180.0301(1)(1) A corporation incorporated under this chapter has the purpose of engaging in any lawful business unless a more limited purpose is set forth in its articles of incorporation.
180.0301(2)
(2) A corporation engaging in a business that is subject to regulation under another statute of this state may incorporate under this chapter only if not prohibited by, and subject to all limitations of, the other statute.
180.0301 History
History: 1989 a. 303.
180.0302
180.0302
General powers. Unless its articles of incorporation provide otherwise, a corporation has perpetual duration and succession in its corporate name and has the same powers as a natural person to do all things necessary or convenient to carry out its business and affairs, including but not limited to power to do all of the following:
180.0302(1)
(1) Sue and be sued, complain and defend in its corporate name.
180.0302(2)
(2) Have a corporate seal, which may be altered at will, and to use it, or a facsimile of it, by impressing or affixing it or in any other manner reproducing it.
180.0302(3)
(3) Make and amend bylaws, not inconsistent with its articles of incorporation or with the laws of this state, for managing the business and regulating the affairs of the corporation.
180.0302(4)
(4) Purchase, receive, lease or otherwise acquire, and own, hold, improve, use and otherwise deal with, property or any legal or equitable interest in property, wherever located.
180.0302(5)
(5) Sell, convey, mortgage, pledge, lease, exchange and otherwise dispose of all or any part of its property.
180.0302(6)
(6) Purchase, receive, subscribe for or otherwise acquire, and own, hold, vote, use, sell, mortgage, lend, pledge or otherwise dispose of and deal in and with shares or other interests in, or obligations of, any other entity.
180.0302(7)
(7) Make contracts and guarantees; incur liabilities; borrow money; issue its notes, bonds and other obligations, which may be convertible into or include the option to purchase other securities of the corporation; and secure any of its obligations by mortgage or pledge of any of its property, franchises or income.
180.0302(8)
(8) Lend money, invest and reinvest its funds and receive and hold property as security for repayment.
180.0302(9)
(9) Be a promoter, partner, member, associate or manager of an entity.
180.0302(10)
(10) Conduct its business, locate offices and exercise the powers granted by this chapter in or outside this state.
180.0302(11)
(11) Elect directors and appoint officers, employees and agents of the corporation, define their duties, fix their compensation and, subject to
s. 180.0832, lend them money and credit.
180.0302(12)
(12) Pay pensions and establish pension plans, pension trusts, profit-sharing plans, share bonus plans, share option plans and benefit or incentive plans for any or all of its current or former directors, officers, employees and agents of the corporation and its subsidiaries.
180.0302(13)
(13) Make donations and otherwise devote its resources for the public welfare or for charitable, scientific, educational, humanitarian, philanthropic or religious purposes.
180.0302(14)
(14) Transact any lawful business that will aid governmental policy.
180.0302(15)
(15) Make payments or donations, or do any other act, not prohibited by law, that furthers the business and affairs of the corporation.
180.0302(16)
(16) Provide benefits or payments to directors, officers and employees of the corporation or its subsidiaries, and to their estates, families, dependents or beneficiaries, in recognition of the past services of the directors, officers and employees to the corporation or its subsidiaries.
180.0302 History
History: 1989 a. 303.
180.0302 Annotation
A ch. 180 corporation cannot offer general trust services to the public, notwithstanding compliance with 223.105.
78 Atty. Gen. 153.
180.0303(2)
(2) In anticipation of or during an emergency, the board of directors of a corporation may do all of the following:
180.0303(2)(a)
(a) Modify lines of succession to accommodate the incapacity of any director, officer, employee or agent.
180.0303(2)(b)
(b) Relocate the principal office or designate alternative principal offices or regional offices, or authorize the officers to do so.
180.0303(3)
(3) Unless emergency bylaws adopted under
s. 180.0207 provide otherwise, all of the following apply to a meeting of the board of directors during an emergency:
180.0303(3)(a)
(a) Notwithstanding
s. 180.0822 (2), the corporation need give notice of the meeting only to those directors whom it is practicable to reach, and the corporation may give notice in any practicable manner, including by publication and radio.
180.0303(3)(b)
(b) Notwithstanding
s. 180.0824 (1) and
(2), one or more officers of the corporation present at a meeting of the board of directors may be considered to be directors for the meeting in order of rank and within the same rank in order of seniority, as necessary to achieve a quorum.
180.0303(4)
(4) Notwithstanding
ss. 180.0828,
180.0831 and
180.0833, corporate action taken in good faith in anticipation of or during an emergency under this section to further the ordinary business affairs of the corporation binds the corporation and may not be used to impose liability on a corporate director, officer, employee or agent.
180.0303 History
History: 1989 a. 303;
1991 a. 16.
180.0304
180.0304
Lack of corporate power. 180.0304(1)
(1) Except as provided in
sub. (2), the validity of any corporate action or any conveyance or transfer of property to or by the corporation may not be challenged on the ground that the corporation lacks or lacked power to act.
180.0304(2)
(2) A corporation's power to act may be challenged in any of the following proceedings:
180.0304(2)(a)
(a) In a proceeding by a shareholder against the corporation to enjoin the act.
180.0304(2)(b)
(b) In a proceeding by the corporation, directly, derivatively or through a receiver, trustee or other legal representative, against an incumbent or former director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation.
180.0304(3)
(3) In a shareholder's proceeding under
sub. (2) (a) to enjoin an unauthorized corporate act, the court may enjoin or set aside the act, if equitable and if all affected persons are parties to the proceeding, and the court may award damages for loss, other than loss of anticipated profits, suffered by the corporation or another party because of enjoining the unauthorized act.
180.0304 History
History: 1989 a. 303.
NAME
180.0401(1)(a)1.
1. Shall contain the word "corporation", "incorporated", "company" or "limited" or the abbreviation "corp.", "inc.", "co." or "ltd." or words or abbreviations of like import in another language, except as provided in
par. (b) or
s. 180.1907.
180.0401(1)(a)2.
2. May not contain language stating or implying that the corporation is organized for a purpose other than that permitted by
s. 180.0301 and its articles of incorporation.
180.0401(1)(b)
(b) A corporation in existence on January 1, 1991, need not change its name to comply with
par. (a) 1.
180.0401(2)(a)(a) Except as provided in
subs. (3) and
(4), the corporate name of a domestic corporation must be distinguishable upon the records of the department from all of the following names:
180.0401(2)(a)1.
1. The corporate name of a domestic corporation or a foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this state.
180.0401(2)(a)3.
3. The corporate name of a dissolved corporation or a dissolved nonstock corporation that has retained the exclusive use of its name under
s. 180.1405 (3) or
181.1405 (3), respectively.
180.0401(2)(a)4.
4. The fictitious name adopted by a foreign corporation or a foreign nonstock corporation authorized to transact business in this state.
180.0401(2)(a)5.
5. The corporate name of a nonstock corporation incorporated in this state.
180.0401(2)(a)6.
6. The name of a limited partnership formed under the laws of, or registered in, this state.
180.0401(2)(a)7.
7. The name of a cooperative association incorporated or authorized to transact business in this state.
180.0401(2)(a)8.
8. The name of a limited liability company organized under the laws of, or registered in, this state.
180.0401(2)(a)9.
9. The name of a limited liability partnership formed under the laws of, or registered in, this state.
180.0401(2)(b)
(b) The corporate name of a corporation is not distinguishable from a name referred to in
par. (a) 1. to
9. if the only difference between it and the other name is the inclusion or absence of a word or words referred to in
sub. (1) (a) 1. or of the words "limited partnership", "limited liability partnership", "cooperative" or "limited liability company" or an abbreviation of these words.
180.0401(3)
(3) A corporation may apply to the department for authorization to use a name that is not distinguishable upon the records of the department from one or more of the names described in
sub. (2). The department shall authorize use of the name applied for if any of the following occurs:
180.0401(3)(a)
(a) The other corporation or the foreign corporation, limited liability company, nonstock corporation, limited partnership, limited liability partnership or cooperative association consents to the use in writing and submits an undertaking in a form satisfactory to the department to change its name to a name that is distinguishable upon the records of the department from the name of the applicant.
180.0401(3)(b)
(b) The applicant delivers to the department a certified copy of a final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction establishing the applicant's right to use the name applied for in this state.
180.0401(4)
(4) A corporation may use the name, including the fictitious name, that is used in this state by another domestic corporation or a foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this state if the corporation proposing to use the name has done any of the following:
180.0401(4)(a)
(a) Merged with the other domestic corporation or foreign corporation.
180.0401(4)(b)
(b) Been formed by reorganization of the other domestic corporation or foreign corporation.
180.0401(4)(c)
(c) Acquired all or substantially all of the assets, including the corporate name, of the other domestic corporation or foreign corporation.
180.0402(1)(1) A person may reserve the exclusive use of a corporate name, including a fictitious name for a foreign corporation whose corporate name is not available, by delivering an application to the department for filing or by making a telephone application. The application shall include the name and address of the applicant and the name proposed to be reserved. If the department finds that the corporate name applied for under this subsection is available, the department shall reserve the name for the applicant's exclusive use for a 120-day period, which may be renewed by the applicant or a transferee under
sub. (2) from time to time.
180.0402(2)
(2) A person who has the right to exclusive use of a reserved corporate name under
sub. (1) may transfer the reservation to another person by delivering to the department a written and signed notice of the transfer that states the name and address of the transferee.
180.0403(1)(a)(a) A foreign corporation may register its corporate name if the name is distinguishable upon the records of the department from the names described in
s. 180.1506 (2) (a) 1. to
7. and if the foreign corporation delivers to the department for filing an application complying with
par. (b).
180.0403(1)(b)
(b) A foreign corporation's application to register a corporate name shall be accompanied by a certificate of status or similar document from the state or country of incorporation and shall include all of the following information:
180.0403(1)(c)
(c) The registration expires December 31. The foreign corporation may renew its registration by delivering to the department for filing a renewal application, which complies with
par. (b), between October 1 and December 31 of each year that the registration is in effect. The renewal application when filed renews the registration for the next year.
180.0403(2)
(2) A domestic corporation or a foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this state may, upon merger, change of name or dissolution, register its corporate name for no more than 10 years by delivering to the department for filing an application, executed by the domestic corporation or foreign corporation, simultaneously with the delivery for filing of the articles of merger or dissolution, the articles of amendment or restated articles that change the corporate name or an application for an amended certificate of authority that changes the corporate name.
180.0403(3)
(3) A corporate name is registered under
sub. (1) or
(2) for the applicant's exclusive use on the effective date of the application.
180.0403(3m)
(3m) A person who has the right to exclusive use of a registered name under
sub. (1) or
(2) may transfer the registration to another person by delivering to the department a written and signed notice of the transfer that states the name and address of the transferee.
180.0403(4)(a)(a) A foreign corporation whose registration is effective under
sub. (1) may thereafter apply for a certificate of authority under the registered name or consent in writing to the use of that name by a domestic corporation thereafter incorporated under this chapter or by another foreign corporation thereafter authorized to transact business in this state. The registration terminates when the domestic corporation is incorporated or the foreign corporation obtains a certificate of authority or consents to another foreign corporation obtaining a certificate of authority under the registered name.
180.0403(4)(b)
(b) The holder of a registration effective under
sub. (2) may thereafter incorporate as a domestic corporation or obtain a certificate of authority under the registered name or consent in writing to use of that name by a domestic corporation thereafter incorporated under this chapter or by a foreign corporation thereafter authorized to transact business in this state. The registration terminates when any of the following occurs:
180.0403(4)(b)1.
1. The holder incorporates as a domestic corporation or obtains a certificate of authority under the registered name.
180.0403(4)(b)2.
2. The domestic corporation that has consent to use the registered name is incorporated.
