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3. |
Subject to
the requirements of this Act, the registered agent named in the Memorandum
may, by subscribing to a Memorandum and to Articles, incorporate a company
under this Act. |
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4. |
No company
shall be incorporated under this Act unless immediately upon its
incorporation the company is an International Business Company. |
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5. |
(1) |
For
purposes of this Act, an International Business Company is a company that
does not |
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(a) |
carry on
business with persons resident in the British Virgin Islands; |
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(b) |
own an
interest in real property situate in the British Virgin Islands, other than
a lease referred to in paragraph (e) of subsection (2); |
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(c) |
carry on
banking or trust business, unless it is licensed under the Banks and Trust
Companies Act, 1990; |
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(d) |
carry on
business as an insurance or reinsurance company, insurance agent or
insurance broker, unless it is licensed under an enactment authorizing it to
carry on that business; |
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(e) |
carry on
the business of company management unless it is licensed under the Company
Management Act, 1990; or |
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(f) |
carry on
the business of providing the registered office or the registered agent for
companies incorporated in the British Virgin Islands. |
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(2) |
For
purposes of paragraph (a) of subsection (1), an International Business
Company shall not be treated as carrying on business with persons resident
in the British Virgin Islands by reason only that |
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(a) |
it makes
or maintains deposits with a person carrying on banking business within the
British Virgin Islands; |
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(b) |
it makes
or maintains professional contact with solicitors, barristers, accountants,
bookkeepers, trust companies, administration companies, investment advisers
or other similar persons carrying on business within the British Virgin
Islands; |
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(c) |
it
prepares or maintains books and records within the British Virgin Islands; |
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(d) |
it holds,
within the British Virgin Islands, meetings of its directors or members; |
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(e) |
it holds a
lease of property for use as an office from which to communicate with
members or where books and records of the company are prepared or
maintained; |
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(f) |
it holds
shares, debt obligations or other securities in a company incorporated under
this Act or under the Companies Act; or |
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(g) |
shares,
debt obligations or other securities in the company are owned by any person
resident in the British Virgin Islands or by any company incorporated under
this Act or under the Companies Act. |
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6. |
(1) |
Without
affecting the operation of section 99, if a company is incorporated under
this Act without having satisfied the requirements prescribed for an
International Business Company under section 5, or if having satisfied the
requirements it subsequently ceases to satisfy the requirements for a
continuous period of more than 30 days, the company shall upon expiration of
that period notify the Registrar of that fact. |
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(2) |
A company
that wilfully contravenes subsection (1) is liable to a penalty of $100 for
each day or part thereof during which the contravention continues, and a
director who knowingly permits the contravention is liable to a like
penalty. |
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7. |
Subject to
section 74, no member, director, officer, agent or liquidator of a company
incorporated under this Act is liable for any debt, obligation or default of
the company, unless specifically provided in this Act or in any other law
for the time being in force in the British Virgin Islands, and except in so
far as he may be liable for his own conduct or acts. |
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8. |
A company
may be incorporated under this Act for any object or purpose not prohibited
under this Act or under any other law for the time being in force in the
British Virgin Islands. |
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9. |
(1) |
Subject to any limitations or provisions to the contrary
in its Memorandum or Articles, this Act or any other law for the time being
in force in the British Virgin Islands, a company incorporated under this
Act has the power, irrespective of corporate benefit, to perform all acts
and engage in all activities necessary or conducive to the conduct,
promotion or attainment of the objects or purposes of the company, including
the power to do the following: |
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(a) |
issue
registered shares or bearer shares or both; |
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(b) |
issue the
following: |
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(i) |
voting
shares, |
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(ii) |
non-voting
shares, |
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(iii) |
shares
that may have more or less than one vote per share, |
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(iv) |
shares
that may be voted only on certain matters or only upon the occurrence of
certain events, and |
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(v) |
shares
that may be voted only when held by persons who meet specified requirements; |
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(c) |
issue
common share, preferred shares, limited shares or redeemable shares; |
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(d) |
issue
shares that entitle participation only in certain assets; |
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(e) |
issue
options, warrants or rights, or instruments of a similar nature, to acquire
any securities of the company; |
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(f) |
issue
securities that, at the option of the holder thereof or of the company or
upon the happening of a specified event, are convertible into, or
exchangeable for, other securities in the company or any property then or to
be owned by the company; |
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(g) |
purchase,
redeem or otherwise acquire and hold its own shares; |
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(h) |
Guarantee
a liability or obligation of any person and to secure any of its obligations
by mortgage, pledge or other charge, of any of its assets for that purpose; |
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(i) |
protect
the assets of the company for the benefit of the company, its creditors and
its members, and at the discretion of the directors, for any person having a
direct or indirect interest in the company; and |
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(j) |
issue
shares in any one or more currencies. |
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(2) |
For
purposes of paragraph (i) of subsection (1), notwithstanding any other
provision of this Act or of any other law for the time being in force in the
British Virgin Islands or any rule of law to the contrary, the directors may
cause the company to transfer any of its assets in trust to one or more
trustees, to any company, association, partnership, foundation or similar
entity; and, with respect to the transfer, the directors may provide that
the company, its creditors, its members or any person having a direct or
indirect interest in the company or any of them, may be the beneficiaries,
creditors, members, certificate holders, partners or holders of any other
similar interest. |
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(3) |
The rights
or interest of any existing or subsequent creditor of the company in any
assets of the company are not affected by any transfer under subsection (2),
and those rights or interest may be pleaded against any transferee in any
such transfer.
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10. |
(1) |
No act of
a company incorporated under this Act and no transfer of real or personal
property by or to a company so incorporated is invalid by reason only of the
fact that the company was without capacity or power to perform the act, or
to transfer or receive the property, but the lack of capacity or power may
be pleaded in the following cases: |
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(a) |
in
proceedings by a member against the company to prohibit the performance of
any act or the transfer of real or personal property by or to the company;
or |
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(b) |
in
proceedings by the company, whether acting directly or through a receiver,
trustee, or other legal representative, or through members in a derivative
action, against the incumbent or former directors of the company for loss or
damage due to their unauthorized act. |
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(2) |
For
purposes of paragraph (a) of subsection (1), the court may set aside and
prohibit the performance of a contract if |
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(a) |
the
unauthorized act or transfer sought to be set aside or prohibited is being,
or is to be, performed or made under any contract to which the company is a
party; |
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(b) |
all the
parties to the contract are parties to the proceedings; and |
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(c) |
it appears
fair and reasonable to set aside or prohibit the performance of the
contract; |
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and in so
doing the court may, in applying this subsection, award to the company or to
the other parties to the contract such compensation as may be reasonable
except that in determining the amount of compensation the court shall not
take into account anticipated profits to be derived from the performance of
the contract. |
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11. |
(1) |
The word
"Limited", "Corporation", "Incorporated", "Societe Anonyme" or "Sociedad
Anonima" or the abbreviation "Ltd", "Corp", "Inc" or "S.A." must be part of
the name of every company incorporated under this Act, but a company may use
and may be legally designated by either the full or the abbreviated form. |
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(2) |
No company
shall be incorporated under this Act under a name that |
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(a) |
is
identical with that under which a company in existence is already
incorporated under this Act or registered under the Companies Act or so
nearly resembles the name as to be calculated to deceive, except where the
company in existence gives its consent; or |
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(b) |
contains
the words "Assurance", "Bank", "Building Society", "Chamber of Commerce",
"Chartered", "Cooperative", ""Imperial", "Insurance", "Municipal", "Royal",
"Trust Company", "Trustee Company" or a word conveying a similar meaning, or
any other word that, in the opinion of the Registrar, suggests or is
calculated to suggest |
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(i) |
the
patronage of Her Majesty or that of a member of the Royal Family; or |
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(ii) |
a
connection with Her Majesty's Government or a department thereof; or |
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(iii) |
a
connection with a municipality or other local authority or with a society or
body incorporated by Royal Charter; |
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except
with the approval of the Registrar in writing; |
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(c) |
is
indecent, offensive or, in the opinion of the Registrar, objectionable. |
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(3) |
A company
may amend its Memorandum to change its name. |
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(4) |
If a
company is incorporated under a name that |
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(a) |
is
identical with a name under which a company in existence was incorporated
under this Act or registered under the Companies Act, or |
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(b) |
so nearly
resembles the name as to be calculated to deceive; |
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the
Registrar may, without the consent of the company in existence, give notice
to the last registered company to change its name and if it fails to do so
within 60 days from the date of the notice, the Registrar must amend the
Memorandum of the company to change its name to such name as the Registrar
deems appropriate, and the Registrar must publish notice of the change in
the Gazette. |
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(5) |
Subject to
subsections (2) and (4), where a company changes its name, the Registrar
must enter the new name on the Register in place of the former name, and
must issue a certificate of incorporation indicating the change of name. |
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(6) |
A change
of name does not affect any rights or obligations of a company, or render
defective any legal proceedings by or against a company, and all legal
proceedings that have been commenced against a company by its former name
may be continued against it by its new name. |
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(7) |
Subject to
subsection (2) the Registrar may, upon a request made by any person, reserve
for 90 days a name for future adoption by a company under this Act. |
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12. |
(1) |
The
Memorandum must include |
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(a) |
the name
of the company; |
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(b) |
the
address within the British Virgin Islands of the registered office of the
company; |
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(c) |
the name
and address within the British Virgin Islands of the registered agent of the
company; |
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(d) |
the
objects or purposes for which the company is to be incorporated; |
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(e) |
the
currency in which shares in the company shall be issued; |
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(f) |
a
statement of the authorized capital of the company setting forth the
aggregate of the par value of all shares with par value that the company is
authorized to issue and the amount, if any, to be represented by shares
without par value that the company is authorized to issue; |
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(g) |
a
statement of the number of classes and series of shares, the number of
shares of each such class and series and the par value of shares with par
value and that shares may be without par value, if that is the case; |
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(h) |
a
statement of the designations, powers, preferences and rights, and the
qualifications, limitations or restrictions of each class and series of
shares that the company is authorized to issue, unless the directors are to
be authorized to fix any such designations, powers, preferences, rights,
qualifications, limitations and restrictions, and in that case, an express
grant of such authority as may be desired to grant to the directors to fix
by a resolution any such designations, powers, preferences, rights,
qualifications, limitations and restrictions that have not been fixed by the
Memorandum; |
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(i) |
a
statement of the number of shares to be issued as registered shares and the
number of shares to be issued as bearer shares, unless the directors are
authorized to determine at their discretion whether shares are be issued as
registered shares or bearer shares, and in that case an express grant of
such authority as may be desired must be given to empower the directors to
issue shares as registered shares or bearer shares as they may determine by
resolution of directors; |
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(j) |
whether
registered shares may be exchanged for bearer shares and whether bearer
shares may be exchanged for registered shares; |
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(k) |
if bearer
shares are authorized to be issued, the manner in which a required notice to
members is to be given to the holders of bearer shares; and |
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(l) |
a
statement that the company may not carry on the activities set forth in
subsection (1) of section 5 which statement shall set forth verbatim the
activities described in that subsection, unless it is licensed to carry out
any of the activities referred to in that subsection. |
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(2) |
For
purposes of paragraph (d) of subsection (1), if the Memorandum contains a
statement either alone or with other objects or purposes that the object or
purpose of the company is to engage in any act or activity that is not
prohibited under any law for the time being in force in the British Virgin
Islands, the effect of that statement is to make all acts and activities
that are not illegal part of the objects or purposes of the company, subject
to any limitations in the Memorandum. |
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(3) |
The
Memorandum must be subscribed by the registered agent named in the
Memorandum in the presence of another person who must sign his name as a
witness. |
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(4) |
The
Memorandum, when registered, binds the company and its members from time to
time to the same extent as if each member had subscribed his name and
affixed his seal thereto and as if there were contained in the Memorandum,
on the part of himself, his heirs, executors and administrators, a covenant
to observe the provisions of the Memorandum, subject to this Act.
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13. |
(1) |
The
Memorandum, when submitted for registration, must be accompanied by Articles
prescribing regulations for the company. |
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(2) |
The
Articles must be subscribed by the registered agent named in the Memorandum
in the presence of another person who must sign his name as a witness. |
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(3) |
The
Articles, when registered, bind the company and its members from time to
time to the same extent as if each member had subscribed his name and
affixed his seal thereto and as if there were contained in the Articles, on
the part of himself, his heirs, executors and administrators, a covenant to
observe the provisions of the Articles, subject to this Act. |
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14. |
(1) |
The
Registrar shall not register the Memorandum or the Articles delivered to him
unless he is satisfied that all requirements of this Act in respect of
registration have been complied with and |
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(a) |
a
solicitor engaged in the formation of the company; or |
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(b) |
the
registered agent named in the Memorandum of the company to be registered
agent, |
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certifies
in writing that the requirements of this Act in respect of registration have
been complied with and the written certification delivered to the Registrar
is sufficient evidence of compliance. |
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(2) |
Subject to
subsection (1), the Registrar shall retain and register the Memorandum and
Articles submitted to him in a Register to be maintained by him to be known
as the Register of International Business Companies. |
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(3) |
Upon the
registration of the Memorandum and the Articles, the Registrar shall issue a
certificate of incorporation under his hand and seal certifying that the
company is incorporated. |
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15. |
(1) |
Upon the
issue by the Registrar of a certificate of incorporation of a company, the
company is, from the date shown on the certificate of incorporation, a body
corporate under the name contained in the Memorandum with the full capacity
of an individual who is sui juris. |
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(2) |
A
certificate of incorporation of a company incorporated under this Act issued
by the Registrar is prima facie evidence of compliance with all requirements
of this Act in respect of incorporation. |
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16. |
(1) |
Subject to
any limitation in its Memorandum or Articles, a company incorporated under
this Act may amend its Memorandum or Articles by a resolution of members or,
where permitted by its Memorandum or Articles or by this Act, by a
resolution of directors. |
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(2) |
A company
that amends its Memorandum or Articles must submit to the Registrar an
extract of the resolution of members or the resolution of directors amending
the Memorandum or Articles, as the case may be, certified as a true copy of
the resolution amending the Memorandum or Articles by |
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(a) |
the
solicitor engaged in advising the company; or |
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(b) |
the
registered agent named in the Memorandum of the company, |
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and the
Registrar must retain and register the certified copy of the extract of the
resolution. |
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(3) |
An
amendment to the Memorandum or Articles has effect from the time the
amendment is registered by the Registrar. |
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(4) |
A company
that wilfully contravenes subsection (2) is liable to a penalty of $50 for
each day or part thereof during which the contravention continues, and a
director who knowingly permits the contravention is liable to a like
penalty. |
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17. |
A copy of
the Memorandum and a copy of the Articles must be given to any member who
requests a copy on payment by the member of such amount as the director may
determine to be reasonably necessary to defray the costs of preparing and
furnishing them.
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