2013 Vermont Statutes
Title 11A Vermont Business Corporations
Chapter 21 BENEFIT CORPORATIONS
§ 21.13 Right of action

21.13. Right of action

(a) The duties of directors and officers under this chapter and the general and specific public benefit purposes of a benefit corporation may be enforced only in a benefit enforcement proceeding, and no person may bring such an action or claim against a benefit corporation or its directors or officers except as provided in this section.

(b) A benefit enforcement proceeding may be commenced or maintained only by:

(1) a shareholder that would otherwise be entitled to commence or maintain a proceeding in the right of the benefit corporation on any basis;

(2) a director of the corporation;

(3) a person or group of persons that owns beneficially or of record 10 percent or more of the equity interests in an entity of which the benefit corporation is a subsidiary; or

(4) such other persons as may be specified in the articles of incorporation of the benefit corporation.

(c) As used in this chapter, "benefit enforcement proceeding" means a claim or action against a director or officer for:

(1) failure to pursue the general public benefit purpose of the benefit corporation or any specific public benefit purpose set forth in its articles of incorporation; or

(2) violation of a duty or standard of conduct under this chapter. (Added 2009, No. 113 (Adj. Sess.), 1, eff. July 1, 2011.)