What are the legal duties of shareholders?

Asked by: Willis Lemke  |  Last update: August 20, 2025
Score: 5/5 (75 votes)

As a shareholder, most of their obligations entail making major decisions that affect the strategy and direction of the company. Shareholders periodically elect directors to represent them in major business and financial decision making while upholding their best interests and vision for the company.

What are the legal responsibilities of shareholders?

Shareholders have a duty to decide on these matters - it could include, for example, issuing new shares, the disapplication of pre-emption rights, the subdivision of shares, a change of company name or winding up the company.

What are shareholders not allowed to do?

While some shareholders have voting rights, allowing them to make some company decisions, such as electing board members, they are now allowed to participate in every facet of a company. Shareholders are not allowed to participate in the day-to-day management of a company.

What are the duties and responsibilities of a shareholder?

Roles of a Shareholder
  • Brainstorming and deciding the powers they will bestow upon the company's directors, including appointing and removing them from office.
  • Deciding on how much the directors receive for their salary.

What are the rights and duties of a shareholder?

Shareholders enjoy various rights, including voting, receiving dividends, inspecting company records, transferring shares, and appointing directors and auditors. However, these rights are accompanied by specific liabilities, such as the potential for personal liability in fraud, misrepresentation, or insider trading.

Company Law: Shares and Shareholders in 3 Minutes

20 related questions found

What is a shareholder entitled to?

As a shareholder you have the right to have your name properly inserted in the company's register of members. You also have the right to inspect and obtain copies of various company documents, records and registers: Provided reasonable notice has been given: Members can inspect these documents free of charge.

What are the obligations to shareholders?

Understanding the Duties Owed to Shareholders. As discussed above, directors of a corporation owe a fiduciary duty to shareholders to act in their best interests when making decisions that impact the core mission of the corporation, in most cases to maximize shareholder value by engaging in commercial activity.

Do shareholders have a duty to the company?

Shareholders are not responsible for the company's legal obligations or debt as companies are separate legal entities. As such, a shareholders: liability is limited to the unpaid amount of their shares; and.

Can a shareholder sell his shares to anyone?

Shareholders may purchase or sell shares in a company for various reasons, such as financial gain or personal circumstances. However, can a shareholder sell his shares to anyone? Shareholders may choose to sell their shares to anyone, subject to specific legal and regulatory requirements.

What are the powers of shareholders?

Shareholders have the power to appoint and remove directors, approve the company's articles of association, amend the company's articles of association, approve the company's annual accounts, declare dividends, pass resolutions, vote on matters affecting the company, and sell their shares.

What power do shareholders have?

Shareholder Rights

The power to sue the corporation for the misdeeds of its directors and/or officers. The right to vote on key corporate matters, such as naming board directors and deciding whether or not to green-light potential mergers. The entitlement to receive dividends if the board decides to pay them.

Can you force a shareholder out?

Thanks for reading. There is no statutory provision that enables you to force a shareholder to sell their company shares, and there is no guarantee of being able to reach a mutual agreement through negotiation.

Can shareholders be held personally liable?

Generally, shareholders are not personally liable for the debts of the corporation. Creditors can only collect their debts by going after corporate assets. Shareholders will usually be on the hook if they cosigned or personally guaranteed the corporation's debts.

Is a shareholder entitled to see board minutes?

All company shareholders have the right to: Inspect company information, including the register of members (s. 116 Companies Act 2006) and a record of resolutions and minutes (s. 358) without any charge.

Do shareholders have a right to see financial statements?

Accounting records - Shareholders have a right to inspect general accounting ledgers, journal entries, invoices, bank statements, and other accounting records and supporting documents.

What are the common law rights of shareholders?

Common shareholders are granted six rights: voting power, ownership, the right to transfer ownership, a claim to dividends, the right to inspect corporate documents, and the right to sue for wrongful acts. Investors should thoroughly research the corporate governance policies of the companies they invest in.

What happens if a shareholder refuses to sell?

If your shareholder refuses to sell despite having the right, your company can use a power of attorney. Directors can enforce a sale, following specific powers outlined in the shareholders agreement or ESOP rules.

Does being a shareholder make you an owner?

Shareholders are owners of the company, technically part-owners if there's more than one, but they aren't always involved in the day-to-day running of the business – that duty is left to the directors and company management. However, company directors can also be shareholders.

Can a shareholder give his shares back to the company?

Shares can be returned to a company for no value (i.e. as a gift). It is important to plan for what the company intends to do with the return of unwanted shares.

What is a shareholder liable for?

Shareholders only have 'limited liability' for the debts of the company. That means they are only responsible for company debts up to the value of any shares (assuming no personal guarantees have been signed). This is all down to the principle of separate legal personality.

What are the 5% shareholder rights?

5%: allows you to requisition a general meeting of the company. As always, governance of a particular company does not end with the legislation. Articles of association and shareholders' agreements will make specific provisions for shareholder rights.

How to resolve shareholder disputes?

Resolving disagreements between shareholders
  1. Put preventative measures in place. Shareholder disputes are more common in companies that do not have a shareholders' agreement in place. ...
  2. Consider professional mediation. ...
  3. Buy out the disputing member's shareholdings. ...
  4. Sell the whole company. ...
  5. Take court action.

What is the 10 shareholder rule?

(B) 10-Percent shareholder The term “10-percent shareholder” means— (i) in the case of an obligation issued by a corporation, any person who owns 10 percent or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of such corporation entitled to vote, or (ii) in the case of an obligation issued by a ...

What are the rights and duties of shareholders?

What are shareholder rights?
  • Right to access financial records. ...
  • Right to sue for wrongful acts. ...
  • Right to vote on key issues. ...
  • Right to attend the Annual General Meeting (AGM) ...
  • Right to transfer ownership. ...
  • Participate in corporate actions and share in the company's profits.

What is the primary responsibility of shareholders?

Answer: Based on the chart, the primary responsibility of shareholders is to run the business by electing a board of directors, who then hire the company's leaders.