§ 37-40

Series of members, managers or limited liability company interests. (a) An operating agreement may establish or provide for the establishment of designated series of members, managers or limited liability company interests having separate rights, powers or duties with respect to specified property or obligations of the limited liability company or profits and losses associated with specified property or obligations, and to the extent provided in the operating agreement, any such series may have a separate business purpose or investment objective. (b) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Section or under other applicable law, in the event that an operating agreement creates one or more series, and if separate and distinct records are maintained for any such series and the assets associated with any such series are held (directly or indirectly, including through a nominee or otherwise) and accounted for separately from the other assets of the limited liability company, or any other series thereof, and if the operating agreement so provides, and notice of the limitation on liabilities of a series as referenced in this subsection is set forth in the articles of organization of the limited liability company and if the limited liability company has filed a certificate of designation for each series which is to have limited liability under this Section, then the debts, liabilities and obligations incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to a particular series shall be enforceable against the assets of such series only, and not against the assets of the limited liability company generally or any other series thereof, and unless otherwise provided in the operating agreement, none of the debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to the limited liability company generally or any other series thereof shall be enforceable against the assets of such series. The fact that the articles of organization contain the foregoing notice of the limitation on liabilities of a series and a certificate of designation for a series is on file in the Office of the Secretary of State shall constitute notice of such limitation on liabilities of a series. A series with limited liability shall be treated as a separate entity to the extent set forth in the articles of organization. Each series with limited liability may, in its own name, contract, hold title to assets, grant security interests, sue and be sued and otherwise conduct business and exercise the powers of a limited liability company under this Act. The limited liability company and any of its series may elect to consolidate their operations as a single taxpayer to the extent permitted under applicable law, elect to work cooperatively, elect to contract jointly or elect to be treated as a single business for purposes of qualification to do business in this or any other state. Such elections shall not affect the limitation of liability set forth in this Section except to the extent that the series have specifically accepted joint liability by contract. (c) Except in the case of a foreign limited liability company that has adopted an assumed name pursuant to Section 45-15, the name of the series with limited liability must commence with the entire name of the limited liability company, as set forth in its articles of organization, and be distinguishable from the names of the other series set forth in the articles of organization. In the case of a foreign limited liability company that has adopted an assumed name pursuant to Section 45-15, the name of the series with limited liability must commence with the entire name, as set forth in the foreign limited liability company's assumed name application, under which the foreign limited liability company has been admitted to transact business in this State. (d) Upon the filing of the certificate of designation with the Secretary of State setting forth the name of each series with limited liability, the series' existence shall begin, and each of the duplicate copies stamped "Filed" and marked with the filing date shall be conclusive evidence, except as against the State, that all conditions precedent required to be performed have been complied with and that the series has been or shall be legally organized and formed under this Act. If different from the limited liability company, the certificate of designation for each series shall list the name and business address of all of the managers and any member having the authority of a manager. The name of a series with limited liability under subsection (b) of this Section may be changed by filing with the Secretary of State a certificate of designation identifying the series whose name is being changed and the new name of such series. If not the same as the limited liability company, the name and business address of all of the managers and any member having the authority of a manager may be changed by filing a new certificate of designation with the Secretary of State. A series with limited liability under subsection (b) of this Section may be dissolved by filing with the Secretary of State a certificate of designation identifying the series being dissolved or by the dissolution of the limited liability company as provided in subsection (m) of this Section. Certificates of designation may be executed by the limited liability company or any manager, person or entity designated in the operating agreement for the limited liability company. (e) A series of a limited liability company will be deemed to be in good standing as long as the limited liability company is in good standing. (f) The registered agent and registered office for the limited liability company in Illinois shall serve as the agent and office for service of process in Illinois for each series. (g) An operating agreement may provide for classes or groups of members or managers associated with a series having such relative rights, powers and duties as the operating agreement may provide, and may make provision for the future creation of additional classes or groups of members or managers associated with the series having such relative rights, powers and duties as may from time to time be established, including rights, powers and duties senior to existing classes and groups of members or managers associated with the series. (h) A series may be managed by either the member or members associated with the series or by a manager or managers chosen by the members of such series, as provided in the operating agreement. Unless otherwise provided in an operating agreement, the management of a series shall be vested in the members associated with such series. (i) An operating agreement may grant to all or certain identified members or managers or a specified class or group of the members or managers associated with a series the right to vote separately or with all or any class or group of the members or managers associated with the series, on any matter. An operating agreement may provide that any member or class or group of members associated with a series shall have no voting rights. (j) Except to the extent modified in this Section, the provisions of this Act which are generally applicable to limited liability companies, their managers, members and transferees shall be applicable to each particular series with respect to the operation of such series. (k) Except as otherwise provided in an operating agreement, any event under this Act or in an operating agreement that causes a manager to cease to be a manager with respect to a series shall not, in itself, cause such manager to cease to be a manager of the limited liability company or with respect to any other series thereof. (l) Except as otherwise provided in an operating agreement, any event under this Act or an operating agreement that causes a member to cease to be associated with a series shall not, in itself, cause such member to cease to be associated with any other series or terminate the continued membership of a member in the limited liability company or cause the termination of the series, regardless of whether such member was the last remaining member associated with such series. (m) Except to the extent otherwise provided in the operating agreement, a series may be dissolved and its affairs wound up without causing the dissolution of the limited liability company. The dissolution of a series established in accordance with subsection (b) of this Section shall not affect the limitation on liabilities of such series provided by subsection (b) of this Section. A series is terminated and its affairs shall be wound up upon the dissolution of the limited liability company under Article 35 of this Act. (n) If a limited liability company with the ability to establish series does not register to do business in a foreign jurisdiction for itself and certain of its series, a series of a limited liability company may itself register to do business as a limited liability company in the foreign jurisdiction in accordance with the laws of the foreign jurisdiction. (o) If a foreign limited liability company, as permitted in the jurisdiction of its organization, has established a series having separate rights, powers or duties and has limited the liabilities of such series so that the debts, liabilities and obligations incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to a particular series are enforceable against the assets of such series only, and not against the assets of the limited liability company generally or any other series thereof, or so that the debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to the limited liability company generally or any other series thereof are not enforceable against the assets of such series, then the limited liability company, on behalf of itself or any of its series, or any of its series on their own behalf may register to do business in the State in accordance with Section 45-5 of this Act. The limitation of liability shall be so stated on the application for admission as a foreign limited liability company and a certificate of designation shall be filed for each series being registered to do business in the State by the limited liability company. Unless otherwise provided in the operating agreement, the debts, liabilities and obligations incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to a particular series of such a foreign limited liability company shall be enforceable against the assets of such series only, and not against the assets of the foreign limited liability company generally or any other series thereof and none of the debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to such a foreign limited liability company generally or any other series thereof shall be enforceable against the assets of such series.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 98-720, eff. 7-16-14; 99-608, eff. 7-22-16; 99-637, eff. 7-1-17 .)