AB854: Bill Text

AB854,153,1 (b) That the proceeding continue under the control of the committee.

AB854,153,2 (c) That the proceeding be settled on terms approved by the committee.

AB854,153,3 (d) That the proceeding be dismissed.

AB854,153,15 (5) After making a determination under sub. (4), a special litigation committee shall file with the court a statement of its determination and its report supporting its determination and shall serve each party with a copy of the determination and report. The court shall determine whether the members of the committee were disinterested and independent and whether the committee conducted its investigation and made its recommendation in good faith, independently, and with reasonable care, with the committee having the burden of proof. If the court finds that the members of the committee were disinterested and independent and that the committee acted in good faith, independently, and with reasonable care, the court shall enforce the determination of the committee. Otherwise, the court shall dissolve the stay of discovery entered under sub. (1) and allow the action to continue under the control of the plaintiff.

AB854,153,18 179.0906 Proceeds and expenses. (1) (a) Except as otherwise provided in sub. (2), any proceeds or other benefits of a derivative action, whether by judgment, compromise, or settlement, belong to the limited partnership and not to the plaintiff.

AB854,153,20 (b) Except as otherwise provided in sub. (2), if the plaintiff receives any proceeds, the plaintiff shall remit them immediately to the partnership.

AB854,153,23 (2) If a derivative action is successful in whole or in part, the court may award the plaintiff reasonable expenses, including reasonable attorney fees and costs, from the recovery of the limited partnership.

AB854,153,24 subchapter X

AB854,153,25 FOREIGN LIMITED PARTNERSHIPS

AB854,154,2 179.1001 Governing law. (1) The governing law of a foreign limited partnership governs all of the following:

AB854,154,3 (a) The internal affairs of the partnership.

AB854,154,5 (b) The liability of a partner as partner for a debt, obligation, or other liability of the foreign partnership.

AB854,154,8 (2) A foreign limited partnership is not precluded from registering to do business in this state because of any difference between its governing law and the law of this state.

AB854,154,12 (3) Registration of a foreign limited partnership to do business in this state does not authorize the foreign partnership to engage in any activities and affairs or exercise any power that a limited partnership may not engage in or exercise in this state.

AB854,154,15 179.1002 Registration to do business in this state. (1) A foreign limited partnership may not do business in this state until it registers with the department under this chapter.

AB854,154,18 (2) A foreign limited partnership doing business in this state may not maintain an action or proceeding in this state unless it has registered to do business in this state.

AB854,154,22 (3) The failure of a foreign limited partnership to register to do business in this state does not impair the validity of a contract or act of the foreign partnership or its title to property in this state or preclude it from defending an action or proceeding in this state.

AB854,154,25 (4) A limitation on the liability of a general partner or limited partner of a foreign limited partnership is not waived solely because the foreign partnership does business in this state without registering to do business in this state.

AB854,155,2 (5) Section 179.1001 (1) and (2) applies even if a foreign limited partnership fails to register under this subchapter.

AB854,155,6 (5m) (a) A foreign limited partnership that does business in this state without registering to do business in this state is liable to this state, for each year or any part of a year during which it did business in this state without registration, in an amount equal to all of the following:

AB854,155,9 1. All fees and other charges that would have been imposed by this chapter on the foreign limited partnership had it properly filed a foreign registration statement as required by this section and thereafter filed all reports required by this chapter.

AB854,155,10 2. Fifty percent of the amount owed under subd. 1 or $5,000, whichever is less.

AB854,155,15 (b) The foreign limited partnership shall pay the amount owed under par. (a) to the department, and the department may not file a foreign registration statement for the foreign limited partnership until the amount owed is paid. The attorney general may enforce a foreign limited partnership's obligation to pay to the department any amount owed under this subsection.

AB854,155,18 179.1003 Foreign registration statement. To register to do business in this state, a foreign limited partnership must deliver a foreign registration statement to the department for filing. The statement must state all of the following:

AB854,155,20 (1) The name of the partnership and, if the name does not comply with s. 179.0114, a fictitious name adopted pursuant to s. 179.1006 (1).

AB854,155,21 (2) That the partnership is a foreign limited partnership.

AB854,155,22 (3) The jurisdiction of the partnership's governing law.

AB854,156,2 (4) The street and mailing addresses of the partnership's principal office and, if the partnership's governing law requires the partnership to maintain an office in the jurisdiction of such governing law, the street and mailing addresses of the required office.

AB854,156,4 (5) The street address of the partnership's registered office in this state and the name and e-mail address of its registered agent at that office.

AB854,156,7 179.1004 Amendment of foreign registration statement. A registered foreign limited partnership shall deliver to the department for filing an amendment to its foreign registration statement if there is a change in any of the following:

AB854,156,10 (1) The name of the partnership and, if the name of the partnership filing an amendment does not comply with s. 179.0114, a fictitious name adopted pursuant to s. 179.1006 (1).

AB854,156,11 (1r) The cessation of the partnership's status as a foreign limited partnership.

AB854,156,12 (2) The jurisdiction of the partnership's governing law.

AB854,156,13 (3) An address required by s. 179.1003 (4).

AB854,156,15 (4) The information required by s. 179.1003 (5), unless such information has previously been changed pursuant to s. 179.0118, 179.0209, or 179.0212.

AB854,156,18 179.1005 Activities not constituting doing business. (1) Activities of a foreign limited partnership which do not constitute doing business in this state under this subchapter include all of the following:

AB854,156,20 (a) Maintaining, defending, mediating, arbitrating, or settling an action or proceeding.

AB854,156,22 (b) Carrying on any activity concerning its internal affairs, including holding meetings of its partners.

AB854,156,23 (c) Maintaining accounts in financial institutions.

AB854,157,3 (d) Maintaining offices or agencies for the transfer, exchange, and registration of securities of the partnership or maintaining trustees or depositaries with respect to those securities.

AB854,157,4 (e) Selling through independent contractors.

AB854,157,6 (f) Soliciting or obtaining orders by any means if the orders require acceptance outside this state before they become contracts.

AB854,157,8 (g) Creating or acquiring indebtedness, mortgages, or security interests in property.

AB854,157,10 (h) Securing or collecting debts or enforcing mortgages or security interests in property securing the debts and holding, protecting, or maintaining property.

AB854,157,12 (i) Conducting an isolated transaction that is not in the course of similar transactions.

AB854,157,13 (j) Owning, without more, property.

AB854,157,14 (k) Doing business in interstate commerce.

AB854,157,16 (2) A person does not do business in this state solely by being a partner of a foreign limited partnership that does business in this state.

AB854,157,19 (3) This section does not apply in determining the contacts or activities that may subject a foreign limited partnership to service of process, taxation, or regulation under law of this state other than this chapter.

AB854,157,25 179.1006 Noncomplying name of foreign limited partnership. (1) A foreign limited partnership whose name does not comply with s. 179.0114 may not register to do business in this state until it adopts, for the purpose of doing business in this state, a fictitious name that complies with s. 179.0114. After registering to do business in this state with a fictitious name, the partnership shall only do business in this state under the fictitious name.

AB854,158,4 (2) If a registered foreign limited partnership changes its name to one that does not comply with s. 179.0114, it may not do business in this state until it complies with sub. (1) by amending its registration to adopt a fictitious name that complies with s. 179.0114.

AB854,158,11 179.1007 Withdrawal deemed on conversion to or merger into domestic filing entity or domestic limited liability partnership. A registered foreign limited partnership that converts to, or merges into, a domestic limited liability partnership or to or into a domestic entity whose formation requires the delivery of a record to the department for filing is deemed to have withdrawn its registration on the effective date of the conversion or merger, unless the registration is transferred to such partnership pursuant to s. 179.1009.

AB854,158,18 179.1008 Withdrawal on dissolution or conversion to nonfiling entity other than limited liability partnership. (1) (a) A registered foreign limited partnership that has dissolved and completed winding up or has converted to, or merged into, a domestic or foreign entity whose formation does not require the delivery of a record for filing by the department, other than a limited liability partnership, shall deliver a statement of withdrawal to the department for filing, as provided in s. 179.1011.

AB854,158,21 (b) In the case of a merger or conversion, the statement under par. (a) must also state the name and type of entity to which or into which the partnership has converted or merged and the jurisdiction of its governing law.

AB854,158,25 (2) After a withdrawal under this section is effective, service of process in any action or proceeding based on a cause of action arising during the time the foreign limited partnership was registered to do business in this state may be made pursuant to s. 179.0121, as provided in s. 179.1011 (2).

AB854,159,6 179.1009 Transfer of registration. (1) When a registered foreign limited partnership has merged into a foreign entity that is not registered to do business in this state or has converted to a foreign entity required to register with the department to do business in this state, the foreign entity shall deliver to the department for filing an application for transfer of registration. The application must state all of the following:

AB854,159,8 (a) The name of the registered foreign limited partnership before the merger or conversion.

AB854,159,10 (b) That before the merger or conversion the registration pertained to a foreign limited partnership.

AB854,159,13 (c) The name of the applicant foreign entity into which the foreign limited partnership has merged or to which it has been converted and, if the name does not comply with s. 179.0114, a fictitious name adopted pursuant to s. 179.1006 (1).

AB854,159,15 (d) The type of entity of the applicant foreign entity and the jurisdiction of its governing law.

AB854,159,19 (e) The street and mailing addresses of the principal office of the applicant foreign entity and, if the foreign limited partnership's governing law requires the entity to maintain an office in the jurisdiction of that governing law, the street and mailing addresses of that office.

AB854,159,21 (f) The street address of the applicant foreign entity's registered office in this state and the name and e-mail address of its registered agent at that address.

AB854,159,25 (2) When an application for transfer of registration takes effect, the registration of the foreign limited partnership to do business in this state is transferred without interruption to the foreign entity into which the partnership has merged or to which it has been converted.

AB854,160,3 179.10101 Grounds for termination. (1) The department may terminate the registration of a registered foreign limited partnership in the manner provided in s. 179.10102 if any of the following applies:

AB854,160,5 (a) The foreign limited partnership fails to file its annual report with the department within 4 months after it is due.

AB854,160,7 (b) The foreign limited partnership does not pay, within 4 months after they are due, any fees or penalties due the department under this chapter.

AB854,160,9 (c) The foreign limited partnership is without a registered agent or registered office in this state for at least 6 months.

AB854,160,13 (d) The foreign limited partnership does not inform the department under s. 179.0118 or 179.0119 that its registered agent or registered office has changed, that its registered agent has resigned, or that its registered office has been discontinued, within 6 months of the change, resignation, or discontinuance.

AB854,160,15 (e) The foreign limited partnership's statement of foreign registration contains fraudulent or materially false information.

AB854,160,19 (f) The department receives a duly authenticated certificate from the secretary of state or other official having custody of limited partnership records in the jurisdiction of the foreign limited partnership's governing law stating that it has been dissolved or disappeared as the result of a merger or other event.

AB854,160,20 (g) The foreign limited partnership violates s. 940.302 (2) or 948.051 (2).

AB854,160,24 (2) If the department receives a certificate under sub. (1) (f) and a statement by the foreign limited partnership that the certificate is submitted to terminate its authority to do business in this state, the department shall terminate the foreign limited partnership's registration under s. 179.10102 (2) (b).

AB854,161,4 (3) A court may terminate under s. 946.87 the registration of a foreign limited partnership authorized to transact business in this state. The court shall notify the department of the action, and the department shall terminate the foreign limited partnership's registration under s. 179.10102.

AB854,161,9 179.10102 Procedure for and effect of termination. (1) If the department determines that one or more grounds exist under s. 179.10101 for termination of a foreign limited partnership's registration, the department may give the foreign limited partnership notice of the determination. The notice shall be in writing and addressed to the registered agent of the foreign limited partnership.

AB854,161,13 (2) (a) Within 60 days after the notice under sub. (1) takes effect under s. 179.0103 (7m), the foreign limited partnership shall, with respect to each ground for termination, either correct it or demonstrate to the reasonable satisfaction of the department that it does not exist.

AB854,161,20 (b) If the foreign limited partnership fails to satisfy par. (a), the department may terminate the foreign limited partnership's registration by entering a notation in the department's records to reflect each ground for termination and the effective date of the termination. The department shall give the foreign limited partnership notice of each ground for termination and the effective date of the termination. The notice shall be in writing and addressed to the registered agent of the foreign limited partnership in this state.

AB854,161,23 (c) 1. The department shall reinstate the registration if the foreign limited partnership does all of the following within 6 months after the effective date of the termination:

AB854,161,24 a. Corrects each ground for termination.

AB854,162,2 b. Pays any fees or penalties due the department under this chapter or $5,000, whichever is less.

AB854,162,5 2. A reinstatement under this paragraph shall relate back to and take effect as of the effective date of the termination, and the foreign limited partnership may resume carrying on its business as if the termination never occurred.

AB854,162,9 (3) (a) If a notice under sub. (1) or (2) (b) is returned to the department as undeliverable, the department shall again give notice to the foreign limited partnership. Except as provided under par. (b), the notice shall be in writing and addressed to the principal office of the foreign limited partnership.

AB854,162,13 (b) If the notice under par. (a) is returned to the department as undeliverable or if the foreign limited partnership's principal office cannot be determined from the records of the department, the department shall give notice by posting the notice on the department's Internet site.

AB854,162,16 (4) The authority of a foreign limited partnership to transact business in this state, other than as provided in s. 179.1005 (1) and (2), ends on the effective date of the termination of its registration.

AB854,162,22 (5) If the department or a court terminates a foreign limited partnership's registration, the foreign limited partnership may be served under s. 179.0121(2) or (3) or the foreign limited partnership's registered agent may be served until the registered agent's authority is terminated, in any civil, criminal, administrative, or investigatory proceeding based on a cause of action which arose while the foreign limited partnership was authorized to do business in this state.

AB854,162,24 (6) Termination of a foreign limited partnership's registration does not terminate the authority of its registered agent.

AB854,163,8 179.10103 Appeal from termination. (1) A foreign limited partnership may appeal the department's termination of its registration under s. 179.10102 to the circuit court for the county where the foreign limited partnership's principal office or, if none in this state, the office of its registered agent is located, within 30 days after the notice of termination takes effect under s. 179.0103 (7m). The foreign limited partnership shall appeal by petitioning the court to set aside the termination and attaching to the petition copies of its registration and the department's notice of termination.

AB854,163,10 (2) The court may order the department to reinstate the registration or may take any other action that the court considers appropriate.

AB854,163,11 (3) The court's final decision may be appealed as in other civil proceedings.

AB854,163,15 179.1011 Withdrawal of registration of registered foreign limited partnership. (1) A registered foreign limited partnership may withdraw its registration by delivering a statement of withdrawal to the department for filing. The statement of withdrawal must state all of the following: