In Canada, Corporate Bylaws include important information about how your company’s decision-making process operates. When drafting them, here are the key rules you’ll have to outline.
1. Quorum
A quorum for a shareholders’ meeting is the minimum number of shareholders or the minimum percentage of voting shares represented at a meeting before the meeting can proceed.
Generally, when setting a quorum, it’s smart to select a percentage that effectively represents the desired cross-section of shareholders. For example, if one shareholder owns 66 percent of the corporation, setting the quorum percentage below 66 ensures that one shareholding is in effective control of the meeting. Alternatively, setting it at 67 percent or more ensures at least another shareholder needs to be present.
If your bylaws don't address what forms a quorum then, under the Business Corporations Act of your jurisdiction, a majority of the shareholders present at the meeting is a quorum.
2. Remote communication
There may be instances where it’s more practical for shareholders to attend a meeting remotely. If your Corporate Bylaws allow remote communication, a shareholder or director can attend a meeting by phone or video conference.
3. Voting trusts
A voting trust occurs when a shareholder temporarily gives their voting shares to a third party known as a trustee. This third party is usually obligated to vote in accordance with the shareholder’s instructions, which are outlined in a voting trust agreement (also known as a Shareholder Proxy).
Voting trusts are useful when a company has minority shareholders with limited interest or voting strength. They can also help resolve conflicts of interest, retain majority control, and prevent hostile takeovers.
4. Cumulative voting
When electing directors, cumulative voting allows minority shareholders to concentrate all their votes on a single director candidate.
For example, suppose a corporation holds five elections for five potential directors, and a minority shareholder has two votes in each election (ten total votes). In that case, cumulative voting allows the shareholder to apply their combined ten votes to a single director's election.
Cumulative voting can help prevent a majority shareholder from choosing all the directors of a company.
5. Meeting notice periods
When a special meeting is called, the Corporate Bylaws should state how much notice is required. LawDepot’s template provides three options: reasonable notice, a number of hours, or a number of days.
What qualifies as reasonable notice is up for interpretation and depends on the established business practices within the company. Select a different option if you prefer more definitive notice for directors’ meetings.
6. Conflict of interest
Your company may find it appropriate to stop a director from voting on issues where there is a potential conflict of interest.
A conflict of interest occurs when a director’s personal interests clash with the company’s interests. This is a problem because a director must act in the company’s best interest. As such, your Corporate Bylaws can ensure that directors with a conflict of interest are not allowed to vote on that issue at directors’ meetings.
7. Officer structure
In addition to directors, a corporation may choose to appoint additional people to certain named and defined roles in the company. When appointing officers, you can choose between a simple or complex officer structure.
A simple officer structure consists of a president, a treasurer, and a secretary. A complex officer structure can consist of a CEO, COO, CFO, president, and a number of vice presidents.