Corporate Matters: Help – My Delaware Entity Has Been Cancelled!

Read Publication

We have received inquiries recently concerning Delaware entities that have been cancelled by the State. This situation is not as bad as it sounds, and after a few simple steps (and a couple of checks), the entity can be reinstated.

How Does it Happen?

In Delaware, a corporation becomes “void” for failure to file its annual report. The entity becomes “forfeited” if its registered agent resigns and is not replaced. Registered agents typically resign if their annual fee is not paid in a timely manner. The registered agent is required to give 30 days’ notice of its intention to resign and will have forwarded to the address of record delinquency notices from the State with respect to unfiled reports.

The certificate of formation of a Delaware limited liability company will be cancelled if the entity fails to pay its annual franchise tax for three consecutive years, or if it fails to replace its registered agent within 30 days.

Before a Delaware corporation becomes void or forfeited or a limited liability company has its certificate of formation cancelled, such entity first ceases to be in “good standing.” This occurs as soon as an entity fails to pay certain fees or to file annual reports. While in this status, an entity cannot make any filings with the State or sue in the courts of Delaware. It is also difficult to close any transaction where a good standing certificate is required. This situation may be cured by filing the outstanding reports and paying all outstanding franchise taxes.

Corporate Matters: Series Limited Liability Companies

Read Publication

Clients frequently tell us they have heard of series limited liability companies but are unsure what they are and when they should be used. In this issue we will briefly explain the series limited liability company (“Series L.L.C.”) and outline some of the pros and cons, with respect to its formation and use.

SERIES L.L.C. ESSENTIALS

Delaware and a handful of other states have allowed the formation of Series L.L.C.’s since the mid-1990’s. A Series L.L.C. is a limited liability company (“L.L.C.”) composed of an individual series of membership interests where the L.L.C. is essentially subdivided into many separate series, each series holds distinct assets, and obligations with respect to the assets designated as being in a series. The creation of the series must be included in the Certificate of Formation and the management and operation of each series must be set forth in the Series L.L.C. agreement. The Delaware statute provides that “a limited liability company agreement may establish or provide for the establishment of one or more designated series of members, managers, limited liability company interests orassets” and that each series may have a separate business purpose or investment objective. This allows, in theory, for each series to have its own management structure and distinct business purpose.

The feature that most piques the interest of our clients is the ability of the assets of each separate series to be protected from the creditors of another. An owner of an L.L.C. that holds real estate assets, for example, that comprises both ownership and management could hold each business in a separate series of the same L.L.C., and a suit against the ownership series could not attack the assets of the management series.

Corporate Matters: Delaware or New York L.L.C.?

Read Publication

When a client is considering commencing business operations in New York, we are often asked whether it is preferable to form a limited liability company (“L.L.C.”) in New York or in Delaware. As we have mentioned in a previous issues, Delaware is generally the preferred jurisdiction for incorporation and the jurisdiction we typically recommend.

We thought it might be helpful to set out a short summary of issues that one will encounter in choosing between a New York or a Delaware L.L.C. and the relevant advantages and disadvantages of using either state.

Filing Fees

The fee for filing the articles of organization for a New York L.L.C. is $200, while the fee for filing a certificate of formation in Delaware is only $90.00. However, if the Delaware L.L.C. intends to conduct business in New York, it must file an application of authority for a foreign limited liability company, accompanied with a certificate of good standing from Delaware.

The determination of whether the Delaware L.L.C. is conducting business in New York is largely fact specific. The filing fee for the application for authority is $250, and the Delaware fee for a certificate of good standing can range from $50 (for a short form certificate) to $175 (for a long form certificate).