1701.58 Removal of directors and filling vacancies.
1701.58 Removal of directors and filling vacancies.
(A) The office of a director becomes vacant if the director dies or resigns. A resignation shall take effect immediately or at such other time as the director may specify.
(B) The directors may remove any director and thereby create a vacancy in the board:
(1) If by order of court the director has been found to be of unsound mind, or if the director is adjudicated a bankrupt;
(2) If within sixty days, or within any other period of time as is prescribed in the articles or the regulations, from the date of the director’s election the director does not qualify by accepting in writing the director’s election to that office or by acting at a meeting of the directors, and by acquiring the qualifications specified in the articles or the regulations; or if, for such period as is prescribed in the articles or the regulations, the director ceases to hold the required qualifications.
(C) Except as otherwise provided in this division, if the shareholders have the right to vote cumulatively in the election of directors, then, unless the articles, the regulations adopted by the shareholders, or the regulations adopted by the directors pursuant to division (A)(1) of section 1701.10 of the Revised Code expressly provide that no director may be removed from office or that removal of directors requires a greater vote than that specified in this division, all the directors, all the directors of a particular class, or any individual director may be removed from office, without assigning any cause, by the vote of the holders of a majority of the voting power entitling them to elect directors in place of those to be removed, except that, unless all the directors, or all the directors of a particular class, are removed, no individual director shall be removed if the votes of a sufficient number of shares are cast against the director’s removal that, if cumulatively voted at an election of all the directors, or all the directors of a particular class, as the case may be, would be sufficient to elect at least one director. In the case of an issuing public corporation whose directors are classified pursuant to section 1701.57 of the Revised Code, the shareholders may effect a removal under this division only for cause.
(D) If the shareholders do not have the right to vote cumulatively in the election of directors, then, unless the articles, the regulations adopted by the shareholders, or the regulations adopted by the directors pursuant to division (A)(1) of section 1701.10 of the Revised Code expressly provide that no director may be removed from office or that removal of directors requires a greater vote than that specified in this division, all the directors, all the directors of a particular class, or any individual director may be removed from office, without assigning any cause, by the vote of the holders of a majority of the voting power entitling them to elect directors in place of those to be removed; except that in the case of an issuing public corporation whose directors are classified pursuant to section 1701.57 of the Revised Code, the shareholders may effect that removal only for cause.
(E) In case of any removal pursuant to division (C) or (D) of this section, a new director may be elected at the same meeting for the unexpired term of each director removed. Failure to elect a director to fill the unexpired term of any director removed is deemed to create a vacancy in the board.
(F) Unless the articles or the regulations otherwise provide, the remaining directors, though less than a majority of the whole authorized number of directors, may, by the vote of a majority of their number, fill any vacancy in the board for the unexpired term. Under this section, a vacancy exists if the shareholders increase the authorized number of directors but fail at the meeting at which such increase is authorized, or an adjournment of that meeting, to elect the additional directors provided for, or if the shareholders fail at any time to elect the whole authorized number of directors.
Effective Date: 02-20-2002; 10-12-2006; 2008 HB374 09-30-2008