Gray and Co, lawyers, abogados, international legal services, Panama City

Beth Anne Gray J., LL.B. (Hons.) & Victoria Tejada LL.B.

P.O. Box 832-0816 - World Trade Centre - Panama City - Republic of Panama

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[IBC Act - Part XII]

International Business Companies Act (1984) 

PART VII

Merger, Consolidation, Sale of Assets, Forced Redemptions, Arrangements and Dissenters

 

Interpretation for purposes of Part VII

75.

In this Part,

 

"consolidated company" means the new company that results from the consolidation of 2 or more constituent companies;

 

"consolidation" means the uniting of 2 or more constituent companies into a new company;

 

"constituent company" means an existing company that is participating in a merger or consolidation with one or more other existing companies;

 

"merger" means the merging of 2 or more constituent companies into one of the constituent companies;

 

"parent company" means a company that owns at least 90 per cent of the outstanding shares of each class and series of shares in another company;

 

"subsidiary company" means a company at least 90 per cent of whose outstanding shares of each class and series of shares are owned by another company;

 

"surviving company" means the constituent company into which one or more other constituent companies are merged.

 

Merger and consolidation

76.

(1)

Two or more companies incorporated under this Act may merge or consolidate in accordance with subsections (3) to (5).

 

 

 

(2)

One or more companies incorporated under this Act may merge or consolidate with one or more companies incorporated under the Companies Act in accordance with subsections (3) to (5), if the surviving company or the consolidated company will satisfy the requirements prescribed for an International Business Company under section 5.

 

 

 

(3)

The directors of each constituent company that proposes to participate in merger or consolidation must approve a written plan of merger or consolidation containing, as the case requires,

 

 

 

 

(a)

the name of each constituent company and the name of the surviving company or the consolidated company;

 

 

 

 

(b)

in respect to each constituent company,

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

the designation and number of outstanding shares of each class and series of shares, specifying each such class and series entitled to vote on the merger or consolidation, and

 

 

 

 

 

(ii)

a specification of each such class and series, if any, entitled to vote as a class or series;

 

 

 

 

(c)

the terms and conditions of the proposed merger or consolidation, including the manner and basis of converting shares in each constituent company into shares, debt obligations or other securities in the surviving company or consolidated company, or money or other property, or a combination thereof;

 

 

 

 

(d)

in respect of a merger, a statement of any amendment to the Memorandum or Articles of the surviving company to be brought about by the merger; and

 

 

 

 

(e)

in respect of a consolidation, everything required to be included in the Memorandum and Articles for a company incorporated under this Act, except statements as to facts not available at the time the plan of consolidation is approved by the directors.

 

 

 

(4)

Some of all shares of the same class or series of shares in each constituent company may be converted into a particular or mixed kind of property and other shares of the class or series, or all shares of other classes or series of shares, may be converted into other property.

 

 

 

(5)

The following apply in respect of a merger or consolidation under this section:

 

 

 

 

(a)

the plan of merger or consolidation must be authorized by a resolution of members and the outstanding shares of a class or series of shares are entitled to vote on the merger or consolidation as a class or series if the Memorandum or Articles so provide or if the plan of merger or consolidation contains any provisions that, if contained in a proposed amendment to the Memorandum or Articles, would entitle the class or series to vote on the proposed amendment as a class or series;

 

 

 

 

(b)

if a meeting of members is to be held, notice of the meeting, accompanied by a copy of the plan of merger or consolidation, must be given to each member, whether or not entitled to vote on the merger or consolidation;

 

 

 

 

(c)

if it is proposed to obtain the written consent of members, a copy of the plan of merger or consolidation must be given to each member, whether or not entitled to consent to the plan of merger or consolidation;

 

 

 

 

(d)

after approval of the plan of merger or consolidation by the directors and members of each constituent company, articles of merger or consolidation must be executed by each company and must contain

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

the plan of merger or consolidation and, in the case of a consolidation, any statement required to be included in the Memorandum and Articles for a company incorporated under this Act;

 

 

 

 

 

(ii)

the date on which the Memorandum and Articles of each constituent company were registered by the Registrar;

 

 

 

 

 

(iii)

the manner in which the merger or consolidation was authorized with respect to each constituent company;

 

 

 

 

(e)

the articles of merger or consolidation must be submitted to the Registrar who must retain and register them in the Register; and

 

 

 

 

(f)

Upon the registration of the articles of merger or consolidation, the Registrar shall issue a certificate under his hand and seal certifying that the articles of merger or consolidation have been registered.

 

 

 

(6)

A certificate of merger or consolidation issued by the Registrar is prima facie evidence of compliance with all requirements of this Act in respect of the merger or consolidation.

 

Merger with subsidiary

77.

(1)

A parent company incorporated under this Act may merge with one or more subsidiary companies incorporated under this Act or under the Companies Act, without the authorization of the members of any company, in accordance with subsections (2) to (6), if the surviving company is a company incorporated under this Act and will satisfy the requirements prescribed for an International Business Company under section 5.

 

 

 

(2)

The directors of the parent company must approve a written plan of merger containing

 

 

 

 

(a)

the name of each constituent company and the name of the surviving company;

 

 

 

 

(b)

in respect to each constituent company,

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

the designation and number of outstanding shares of each class and series of shares, and

 

 

 

 

 

(ii)

the number of shares of each class and series of shares in each subsidiary company owned by the parent company; and

 

 

 

 

(c)

the terms and conditions of the proposed merger, including the manner and basis of converting shares in each company to be merged into shares, debt obligations or other securities in the surviving company, or money or other property, or a combination thereof.

 

 

 

(3)

Some or all shares of the same class or series of shares in each company to be merged may be converted into property of a particular or mixed kind and other shares of the class or series, or all shares of other classes or series of shares, may be converted into other property; but, if the parent company is not the surviving company, shares of each class and series of shares in the parent company may only be converted into similar shares of the surviving company.

 

 

 

(4)

A copy of the plan of merger or an outline thereof must be given to every member of each subsidiary company to be merged unless the giving of that copy or outline has been waived by that member.

 

 

 

(5)

Articles of merger must be executed by the parent company and must contain

 

 

 

 

(a)

the plan of merger;

 

 

 

 

(b)

the date on which the Memorandum and Articles of each constituent company were registered by the Registrar; and

 

 

 

 

(c)

if the parent company does not own all shares in each subsidiary company to be merged, the date on which a copy of the plan of merger or an outline thereof was made available to the members of each subsidiary company.

 

 

 

(6)

The articles of merger must be submitted to the Registrar who must retain and register them in the Register.

 

 

 

(7)

Upon the registration of the articles of merger, the Registrar shall issue a certificate under his hand and seal certifying that the articles of merger have been registered.

 

 

 

(8)

A certificate of merger issued by the Registrar is prima facie evidence of compliance with all requirements of this Act in respect of the merger.

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Effects of merger or consolidation

78.

(1)

A merger or consolidation is effective on the date the articles of merger or consolidation are registered by the Registrar or on such date subsequent thereto, not exceeding 30 days, as is stated in the articles of merger or consolidation.

 

 

 

(2)

As soon as a merger or consolidation becomes effective

 

 

 

 

(a)

the surviving company or the consolidated company in so far as is consistent with its Memorandum and Articles, as amended or established by the articles of merger or consolidation, has all rights, privileges, immunities, powers, objects and purposes of each of the constituent companies;

 

 

 

 

(b)

in the case of a merger, the Memorandum and Articles of the surviving company are automatically amended to the extent, if any, that changes in its Memorandum and Articles are contained in the articles of merger;

 

 

 

 

(c)

in the case of a consolidation, the statements contained in the articles of consolidation that are required or authorized to be contained in the Memorandum and Articles of a company incorporated under this Act, are the Memorandum and Articles of the consolidated company;

 

 

 

 

(d)

property of every description, including choses in action and the business of each of the constituent companies, immediately vests in the surviving company or the consolidated company; and

 

 

 

 

(e)

the surviving company or the consolidated company is liable for all claims, debts, liabilities and obligations of each of the constituent companies.

 

 

 

(3)

Where a merger or consolidation occurs

 

 

 

 

(a)

no conviction, judgement, ruling, order, claim, debt, liability or obligation due or to become due, and no cause existing, against a constituent company or against any member, director, officer or agent thereof, is released or impaired by the merger or consolidation; and

 

 

 

 

(b)

no proceedings, whether civil or criminal, pending at the time of a merger or consolidation by or against a constituent company, or against any member, director, officer or agent thereof, are abated or discontinued by the merger or consolidation, but

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

the proceedings may be enforced, prosecuted, settled or compromised by or against the surviving company or the consolidated company or against the member, director, officer or agent thereof, as the case may be, or

 

 

 

 

 

(ii)

the surviving company or the consolidated company may be substituted in the proceedings for a constituent company.

 

 

 

(4)

The Registrar shall strike off the Register

 

 

 

 

(a)

a constituent company that is not the surviving company in a merger; or

 

 

 

 

(b)

a constituent company that participates in a consolidation.

 

Merger or consolidation with foreign company

79.

(1)

One or more companies incorporated under this Act may merge or consolidate with one or more companies incorporated under the laws of jurisdictions outside the British Virgin Islands in accordance with subsections (2) to (4), including where one of the constituent companies is a parent company and the other constituent companies are subsidiary companies, if the merger or consolidation is permitted by the laws of the jurisdictions in which the companies incorporated outside the British Virgin Islands are incorporated.

 

 

 

(2)

The following apply in respect of a merger or consolidation under this section:

 

 

 

 

(a)

a company incorporated under this Act shall comply with the provisions of this Act with respect to the merger or consolidation, as the case may be, of companies incorporated under this Act and a company incorporated under the laws of a jurisdiction outside the British Virgin Islands shall comply with the laws of that jurisdiction; and

 

 

 

 

(b)

if the surviving company or the consolidated company is to be incorporated under the laws of a jurisdiction outside the British Virgin Islands, it must submit to the Registrar

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

an agreement that a service of process may be effected on it in the British Virgin Islands in respect of proceedings for the enforcement of any claim, debt, liability or obligation of a constituent company incorporated under this Act or in respect of proceedings for the enforcement of the rights of a dissenting member of a constituent company incorporated under this Act against the surviving company or the consolidated company;

 

 

 

 

 

(ii)

an irrevocable appointment of the Registrar as its agent to accept service of process in proceedings referred to in subparagraph (i);

 

 

 

 

 

(iii)

an agreement that it will promptly pay to the dissenting members of a constituent company incorporated under this Act the amount, if any, to which they are entitled under this Act with respect to the rights of dissenting members; and