Virginia Law

Article 7.1. Merger.

A. Pursuant to a written plan of merger, a domestic limited partnership that has filed a certificate of limited partnership with the Commission that is not canceled may merge with one or more domestic or foreign partnerships, limited partnerships, limited liability companies, business trusts or corporations if:

1. The merger is not prohibited by the partnership agreement of any domestic limited partnership that is a party to the merger, and each domestic limited partnership party to the merger approves the plan of merger in accordance with § 50-73.48:2 and complies with the terms of its partnership agreement;

2. Each domestic partnership that is a party to the merger complies with the applicable provisions of Article 9 (§ 50-73.124 et seq.) of Chapter 2.2 of this title;

3. Each domestic limited liability company that is a party to the merger complies with the applicable provisions of Article 13 (§ 13.1-1069.1 et seq.) of Chapter 12 of Title 13.1;

4. Each domestic business trust that is a party to the merger complies with the applicable provisions of Article 11 (§ 13.1-1257 et seq.) of Chapter 14 of Title 13.1;

5. Each domestic corporation that is a party to the merger complies with the applicable provisions of Article 12 (§ 13.1-715.1 et seq.) of Chapter 9 of Title 13.1;

6. The merger is permitted by the laws under which each foreign partnership, limited partnership, foreign limited liability company, foreign business trust, and foreign corporation party to the merger is formed, organized or incorporated, and each such foreign partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, business trust or corporation complies with those laws in effecting the merger; and

7. No partner of a domestic limited partnership that is a party to the merger will, as a result of the merger, become personally liable for the liabilities or obligations of any other person or entity unless that partner approves the plan of merger or otherwise consents to becoming personally liable.

B. The plan of merger shall set forth:

1. The name of each domestic or foreign limited partnership, limited liability company, business trust or corporation planning to merge and the name of the surviving domestic or foreign partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, business trust or corporation into which each other domestic or foreign partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, business trust or corporation plans to merge;

2. The name of the state or country under whose law each domestic or foreign partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, business trust or corporation planning to merge is formed, organized or incorporated and the name of the state or country of formation, organization or incorporation of the surviving domestic or foreign partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, business trust or corporation;

3. The terms and conditions of the merger; and

4. The manner and basis of converting the partnership interests of each domestic partnership or limited partnership, the membership interests of each domestic limited liability company, the shares of beneficial interest of each domestic business trust, and the shares of each domestic corporation party to the merger into partnership interests, membership interests, shares of beneficial interest, shares, obligations or other securities of the surviving or any other domestic or foreign partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, business trust, or corporation or into cash or other property in whole or in part, and the manner and basis of converting rights to acquire the partnership interests of each domestic partnership or limited partnership, the membership interests of each domestic limited liability company, the shares of beneficial interest of each domestic business trust, and the shares of each domestic corporation party to the merger into rights to acquire partnership interests, membership interests, shares of beneficial interest, shares, obligations or other securities of the surviving or any other domestic or foreign partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, business trust or corporation or into cash or other property in whole or in part.

C. The plan of merger may set forth:

1. If a domestic limited partnership is to be the surviving entity, amendments to the certificate of limited partnership or partnership agreement of that limited partnership;

2. If the merger is not to be effective upon the issuance of the certificate of merger described in subsection C of § 50-73.48:3 by the Commission, the future effective date or time of the merger; and

3. Other provisions relating to the merger.

1992, c. 575; 1997, c. 190; 2003, c. 340; 2005, c. 765; 2007, c. 631; 2016, c. 288.

A. Each domestic limited partnership that is to be a party to a proposed merger shall approve the proposed merger, unless the partnership agreement of that limited partnership provides otherwise, by the unanimous vote of the partners of the partnership. However, a provision of a limited partnership's partnership agreement purporting to authorize the limited partnership to approve a merger by a less than unanimous vote of the partners shall be effective to permit approval of a merger by a less than unanimous vote only if either (i) the partnership agreement included that provision at the time each partner who does not vote in favor of the merger became bound by the agreement, or (ii) the provision was added to the partnership agreement through an amendment to which each partner who does not vote in favor of the merger specifically consented.

B. A plan of merger may provide for the manner, if any, in which the plan may be amended at any time before the effective date of the certificate of merger issued by the Commission for the merger.

C. If an amendment to a plan of merger is made in accordance with subsection B of this section, and articles of merger already have been filed with the Commission, amended articles of merger shall be filed with the Commission before the effective date of any certificate of merger issued by the Commission for the articles of merger which the amended articles are to supersede.

D. Unless the domestic limited partnership's partnership agreement or the plan of merger provides otherwise, after the merger has been authorized and at any time before the effective date of the certificate of merger issued by the Commission for the merger, the merger may be abandoned by the affirmative vote of all general partners of the domestic limited partnership, subject to any contractual rights, without further action by the limited partners, in accordance with the procedure set forth in the plan or, if none is set forth, in the manner determined by the general partners of each domestic limited partnership party to the merger. If articles of merger already have been filed with the Commission, written notice of abandonment must be filed with the Commission before the effective date of the certificate of merger.

1992, c. 575.

A. After a plan of merger is approved by each domestic or foreign limited partnership, limited liability company, business trust or corporation that is a party to the merger, the surviving domestic or foreign partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, business trust or corporation shall file with the Commission articles of merger executed by each party to the merger setting forth:

1. The plan of merger;

2. If the surviving entity of the merger is a foreign limited liability partnership not registered with the Commission pursuant to § 50-73.138, a foreign limited partnership without a certificate of registration issued by the Commission pursuant to § 50-73.54, a foreign limited liability company without a certificate of registration issued by the Commission pursuant to § 13.1-1052, a foreign business trust without a certificate of registration issued by the Commission pursuant to § 13.1-1242 or a foreign corporation without a certificate of authority issued by the Commission pursuant to § 13.1-759, the address, including street and number, if any, of its principal office under the laws of the jurisdiction in which it was formed, organized or incorporated;

3. A statement that the plan of merger was adopted by each domestic partnership party to the merger in accordance with § 50-73.128, each domestic limited partnership party to the merger in accordance with § 50-73.48:2, each domestic business trust party to the merger in accordance with § 13.1-1258, and by each domestic limited liability company party to the merger in accordance with § 13.1-1071; and

4. If a domestic corporation is a party to the merger, any additional information required by § 13.1-720.

B. If a foreign partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, business trust or corporation is a party to the merger, the articles of merger shall contain a statement that the merger is permitted by the state or other jurisdiction under whose law the partnership, limited partnership or business trust is formed, the limited liability company is organized or the corporation is incorporated and that the foreign partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, business trust or corporation has complied with that law in effecting the merger.

C. If the Commission finds that the articles of merger comply with the requirements of law and that all required fees have been paid, it shall issue a certificate of merger, which shall become effective pursuant to the provisions of subsection C of § 50-73.17.

D. A certificate of merger shall act as a certificate of cancellation as described in § 50-73.52:4 for a domestic limited partnership that is not the surviving party to the merger, and such limited partnership's existence shall be canceled upon the effective time and date of the certificate of merger.

1992, c. 575; 1997, c. 190; 2003, cc. 340, 597; 2004, c. 274; 2007, c. 631; 2008, c. 586.

When a merger takes effect:

1. The separate existence of every domestic limited partnership that is a party to the merger except the surviving domestic limited partnership, if any, ceases;

2. The title to all real estate and other property owned by each domestic limited partnership party to the merger is vested in the surviving domestic or foreign partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, business trust or corporation without reversion or impairment;

3. The surviving domestic or foreign partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, business trust or corporation has all liabilities of each domestic limited partnership party to the merger;

4. A proceeding pending by or against any domestic limited partnership party to the merger may be continued as if the merger had not occurred, or the surviving domestic or foreign partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, business trust or corporation may be substituted in the proceeding for the domestic limited partnership whose existence ceased;

5. If a domestic limited partnership is the surviving entity of the merger, the certificate of limited partnership and partnership agreement of that limited partnership is amended to the extent provided in the plan of merger; and

6. The former holders of partnership interests of every domestic limited partnership party to the merger are entitled only to the rights provided in the plan of merger.

1992, c. 575; 1997, c. 190; 2003, c. 340.

A. Unless otherwise provided in the plan of merger or in the laws under which a foreign limited partnership or a domestic or foreign other business entity that is a party to a merger is organized or by which it is governed, after a plan of merger has been approved as required by this article, and at any time before the certificate of merger has become effective, the plan may be abandoned by a domestic limited partnership that is a party to the plan without action by its partners in accordance with any procedures set forth in the plan or, if no procedures are set forth in the plan, by a vote of the partners of the limited partnership that is equal to or greater than the vote cast for the plan pursuant to § 50-73.48:2, subject to any contractual rights of other parties to the plan of merger.

B. If a merger is abandoned after articles of merger have been filed with the Commission but before the certificate of merger has become effective, in order for the certificate of merger to be abandoned, all parties to the plan of merger shall sign a statement of abandonment and deliver it to the Commission for filing prior to the effective time and date of the certificate of merger. If the Commission finds that the statement of abandonment complies with the requirements of law, it shall issue a certificate of abandonment, effective as of the date and time the statement of abandonment was received by the Commission, and the merger shall be deemed abandoned and shall not become effective.

C. The statement of abandonment shall contain:

1. The name of each domestic and foreign limited partnership and other business entity that is a party to the merger and its jurisdiction of formation and entity type;

2. When the survivor will be a domestic stock or nonstock corporation created by the merger, the name of the survivor set forth in the articles of merger;

3. The date on which the articles of merger were filed with the Commission;

4. The date and time on which the Commission's certificate of merger becomes effective; and

5. A statement that the merger is being abandoned in accordance with this section.

2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 487.