Virginia Law

Article 12. Mergers and Share Exchanges.

As used in this article:

"Acquired entity" means the domestic or foreign corporation or eligible entity that will have all of one or more classes or series of shares or eligible interests acquired in a share exchange.

"Acquiring entity" means the domestic or foreign corporation or eligible entity that will acquire all of one or more classes or series of shares or eligible interests of the acquired entity in a share exchange.

"Merger" means a business combination pursuant to § 13.1-716.

"New interest holder liability" means interest holder liability of a person, resulting from a merger or share exchange, that is (i) in respect of an entity which is different from the entity in which the person held shares or eligible interests immediately before the merger or share exchange became effective or (ii) in respect of the same entity as the one in which the person held shares or eligible interests immediately before the merger or share exchange became effective if (a) the person did not have interest holder liability immediately before the merger or share exchange became effective or (b) the person had interest holder liability immediately before the merger or share exchange became effective, the terms and conditions of which were changed when the merger or share exchange became effective.

"Party to a merger" means any domestic or foreign corporation or eligible entity that will merge under a plan of merger. "Party to a merger" does not include a survivor created by the merger.

"Party to a share exchange" means any domestic or foreign corporation or eligible entity that is an acquired entity or an acquiring entity under a plan of share exchange.

"Survivor" in a merger means the domestic or foreign corporation or the eligible entity into which one or more other domestic or foreign corporations or eligible entities are merged. A survivor of a merger may preexist the merger or be created by the merger.

2005, c. 765; 2019, c. 734.

A. One or more domestic corporations may merge with one or more domestic or foreign corporations or eligible entities pursuant to a plan of merger, or two or more foreign corporations or domestic or foreign eligible entities may merge, resulting in a survivor that is a domestic corporation created in the merger.

B. A foreign corporation or a foreign eligible entity may be a party to a merger with a domestic corporation, or may be created as the survivor of a merger in which a domestic corporation is a party, but only if the merger is permitted by the organic law of the foreign corporation or eligible entity.

C. The plan of merger shall include:

1. As to each party to the merger, its name, jurisdiction of formation, and type of entity;

2. The survivor's name, jurisdiction of formation, and type of entity and, if the survivor is to be created in the merger, a statement to that effect;

3. The terms and conditions of the merger;

4. The manner and basis of converting the shares of each merging domestic or foreign corporation and eligible interests of each merging domestic or foreign eligible entity into shares or other securities, eligible interests, obligations, rights to acquire shares, other securities or eligible interests, cash, or other property or any combination of the foregoing;

5. The manner and basis of converting any rights to acquire the shares of each merging domestic or foreign corporation and eligible interests of each merging domestic or foreign eligible entity into shares or other securities, eligible interests, obligations, rights to acquire shares, other securities or eligible interests, cash, or other property or any combination of the foregoing;

6. Any amendment of the articles of incorporation of the survivor that is a domestic corporation or if the articles of incorporation are amended and restated, as an attachment to the plan, the survivor's restated articles of incorporation, or if a new domestic corporation is to be created by the merger, as an attachment to the plan, the survivor's articles of incorporation; and

7. Any other provisions required by the laws under which any party to the merger is organized or by which it is governed, or by the articles of incorporation or organic rules of any such party.

D. In addition to the requirements of subsection C, a plan of merger may contain any other provision not prohibited by law.

E. Terms of a plan of merger may be made dependent on facts objectively ascertainable outside the plan in accordance with subsection L of § 13.1-604.

F. Unless the plan of merger provides otherwise, the plan of merger may be amended prior to the effective date of the certificate of merger, but if the shareholders of a domestic corporation that is a party to the merger are required by any provision of this chapter to vote on the plan, the plan may not be amended subsequent to approval of the plan by such shareholders to change any of the following, unless the amendment is subject to the approval of the shareholders:

1. The amount or kind of shares or other securities, eligible interests, obligations, rights to acquire shares, other securities or eligible interests, cash or other property to be received under the plan by the shareholders of or holders of eligible interests in any party to the merger;

2. The articles of incorporation of any domestic corporation that will be the survivor of the merger, except for changes permitted by § 13.1-706; or

3. Any of the other terms or conditions of the plan if the change would adversely affect such shareholders in any material respect.

G. One or more domestic corporations may merge pursuant to this section into another domestic corporation if the articles of incorporation of each of them could lawfully contain all the corporate powers and purposes of all of them.

H. Any corporation authorized by its articles of incorporation to engage in a special kind of business enumerated in § 13.1-620 may be merged with another corporation authorized by its articles of incorporation to engage in the same special kind of business, including mergers authorized under § 6.2-1146, whether or not either or both of such corporations are actually engaged in the transaction of such business, and the shareholders of the corporations parties to the merger may receive shares of a corporation not authorized by its articles of incorporation to engage in such special kind of business.

Code 1950, § 13.1-68; 1956, c. 428; 1968, c. 111; 1973, c. 441; 1975, c. 500; 1980, c. 90; 1985, c. 522; 1991, c. 228; 2005, c. 765; 2006, c. 663; 2008, c. 509; 2009, c. 216; 2015, c. 611; 2019, c. 734; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 487.

A. Through a share exchange:

1. A domestic corporation may acquire all of the shares of one or more classes or series of shares of another domestic or foreign corporation, or all of the eligible interests of one or more classes or series of eligible interests of a domestic or foreign eligible entity, as well as rights to acquire any such shares or eligible interests, in exchange for shares or other securities, eligible interests, obligations, rights to acquire shares, other securities or eligible interests, cash, other property or any combination of the foregoing, pursuant to a plan of share exchange; or

2. All of the shares of one or more classes or series of shares of a domestic corporation, as well as rights to acquire any such shares, may be acquired by another domestic or foreign corporation or other eligible entity, in exchange for shares or other securities, eligible interests, obligations, rights to acquire shares, other securities or eligible interests, cash, other property or any combination of the foregoing, pursuant to a plan of share exchange.

B. A foreign corporation or eligible entity may be a party to a share exchange only if the share exchange is permitted by the organic law under which the corporation or eligible entity is organized or by which it is governed.

C. If the organic law or organic rules of a domestic eligible entity do not provide procedures for the approval of a share exchange, a plan of share exchange may be adopted and approved, and the share exchange effectuated, in accordance with the procedures, if any, for a merger.

D. The plan of share exchange shall include:

1. The name, jurisdiction of formation, and type of entity of each acquired entity and the name, jurisdiction of formation, and type of entity of the acquiring entity;

2. The terms and conditions of the share exchange;

3. The manner and basis of exchanging shares of a domestic or foreign corporation or eligible interests in a domestic or foreign eligible entity whose shares or eligible interests will be acquired under the share exchange into shares or other securities, eligible interests, obligations, rights to acquire shares, other securities or eligible interests, cash, other property or any combination of the foregoing;

4. The manner and basis for exchanging any rights to acquire shares of a domestic or foreign corporation or eligible interests in a domestic or foreign eligible entity whose shares or eligible interests will be acquired under the share exchange into shares or other securities, eligible interests, obligations, rights to acquire shares, other securities or eligible interests, cash, other property or any combination of the foregoing; and

5. Any other provisions required by the organic law governing any foreign corporation or eligible entity that is a party to the share exchange or its articles of incorporation or organic rules.

E. In addition to the requirements of subsection D, the plan of share exchange may contain any other provision not prohibited by law.

F. Terms of a plan of share exchange may be made dependent on facts objectively ascertainable outside the plan in accordance with subsection L of § 13.1-604.

G. Unless the plan of share exchange provides otherwise, the plan of share exchange may be amended prior to the effective date of the certificate of share exchange, but if the shareholders of a domestic corporation that is a party to the share exchange are required by any provision of this chapter to vote on the plan, the plan may not be amended subsequent to approval of the plan by such shareholders to change any of the following, unless the amendment is subject to the approval of the shareholders:

1. The amount or kind of shares or other securities, eligible interests, obligations, rights to acquire shares, other securities or eligible interests, cash, or other property or any combination of the foregoing to be issued by the corporation or to be received under the plan by the shareholders, of the acquired entity; or

2. Any of the other terms or conditions of the plan if the change would adversely affect such shareholders in any material respect.

H. This section does not limit the power of a domestic corporation to acquire shares of another domestic or foreign corporation or eligible interests in an eligible entity in a transaction other than a share exchange.

Code 1950, § 13.1-69.1; 1975, c. 500; 1980, c. 90; 1985, c. 522; 2005, c. 765; 2015, c. 611; 2019, c. 734.

A. Subject to the provisions of subdivision F 4, in the case of a domestic corporation that is (i) a party to a merger, (ii) an acquired entity in a share exchange, or (iii) the acquiring entity in a share exchange:

1. The plan of merger or share exchange shall first be adopted by the board of directors.

2. Except as provided in subsections F and G and in §§ 13.1-719 and 13.1-719.1, after adopting the plan of merger or share exchange the board of directors shall submit the plan to the shareholders for their approval. The board of directors shall also transmit to the shareholders a recommendation that the shareholders approve the plan or, in the case of an offer referred to in subsection G, that the shareholders tender their shares to the offeror in response to the offer, unless the board of directors makes a determination that because of conflicts of interest or other special circumstances it should not make such a recommendation, in which case the board of directors shall inform the shareholders of the basis for that determination.

B. The board of directors may set conditions for the approval of the plan of merger or share exchange by the shareholders or the effectiveness of the plan of merger or share exchange.

C. If the plan of merger or share exchange is required to be approved by the shareholders, and if the approval is to be given at a meeting, the corporation shall notify each shareholder, whether or not entitled to vote, of the meeting of shareholders at which the plan is to be submitted for approval. The notice shall state that the purpose, or one of the purposes, of the meeting is to consider the plan and shall contain or be accompanied by a copy or summary of the plan. If the corporation is to be merged into an existing domestic or foreign corporation or eligible entity and its shareholders are to receive shares or other eligible interests or the right to receive shares or other eligible interests in the survivor, the notice shall also include or be accompanied by a copy or summary of the articles of incorporation and bylaws or organic rules of the survivor. If the corporation is to be merged into a domestic or foreign corporation or eligible entity and a new domestic or foreign corporation or eligible entity is to be created pursuant to the merger, the notice shall include or be accompanied by a copy or a summary of the articles of incorporation and bylaws or organic rules of the new corporation or eligible entity.

D. Unless the articles of incorporation, or the board of directors acting pursuant to subsection B, require a greater vote, approval of the plan of merger or share exchange requires the approval of each voting group entitled to vote on the plan by more than two-thirds of all the votes entitled to be cast by that voting group. The articles of incorporation may provide for a greater or lesser vote than that provided for in this subsection or a vote by separate voting groups so long as the vote provided for is not less than a majority of all the votes cast on the plan by each voting group entitled to vote on the plan of merger or share exchange at a meeting at which a quorum of the voting group exists.

E. Separate voting by voting groups is required:

1. Except as otherwise provided in the articles of incorporation, on a plan of merger by each class or series of shares that:

a. Is to be converted under the plan of merger into shares, other securities, eligible interests, obligations, rights to acquire shares, other securities or eligible interests, cash, other property, or any combination of the foregoing, or is proposed to be eliminated without being converted into any of the foregoing; or

b. Would be entitled to vote as a separate group on a provision in the plan that, if contained in a proposed amendment to articles of incorporation, would require action by separate voting groups under § 13.1-708;

2. Except as otherwise provided in the articles of incorporation, on a plan of share exchange, by each class or series of shares included in the exchange, with each class or series constituting a separate voting group;

3. On a plan of merger, if the voting group is entitled under the articles of incorporation to vote as a voting group to approve a plan of merger; and

4. On a plan of share exchange, if the voting group is entitled under the articles of incorporation to vote as a voting group to approve a plan of share exchange.

F. Unless the articles of incorporation otherwise provide, approval by the corporation's shareholders of a plan of merger or share exchange is not required if:

1. The corporation will survive the merger or is the acquiring corporation in a share exchange;

2. Except for amendments permitted by § 13.1-706, its articles of incorporation will not be changed;

3. Each shareholder of the corporation whose shares were outstanding immediately before the effective time of the merger or share exchange will hold the same number of shares, with identical preferences, limitations, and rights immediately after the effective time of the merger or share exchange; and

4. With respect to shares of the surviving corporation in a merger or the shares of the acquiring entity in a share exchange entity that are entitled to vote unconditionally in the election of directors, the number of shares outstanding immediately after the merger or share exchange, plus the number of shares issuable as a result of the merger or share exchange, either by the conversion of securities issued pursuant to the merger or share exchange or the exercise of options, rights, and warrants issued pursuant to the merger or share exchange, will not exceed by more than 20 percent the total number of shares of the surviving corporation outstanding immediately before the merger or share exchange.

G. Unless the articles of incorporation otherwise provide, approval by the corporation's shareholders of a plan of merger or share exchange is not required if:

1. The plan of merger or share exchange expressly (i) permits or requires such a merger or share exchange to be effected under this subsection and (ii) provides that such merger or share exchange be effected as soon as practicable following the consummation of the offer referred to in subdivision 3 if such merger or share exchange is effected under this subsection;

2. Another party to the merger, the acquiring entity in the share exchange, or a parent of another party to the merger or the acquiring entity in the share exchange, makes an offer to purchase, on the terms provided in the plan of merger or share exchange, any and all of the outstanding shares of the corporation that, absent this subsection, would be entitled to vote on the plan of merger or share exchange, except that the offer may exclude shares of the corporation that are owned at the commencement of the offer by the corporation, the offeror, or any parent of the offeror, or by any wholly owned subsidiary of any of the foregoing;

3. The offer discloses that the plan of merger or share exchange provides that the merger or share exchange will be effected as soon as practicable following the satisfaction of the requirement set forth in subdivision 6 and that the shares of the corporation that are not tendered in response to the offer will be treated as set forth in subdivision 8;

4. The offer remains open for at least 10 business days;

5. The offeror purchases all shares properly tendered in response to the offer and not properly withdrawn;

6. The shares listed below are collectively entitled to cast at least the minimum number of votes on the merger or share exchange that, absent this subsection, would be required by this chapter and by the articles of incorporation for the approval of the merger or share exchange by the shareholders and by any other voting group entitled to vote on the merger or share exchange at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote on the approval were present and voted:

a. Shares purchased by the offeror in accordance with the offer;

b. Shares otherwise owned by the offeror or by any parent of the offeror or any wholly owned subsidiary of any of the foregoing; and

c. Shares subject to an agreement that they are to be transferred, contributed, or delivered to the offeror, any parent of the offeror, or any wholly owned subsidiary of any of the foregoing in exchange for shares or eligible interests in such offeror, parent, or subsidiary;

7. The offeror or a wholly owned subsidiary of the offeror merges with or into, or effects a share exchange in which it acquires shares of, the corporation; and

8. Each outstanding share of each class or series of shares of the corporation that the offeror is offering to purchase in accordance with the offer, and that is not purchased in accordance with the offer, is to be converted in the merger into, or into the right to receive, or is to be exchanged in the share exchange for, or for the right to receive, the same amount and kind of securities, eligible interests, obligations, rights, cash, or other property to be paid or exchanged in accordance with the offer for each share of that class or series of shares that is tendered in response to the offer, except that shares of the corporation that are owned by the corporation or that are described in subdivision 6 a or c need not be converted into or exchanged for the consideration described in this subdivision.

H. As used in subsections G and K:

"Offer" means the offer referred to in subdivision 3.

"Offeror" means the person making the offer.

"Parent" of any entity means a person that owns, directly or indirectly, through one or more wholly owned subsidiaries, all of the outstanding shares or eligible interests in that entity.

"Wholly owned subsidiary" of a person means an entity of or in which that person owns, directly or indirectly, through one or more wholly owned subsidiaries, all of the outstanding shares or eligible interests.

I. If a corporation has not yet issued shares and its articles of incorporation do not otherwise provide, its board of directors may adopt and approve a plan of merger or share exchange on behalf of the corporation without shareholder action.

J. If as a result of a merger or share exchange one or more shareholders of a domestic corporation would become subject to new interest holder liability, approval of the plan of merger or share exchange requires the signing in connection with the transaction, by each such shareholder, of a separate written consent to become subject to such new interest holder liability, unless in the case of a shareholder that already has interest holder liability with respect to such domestic corporation, (i) the new interest holder liability is with respect to a domestic or foreign corporation, which may be a different or the same domestic corporation in which the person is a shareholder, and (ii) the terms and conditions of the new interest holder liability are substantially identical to those of the existing interest holder liability, other than for changes that eliminate or reduce such interest holder liability.

K. Shares tendered in response to an offer shall be deemed, for purposes of subsection G, to have been purchased in accordance with the offer at the earliest time as of which the offeror has irrevocably accepted those shares for payment and either (i) in the case of shares represented by certificates, the offeror, or the offeror's designated depository or other agent, has physically received the certificates representing those shares or (ii) in the case of shares without certificates, those shares have been transferred into the account of the offeror or its designated depository or other agent, or an agent's message relating to those shares has been received by the offeror or its designated depository or other agent.

Code 1950, § 13.1-70; 1956, c. 428; 1975, c. 500; 1985, c. 522; 1991, c. 109; 2005, c. 765; 2006, cc. 363, 663; 2007, c. 165; 2010, c. 782; 2015, c. 611; 2019, c. 734; 2020, c. 1226; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 487.

A. As used in this section:

"Parent entity" means a domestic or foreign corporation or eligible entity that owns shares of a domestic corporation that possess at least 90 percent of the voting power of each class and series of the outstanding shares of the domestic corporation that have voting power.

"Subsidiary" means the domestic corporation whose outstanding shares are owned by a parent entity.

B. A parent entity may merge (i) a subsidiary into itself or another subsidiary or (ii) itself into a subsidiary without the approval of the board of directors or the shareholders of any subsidiary and, if the parent entity is a domestic corporation, without the approval of the shareholders of the parent entity, unless the articles of incorporation of any subsidiary or the articles of incorporation or the organic rules of the parent entity otherwise provide.

C. A parent entity may be a foreign corporation or eligible entity only if the merger is permitted under the laws by which the foreign corporation or eligible entity is organized.

D. The parent entity shall, within 10 days after the effective date of the merger, notify each of the subsidiary's shareholders that the merger has become effective.

E. Except as provided in subsections B and C, a merger under this section shall be governed by the provisions of this article applicable to mergers generally, including subsection J of § 13.1-718.

F. The articles of incorporation of the survivor shall not be altered or amended by a merger pursuant to this section, except for amendments permitted by § 13.1-706.

G. Two or more domestic corporations may be merged into a parent entity pursuant to this section.

Code 1950, § 13.1-76; 1956, c. 428; 1964, c. 417; 1968, c. 115; 1975, c. 500; 1985, c. 522; 1990, c. 230; 2005, c. 765; 2015, c. 611; 2019, c. 734; 2020, c. 1226.

A. As used in this section:

"Constituent corporation" means a corporation which, from the incorporation of the holding company until consummation of a merger governed by this section, was at all times the sole direct parent of the holding company and whose shares are converted into shares of the holding company in such merger.

"Holding company" means a corporation which, from its incorporation until consummation of a merger governed by this section, was at all times a direct wholly owned subsidiary of the constituent corporation and whose shares are issued in such merger in exchange for the shares of the constituent corporation.

"Indirect subsidiary" means a corporation which, from its incorporation until consummation of a merger governed by this section, was at all times a direct wholly owned subsidiary of the holding company.

B. Unless its articles of incorporation otherwise provide, a constituent corporation may merge an indirect subsidiary into itself, or may merge itself into an indirect subsidiary, without the approval of the shareholders of the constituent corporation or the board of directors or shareholders of the indirect subsidiary, if:

1. Such constituent corporation and indirect subsidiary are the only parties to the merger;

2. The provisions in the articles of incorporation and bylaws of the constituent corporation and the holding company immediately before the effective time of the merger are identical as they relate to:

a. The designation, number, and par value of each class and series of shares that are authorized, and the preferences, rights, and limitations of each class and series of shares;

b. Any terms of the shares that are dependent upon facts objectively ascertainable outside of the articles of incorporation or that vary among the holders of the same class or series;

c. The preemptive right of the shareholders to acquire unissued shares, provided, however, that if the constituent corporation was formed on or before December 31, 2005, and its articles of incorporation do not deny the preemptive right of its shareholders, and the holding company was formed after December 31, 2005, the articles of incorporation of the holding company must provide that its shareholders have the preemptive right to acquire the holding company's unissued shares to the same extent the shareholders of the constituent corporation had a preemptive right to acquire unissued shares of the constituent corporation;

d. The definition, limitation, and regulation of the powers of the corporation, its directors, and shareholders;

e. The management of the business and regulation of the affairs of the corporation; and

f. For purposes of subdivision 2 c, shares include any warrants, rights, or options to acquire any such shares or any security or other obligation of the corporation convertible into any such shares or into warrants, rights, or options to acquire any such shares;

3. Each share or fraction of a share of the constituent corporation outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the merger is converted in the merger into a share or equal fraction of a share of the holding company having the same preferences, rights, and limitations as the share or fraction of a share of the constituent corporation being converted in the merger;

4. Each right to acquire shares of the constituent corporation outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the merger is converted in the merger into a right to acquire shares of the holding company having the same preferences, rights, and limitations as the right to acquire shares of the constituent corporation being converted in the merger; and

5. The directors of the constituent corporation become or remain the directors of the holding company upon the effective time of the merger.

C. Notwithstanding any provision in this chapter to the contrary, a plan of merger adopted pursuant to this section may include:

1. If the indirect subsidiary is the survivor:

a. An amendment or restatement of the indirect subsidiary's articles of incorporation to change the name of the indirect subsidiary to a name that satisfies the requirements of this chapter; and

b. A provision that the shares of the holding company into which the shares of the constituent corporation are converted in the merger may be represented by the share certificates that previously represented shares of the constituent corporation, if the holding company adopts the former name of the constituent corporation by filing articles of amendment that are effective immediately following consummation of the merger; and

2. If the constituent corporation is the survivor:

a. An amendment or restatement of the constituent corporation's articles of incorporation:

(1) To change the name of the constituent corporation to a name that satisfies the requirements of this chapter;

(2) To delete any existing provisions that authorize the issuance of or relate to multiple classes or series of shares and to add one or more provisions that authorize a new, single class of shares with unlimited voting rights in lieu thereof;

(3) To delete any existing provision that provides for staggering the terms of directors pursuant to § 13.1-678; or

(4) To make any change permitted by § 13.1-706;

b. A provision that one or more of the directors of the constituent corporation immediately prior to the effective time of the merger will no longer be directors of the constituent corporation immediately following the effective time of the merger; and

c. A provision that the shares of the holding company into which the shares of the constituent corporation are converted in the merger may be represented by the share certificates that previously represented shares of the constituent corporation, if the constituent corporation adopts a new name in the merger that is distinguishable upon the records of the Commission and if the board of directors of the holding company, acting pursuant to § 13.1-706, adopts the former name of the constituent corporation by filing articles of amendment that are effective immediately following consummation of the merger.

D. Articles of merger filed with respect to a merger authorized by this section shall include a statement that the plan of merger did not require approval by the shareholders of the constituent corporation or by the board of directors or shareholders of the indirect subsidiary because the merger was authorized by this section and that the conditions specified in subsection B have been satisfied.

E. Except as provided in this section, a merger governed by this section shall comply with the provisions of this article applicable to mergers generally.

F. From and after the effective time of a merger adopted by a constituent corporation pursuant to this section:

1. To the extent the restrictions of § 13.1-725.1 or 13.1-728.2 applied to the constituent corporation and its shareholders immediately prior to the merger, such restrictions shall apply to the holding company and its shareholders immediately after the effective time of the merger as though it were the constituent corporation, and all shares of the holding company acquired in the merger shall for purposes of §§ 13.1-725.1 and 13.1-728.2 be deemed to have been acquired at the time that the shares of the constituent corporation converted in the merger were acquired, and provided further that:

a. Any shareholder who immediately prior to the effective time of the merger was not an interested shareholder within the meaning of § 13.1-725 shall not solely by reason of the merger become an interested shareholder of the holding company; and

b. Any shares which immediately prior to the effective time of the merger were not interested shares within the meaning of § 13.1-728.1 shall not solely by reason of the merger become interested shares of the holding company.

2. To the extent a shareholder of the constituent corporation immediately prior to the effective time of the merger had standing to institute or maintain a derivative proceeding on behalf of the constituent corporation, consummation of the merger shall not be deemed to limit or extinguish such standing.

3. To the extent a voting trust authorized by § 13.1-670, a voting agreement authorized by § 13.1-671, a shareholder agreement authorized by § 13.1-671.1, a proxy or any similar agreement or instrument applied to the constituent corporation, its shares or its shareholders immediately prior to the merger, such voting trust, voting agreement, shareholder agreement, proxy or other agreement or instrument shall apply to the holding company and its shares and shareholders immediately following consummation of the merger to the same extent that it applied to the constituent corporation and its shares and shareholders immediately prior to consummation of the merger.

2006, c. 363; 2015, c. 611; 2019, c. 734.

A. After a plan of merger or share exchange has been adopted and approved as required by this chapter, the corporation shall deliver to the Commission for filing articles of merger or share exchange signed on behalf of each party to the merger or share exchange, that shall set forth:

1. The plan of merger or share exchange;

2. The date the plan of merger or share exchange was adopted or approved by each domestic corporation that was a party to the merger or share exchange;

3. If the plan of merger or share exchange required approval by the shareholders of a domestic corporation that was a party to the merger or share exchange, either:

a. A statement that the plan was approved by the unanimous consent of the shareholders; or

b. A statement that the plan was submitted to the shareholders by the board of directors in accordance with this chapter and was duly approved by the shareholders in the manner required by this chapter and by the articles of incorporation;

4. If the plan of merger or share exchange was adopted by the board of directors without approval by the shareholders of a domestic corporation that was a party to the merger or share exchange, a statement that the plan of merger or share exchange was duly approved by the board of directors including the reason shareholder approval was not required and, in the case of a merger pursuant to § 13.1-719.1, the additional statements required by subsection D of § 13.1-719.1; and

5. As to each foreign corporation or foreign eligible entity that was a party to the merger or share exchange, a statement that the participation of the foreign corporation or foreign eligible entity was duly authorized as required by its organic law.

B. Articles of merger or share exchange shall be delivered to the Commission for filing by the survivor of the merger or the acquiring corporation in a share exchange. If the Commission finds that the articles of merger or share exchange comply with the requirements of law and that all required fees have been paid, it shall issue a certificate of merger or share exchange. Articles of merger or share exchange filed under this section may be combined with any filing required under the organic law of any domestic eligible entity involved in the transaction if the combined filing satisfies the requirements of both this section and the other organic law.

C. In the case of a merger pursuant to § 13.1-719 or 13.1-719.1:

1. The articles shall recite that the merger is being effected pursuant to § 13.1-719 or 13.1-719.1, as the case may be; and

2. The articles need only be signed on behalf of the parent corporation or the constituent corporation, as the case may be.

Code 1950, §§ 13.1-72, 13.1-73; 1956, c. 428; 1968, c. 114; 1975, c. 500; 1985, c. 522; 1992, c. 575; 2000, c. 53; 2003, c. 597; 2005, c. 765; 2006, c. 363; 2009, c. 216; 2010, c. 782; 2015, c. 611; 2019, c. 734.

A. When a merger becomes effective:

1. The domestic or foreign corporation or eligible entity that is designated in the plan of merger as the survivor continues or comes into existence as the case may be;

2. The separate existence of every domestic or foreign corporation or eligible entity that is merged into the survivor ceases;

3. All property owned by, and every contract right possessed by, each domestic or foreign corporation or eligible entity that merges into the survivor is vested in the survivor without transfer, reversion or impairment;

4. All debts, obligations, and liabilities of each domestic or foreign corporation or eligible entity that is merged into the survivor are debts, obligations, or liabilities of the survivor;

5. The name of the survivor may, but need not be, substituted in any pending proceeding for the name of any party to the merger whose separate existence ceased in the merger;

6. If the survivor is a domestic corporation, the articles of incorporation and bylaws of the survivor are amended to the extent provided in the plan of merger;

7. The articles of incorporation and bylaws of a survivor that is a domestic corporation created by the merger become effective;

8. The shares of each domestic or foreign corporation that is a party to the merger, and the eligible interests in a domestic or foreign eligible entity that is a party to the merger, that are to be converted under the plan of merger into shares, other securities, eligible interests, obligations, rights to acquire shares, other securities, or eligible interests, cash, other property or any combination of the foregoing, are converted, and the former holders of such shares or eligible interests are entitled only to the rights provided to them in the plan of merger or to any rights they may have under Article 15 (§ 13.1-729 et seq.) or the organic law governing the foreign corporation or domestic or foreign eligible entity;

9. Except as provided by law or the plan of merger, all the rights, privileges, franchises, and immunities of each entity that was a party to the merger, other than the survivor, are the rights, privileges, franchises, and immunities of the survivor; and

10. If the survivor existed before the merger:

a. All the property and contract rights of the survivor remain its property and contract rights without transfer, reversion, or impairment;

b. The survivor remains subject to all its debts, obligations, and other liabilities; and

c. Except as provided by law or the plan of merger, the survivor continues to hold all of its rights, privileges, franchises, and immunities.

B. When a share exchange becomes effective, the shares or eligible interests in the acquired entity that are to be exchanged for shares and other securities, eligible interests, obligations, rights to acquire shares, other securities, eligible interests, cash, other property, or any combination of the foregoing, are entitled only to the rights provided to them in the plan of share exchange or to any rights they may have under Article 15 (§ 13.1-729 et seq.) or under the organic law governing the acquired entity.

C. Except as otherwise provided in the articles of incorporation of a domestic corporation or the organic law governing or organic rules of a foreign corporation or a domestic or foreign eligible entity, the effect of a merger or share exchange on interest holder liability is as follows:

1. A person who becomes subject to a new interest holder liability in respect of an entity as a result of a merger or share exchange shall have that new interest holder liability only in respect of interest holder liabilities that arise after the merger or share exchange becomes effective.

2. If a person had interest holder liability with respect to a party to the merger or the acquired entity before the merger or share exchange becomes effective with respect to shares or eligible interests of such party or acquired entity that were (i) exchanged in the merger or share exchange, (ii) were canceled in the merger, or (iii) the terms and conditions of which relating to interest holder liability were amended pursuant to the merger:

a. The merger or share exchange does not discharge that prior interest holder liability with respect to any interest holder liabilities that arose before the merger or share exchange becomes effective.

b. The provisions of the organic law governing any entity for which the person had that prior interest holder liability shall continue to apply to the collection or discharge of any interest holder liabilities preserved by subdivision C 2 a, as if the merger or share exchange had not occurred.

c. The person shall have such rights of contribution from other persons as are provided by the organic law governing the entity for which the person had that prior interest holder liability with respect to any interest holder liabilities preserved by subdivision C 2 a, as if the merger or share exchange had not occurred.

d. The person shall not, by reason of such prior interest holder liability, have interest holder liability with respect to any interest holder liabilities that arise after the merger or share exchange becomes effective.

3. If a person has interest holder liability both before and after a merger becomes effective with unchanged terms and conditions with respect to the entity that is the survivor by reason of owning the same shares or eligible interests before and after the merger becomes effective, the merger has no effect on such interest holder liability.

4. A share exchange has no effect on interest holder liability related to shares or eligible interests of the acquired entity that were not exchanged in the share exchange.

D. Upon a merger becoming effective, a foreign corporation or a foreign eligible entity that is the survivor of the merger is deemed to:

1. Appoint the clerk of the Commission as its agent for service of process in any proceeding (i) to enforce the rights of shareholders of each domestic corporation that was a party to the merger who exercise appraisal rights or (ii) based on a cause of action against a nonsurviving domestic corporation arising during the time it was in existence under the laws of the Commonwealth, which service of process shall be made on the clerk in accordance with § 12.1-19.1; and

2. Agree that it will promptly pay the amount, if any, to which such shareholders are entitled under Article 15 (§ 13.1-729 et seq.).

E. No corporation that is required by law to be a domestic corporation, may, by merger, cease to be a domestic corporation, but every such corporation, even though a corporation of some other state, the United States or another country, shall also be a domestic corporation of the Commonwealth.

F. Except as provided in the organic law governing a party to a merger or in its articles of incorporation or organic rules, the merger does not give rise to any rights that a third party would have upon a dissolution, liquidation, or winding up of that party. The merger does not require a party to the merger to wind up the affairs of that party and does not constitute or cause its dissolution, termination, or cancellation.

G. A bequest, devise, gift, grant, or promise contained in a will or other instrument of donation, subscription, or conveyance that is made to an entity that is a party to a merger that is not the survivor and that takes effect or remains payable after the merger inures to the survivor.

H. A trust obligation that would govern property if transferred to a nonsurviving entity applies to property that is transferred to the survivor after a merger becomes effective.

Code 1950, § 13.1-74; 1956, c. 428; 1962, c. 44; 1975, c. 500; 1985, c. 522; 2005, c. 765; 2019, c. 734; 2020, c. 1226.