Preface -- About the author -- Table of cases -- 1. Introduction to agency and business organizations -- Introduction -- 1.1. Agency concepts and definitions -- 1.2. Agency existence and creation -- 1.3. Agency relationship -- 1.4. Principals' liability to third parties -- 1.5. Agent's liability to third parties -- 1.6. Termination of agency -- 1.7. Agency and business organizations -- 1.8. The paralegal's role -- 1.9. Resources -- Summary -- 2. Sole proprietorships -- Introduction -- 2.2. Sole proprietorship defined -- 2.2. Sole proprietorships in the United States -- 2.3. Advantages of doing business as a sole proprietor -- 2.4. Disadvantages of doing business as a sole proprietor -- 2.5. Formation and operation of the sole proprietorship -- 2.6. The paralegal's role -- 2.7. Resources -- Summary -- 3. General partnerships -- Introduction -- 3.1. An introduction to general partnerships -- 3.2. The relationship between partners and others -- 3.3. The relationship among partners and between partners and the partnership -- 3.4. Advantages of doing business as a general partnership -- 3.5. Disadvantages of doing business as a partnership -- 3.6. Organization and management of a general partnership -- 3.7. Financial structure of a partnership -- 3.8. Dissolution, dissociation, winding up, and termination of the partnership -- 3.9. Other types of partnerships -- 3.10. The paralegal's role -- 3.11. Resources -- Summary --
4. Limited partnerships -- Introduction -- 4.1. An introduction to limited partnerships -- 4.2. Partners' rights and responsibilities -- 4.3. Advantages of doing business as a limited partnership -- 4.4. Disadvantages of doing business as a limited partnership -- 4.5. Organization and management of a limited partnership -- 4.6. Changes in partnership -- 4.7. Financial structure of a limited partnership -- 4.8. Dissolution, winding up, and termination of the limited partnership -- 4.9. Derivative actions -- 4.10. Family limited partnerships -- 4.11. The paralegal's role -- 4.12. Resources -- Summary -- 5. Limited liability partnerships and limited liability limited partnerships -- Introduction -- 5.1. Introduction to limited liability partnerships -- 5.2. Limitations on liability -- 5.3. Formation and operation of the limited liability partnership -- 5.4. Advantages and disadvantages of doing business as a limited liability partnership -- 5.5. Introduction to limited liability limited partnerships -- 5.6. General partner liability-- 5.7. Limited partner liability -- 5.8. Formation and operation of the limited liability limited partnership -- 5.9. Advantages and disadvantages of doing business as a limited liability partnership -- 5.10. The paralegal's role -- 5.11. Resources -- Summary --
6. Limited liability companies -- 6.1. An introduction to limited liability companies -- 6.2. Limited liability companies in the United States -- 6.3. Law governing limited liability companies -- 6.4. Advantages of doing business as a limited liability company -- 6.5. Disadvantages of doing business as a limited liability company -- 6.6. Limited liability company rights and powers -- 6.7. Members' rights and responsibilities -- 6.8. Organization and management of a limited liability company -- 6.9. Financial structure of a limited liability company -- 6.10. Limited liability company lawsuits -- 6.11. Dissolution of the limited liability company -- 6.12. Transacting business as a foreign limited liability company -- 6.13. The paralegal's role -- 6.14. Resources -- Summary -- 7. Corporations -- Introduction -- 7.1. An introduction to corporations -- 7.2. Corporations in the United States -- 7.3. Corporate rights and powers -- 7.4. Advantages of doing business as a corporation -- 7.5. Disadvantages of doing business as a corporation -- 7.6. Piercing the corporate veil -- 7.7. Types and classifications of corporations -- 7.8. The paralegal's role -- 7.9. Resources -- Summary --
8. Incorporations -- Introduction -- 8.1. Preincorporation matters -- 8.2. Incorporators -- 8.3. Corporate name -- 8.4. Articles of incorporation -- 8.5. Organizational meetings -- 8.6. Bylaws -- 8.7. Formation of special types of corporations -- 8.8. The paralegal' role -- 8.9. Resources -- Summary -- 9. The corporate organization -- Introduction -- 9.1. Authority and duties of directors -- 9.2. Personal liability of directors -- 9.3. Compensation and indemnification of directors -- 9.4. Election and term of directors -- 9.5. Board of directors meetings and resolutions -- 9.6. Corporate officers -- 9.7. White collar crime and corporate compliance programs -- 9.8. Shareholders' rights and responsibilities -- 9.9. Shareholder meetings -- 9.10. Restrictions on transfer of shares of corporate stock -- 9.11. Shareholder actions -- 9.12. The paralegal's role -- 9.13. Resources -- Summary -- 10. The corporate financial structure -- Introduction -- 10.1. Capitalization of the corporation -- 10.2. Equity financing -- 10.3. Par value -- 10.4. Consideration for shares of stock -- 10.5. Issuance of stock -- 10.6. Redemption of equity shares -- 10.7. Dividends -- 10.8. Stock splits -- 10.9. Debt financing -- 10.10. Equity capital v. debt capital -- 10.11. The paralegal's role -- 10.12. Resources -- Summary --
11. Public corporations and securities regulations -- Introduction -- 11.1. The public corporation -- 11.2. Securities and securities markets -- 11.3. The Securities and Exchange Commission -- 11.4. Federal regulation of securities offerings under the Securities Act of 1933 -- 11.5. Exemptions from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 -- 11.6. Antifraud provisions of the Securities Act -- 11.7. Federal regulations imposed on public corporations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 -- 11.8. Antifraud provisions under the Exchange Act -- 11.9. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 -- 11.10. State securities regulation, blue sky laws -- 11.11. State regulation of stock offerings -- 11.12. State securities regulation, antifraud provisions -- 11.13. The paralegal's role -- 11.14. Resources -- Summary -- 12. Mergers, acquisitions, and other changes to the corporate structure -- Introduction -- 12.1. Mergers and acquisitions in the United States -- 12.2. Statutory mergers and share exchanges -- 12.3. Statutory merger and share exchange procedures -- 12.4. Asset and stock acquisitions -- 12.5. Asset and stock acquisition procedures -- 12.6. Entity conversions -- 12.7. Amendments to articles of incorporation -- 12.8. Reorganizations -- 12.9. The paralegal's role -- 12.10. Resources -- Summary --
13. Foreign corporation qualification -- Introduction -- 13.1. Determining when foreign corporation qualification is necessary -- 13.2. Rights, privileges, and responsibilities of a foreign corporation -- 13.3. Qualification requirements -- 13.4. Amending the certificate of authority -- 13.5. Maintaining the good standing of the foreign corporation -- 13.6. Withdrawing from doing business as a foreign corporation -- 13.7. Registration of a corporate name -- 13.8. The paralegal's role -- 13.9. Resources -- Summary -- 14. Corporate dissolution -- Introduction -- 14.1. Voluntary dissolution -- 14.2. Involuntary dissolution -- 14.3. Corporate dissolution and bankruptcies -- 14.4. The paralegal's role -- 14.5. Resources -- Summary -- 15. Employee benefit plans and employment agreements -- Introduction -- 15.1. Executive compensation -- 15.2. Employee benefits -- 15.3. Qualified plans -- 15.4. Qualified pension plans -- 15.5. Nonqualified pension plans-- 15.6. Employee welfare benefit plans -- 15.7. Employment agreements -- 15.8. Drafting the employment agreement -- 15.9. Sample employment agreement -- 15.10. The paralegal's role -- 15.11. Resources -- Summary --
Appendix A. Secretary of State directory
Appendix B. Online resources for the corporate paralegal
Appendix C. Ethics for corporate paralegals
Appendix D. Workplace scenario data
Appendix E. Uniform Partnership Act
Appendix F. Uniform Partnership Act (1997)
Appendix G. Uniform Limited Partnership Act (1976) with 1985 Amendments
Appendix H. Uniform Limited Partnership Act (2001)
Appendix I. Uniform Limited Liability Company Act
Appendix J. Excerpts from the Model Business Corporation Act