2022 West Virginia Code
Chapter 31D. West Virginia Business Corporation Act
Article 7. Shareholders
§31D-7-708. Conduct of the Meeting
(a) At each meeting of shareholders, a chair shall preside. The chair is to be appointed as provided in the bylaws or, in the absence of a provision in the bylaws, by the board of directors.
(b) The chair, unless the articles of incorporation or bylaws provide otherwise, shall determine the order of business and has the authority to establish rules for the conduct of the meeting.
(c) Any rules adopted for, and the conduct of, the meeting are to be fair to shareholders.
(d) The chair of the meeting shall announce at the meeting when the polls close for each matter voted upon. If no announcement is made, the polls are to be deemed to have closed upon the final adjournment of the meeting. After the polls close, no ballots, proxies or votes nor any revocations or changes to a ballot, proxy or vote may be accepted.
(e) Shareholders of any class or series of shares may participate in any meeting of shareholders by means of remote communication to the extent the board of directors authorizes such participation for such class or series. Participation as a shareholder by means of remote communication shall be subject to such guidelines and procedures as the board of directors adopts.
(f) Shareholders participating in a shareholders meeting by means of remote communication shall be deemed present and may vote at such a meeting if the corporation has implemented reasonable measures to:
(1) Verify that each person participating remotely as a shareholder is a shareholder or a shareholders proxy; and
(2) Provide such shareholders a reasonable opportunity to participate in the meeting and to vote on matters submitted to the shareholders, including an opportunity to read or hear the proceedings of the meetings, in a manner substantially concurrent with such proceedings.
(g) Unless expressly prohibited by the articles of incorporation or bylaws, the board of directors may determine that any meeting of shareholders shall not be held at any place and shall instead be held solely by means of remote communication in conformity with subsection (f).
(h) Amendments to this 31D-7-708 passed during the regular session of the 2021 Legislative Session shall be effective upon passage and shall apply to all such shareholder meetings held on or after March 1, 2020.
