SCHEDULE 1
Regulation 2
MODEL ARTICLES FOR PRIVATE COMPANIES LIMITED BY SHARES
PART 1
INTERPRETATION AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
1. Defined terms
In the articles, unless the context requires otherwise—
“articles” means the company’s articles of association;
“bankruptcy” includes individual insolvency proceedings in a jurisdiction other than England and Wales or Northern Ireland which have an effect similar to that of bankruptcy;
“chairman” has the meaning given in article 12;
“chairman of the meeting” has the meaning given in article 39;
“Companies Acts” means the Companies Acts (as defined in section 2 of the Companies Act 2006), in so far as they apply to the company;
“director” means a director of the company, and includes any person occupying the position of director, by whatever name called;
“distribution recipient” has the meaning given in article 31;
“document” includes, unless otherwise specified, any document sent or supplied in electronic form;
“electronic form” has the meaning given in section 1168 of the Companies Act 2006;
“fully paid” in relation to a share, means that the nominal value and any premium to be paid to the company in respect of that share have been paid to the company;
“hard copy form” has the meaning given in section 1168 of the Companies Act 2006;
“holder” in relation to shares means the person whose name is entered in the register of members as the holder of the shares;
“instrument” means a document in hard copy form;
“ordinary resolution” has the meaning given in section 282 of the Companies Act 2006;
“paid” means paid or credited as paid;
“participate”, in relation to a directors’ meeting, has the meaning given in article 10;
“proxy notice” has the meaning given in article 45;
“shareholder” means a person who is the holder of a share;
“shares” means shares in the company;
“special resolution” has the meaning given in section 283 of the Companies Act 2006;
“subsidiary” has the meaning given in section 1159 of the Companies Act 2006;
“transmittee” means a person entitled to a share by reason of the death or bankruptcy of a shareholder or otherwise by operation of law; and
“writing” means the representation or reproduction of words, symbols or other information in a visible form by any method or combination of methods, whether sent or supplied in electronic form or otherwise.
Unless the context otherwise requires, other words or expressions contained in these articles bear the same meaning as in the Companies Act 2006 as in force on the date when these articles become binding on the company.
2. Liability of members
The liability of the members is limited to the amount, if any, unpaid on the shares held by them.
PART 2
DIRECTORS
DIRECTORS’ POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
3. Directors’ general authority
Subject to the articles, the directors are responsible for the management of the company’s business, for which purpose they may exercise all the powers of the company.
4. Shareholders’ reserve power
(1) The shareholders may, by special resolution, direct the directors to take, or refrain from taking, specified action.
(2) No such special resolution invalidates anything which the directors have done before the passing of the resolution.
5. Directors may delegate
(1) Subject to the articles, the directors may delegate any of the powers which are conferred on them under the articles—
(a)
(a) to such person or committee;
(b)
(b) by such means (including by power of attorney);
(c)
(c) to such an extent;
(d)
(d) in relation to such matters or territories; and
(e)
(e) on such terms and conditions;
as they think fit.
(2) If the directors so specify, any such delegation may authorise further delegation of the directors’ powers by any person to whom they are delegated.
(3) The directors may revoke any delegation in whole or part, or alter its terms and conditions.
6. Committees
(1) Committees to which the directors delegate any of their powers must follow procedures which are based as far as they are applicable on those provisions of the articles which govern the taking of decisions by directors.
(2) The directors may make rules of procedure for all or any committees, which prevail over rules derived from the articles if they are not consistent with them.
DECISION-MAKING BY DIRECTORS
7. Directors to take decisions collectively
(1) The general rule about decision-making by directors is that any decision of the directors must be either a majority decision at a meeting or a decision taken in accordance with article 8.
(2) If—
(a)
(a) the company only has one director, and
(b)
(b) no provision of the articles requires it to have more than one director,
the general rule does not apply, and the director may take decisions without regard to any of the provisions of the articles relating to directors’ decision-making.
8. Unanimous decisions
(1) A decision of the directors is taken in accordance with this article when all eligible directors indicate to each other by any means that they share a common view on a matter.
(2) Such a decision may take the form of a resolution in writing, copies of which have been signed by each eligible director or to which each eligible director has otherwise indicated agreement in writing.
(3) References in this article to eligible directors are to directors who would have been entitled to vote on the matter had it been proposed as a resolution at a directors’ meeting.
(4) A decision may not be taken in accordance with this article if the eligible directors would not have formed a quorum at such a meeting.
9. Calling a directors’ meeting
(1) Any director may call a directors’ meeting by giving notice of the meeting to the directors or by authorising the company secretary (if any) to give such notice.
(2) Notice of any directors’ meeting must indicate—
(a)
(a) its proposed date and time;
(b)
(b) where it is to take place; and
(c)
(c) if it is anticipated that directors participating in the meeting will not be in the same place, how it is proposed that they should communicate with each other during the meeting.
(3) Notice of a directors’ meeting must be given to each director, but need not be in writing.
(4) Notice of a directors’ meeting need not be given to directors who waive their entitlement to notice of that meeting, by giving notice to that effect to the company not more than 7 days after the date on which the meeting is held. Where such notice is given after the meeting has been held, that does not affect the validity of the meeting, or of any business conducted at it.
10. Participation in directors’ meetings
(1) Subject to the articles, directors participate in a directors’ meeting, or part of a directors’ meeting, when—
(a)
(a) the meeting has been called and takes place in accordance with the articles, and
(b)
(b) they can each communicate to the others any information or opinions they have on any particular item of the business of the meeting.
(2) In determining whether directors are participating in a directors’ meeting, it is irrelevant where any director is or how they communicate with each other.
(3) If all the directors participating in a meeting are not in the same place, they may decide that the meeting is to be treated as taking place wherever any of them is.
11. Quorum for directors’ meetings
(1) At a directors’ meeting, unless a quorum is participating, no proposal is to be voted on, except a proposal to call another meeting.
(2) The quorum for directors’ meetings may be fixed from time to time by a decision of the directors, but it must never be less than two, and unless otherwise fixed it is two.
(3) If the total number of directors for the time being is less than the quorum required, the directors must not take any decision other than a decision—
(a)
(a) to appoint further directors, or
(b)
(b) to call a general meeting so as to enable the shareholders to appoint further directors.
12. Chairing of directors’ meetings
(1) The directors may appoint a director to chair their meetings.
(2) The person so appointed for the time being is known as the chairman.
(3) The directors may terminate the chairman’s appointment at any time.
(4) If the chairman is not participating in a directors’ meeting within ten minutes of the time at which it was to start, the participating directors must appoint one of themselves to chair it.
13. Casting vote
(1) If the numbers of votes for and against a proposal are equal, the chairman or other director chairing the meeting has a casting vote.
(2) But this does not apply if, in accordance with the...
