding, as authorized by the board of directors in the specific case, upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the director or officer to repay such amount, unless it shall ultimately be determined that such person is entitled to be indemnified by the corporation as authorized in this Section. Such expenses (including attorney's fees) incurred by former directors and officers or other employees and agents may be so paid on such terms and conditions, if any, as the corporation deems appropriate. (f) The indemnification provided by the Section shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, vote of members or disinterested directors, or otherwise, both as to action in his or her official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office, and shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent, and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person. (g) A corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or who is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under the provisions of this Section. (h) In the case of a corporation with members entitled to vote, if a corporation indemnifies or advances expenses under subsection (b) of this Section to a director or officer, the corporation shall report the indemnification or advance in writing to the members entitled to vote with or before the notice of the next meeting of the members entitled to vote.
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