(A)(1) Pursuant to an agreement of merger between the constituent entities as provided in this section, a domestic corporation and, if so provided, one or more additional domestic or foreign entities, may be merged into a surviving entity other than a domestic corporation. Pursuant to an agreement of consolidation, a domestic corporation together with one or more additional domestic or foreign entities may be consolidated into a new entity other than a domestic corporation, to be formed by that consolidation. The merger or consolidation must be permitted by the chapter of the Revised Code under which each domestic constituent entity exists and by the laws under which each foreign constituent entity exists. The name of the surviving or new entity may be the same as or similar to that of any constituent entity.
(2) To effect a merger or consolidation under this section, the directors of each constituent domestic corporation shall approve an agreement of merger or consolidation to be signed by the chairperson of the board of directors, the president, or a vice-president and by the secretary or an assistant secretary. The agreement of merger or consolidation shall be approved or otherwise authorized by or on behalf of each other constituent entity in accordance with the laws under which it exists.
(3) The agreement of merger or consolidation shall set forth all of the following:
(a) The name and the form of entity of each constituent entity and the state under the laws of which each constituent entity exists;
(b) In the case of a merger, that one or more specified constituent entities will be merged into a specified surviving foreign entity or surviving domestic entity other than a domestic corporation or, in the case of a consolidation, that the constituent entities will be consolidated into a new foreign entity or domestic entity other than a domestic corporation.
(c) The terms of the merger or consolidation and the mode of carrying those terms into effect;
(d) If the surviving or new entity is a foreign corporation, all additional statements and matters, other than the name and address of the statutory agent, that would be required by section1702.41of the Revised Code if the surviving or new corporation were a domestic corporation;
(e) The name and the form of entity of the surviving or new entity, the state under the laws of which the surviving entity exists or the new entity is to exist, and the location of the principal office of the surviving or new entity in that state;
(f) All statements and matters required to be set forth in an agreement of merger or consolidation by the laws under which each constituent entity exists and, in the case of a consolidation, the new entity is to exist;
(g) The consent of the surviving or the new entity to be sued and served with process in this state and the irrevocable appointment of the secretary of state as its agent to accept service of process in any proceeding in this state to enforce against the surviving or new entity any obligation of any domestic constituent corporation;
(h) If the surviving or new entity is a foreign corporation that desires to transact business in this state as a foreign corporation, a statement to that effect, together with a statement regarding the appointment of a statutory agent and service of any process, notice, or demand upon that statutory agent or the secretary of state, as required when a foreign corporation applies for a license to transact business in this state;
(i) If the surviving or new entity is a foreign limited partnership that desires to transact business in this state as a foreign limited partnership, a statement to that effect, together with all of the information required under section1782.49of the Revised Code when a foreign limited partnership registers to transact business in this state;
(j) If the surviving or new entity is a foreign limited liability company that desires to transact business in this state as a foreign limited liability company, a statement to that effect, together with all of the information required under section1705.54or1706.511of the Revised Code when a foreign limited liability company registers to transact business in this state;
(k) If the surviving or new entity is a foreign unincorporated association that desires to transact business in this state as a foreign unincorporated association, a statement to that effect, together with all of the information required under section1745.461of the Revised Code when a foreign unincorporated association registers to transact business in this state.
(4) The agreement of merger or consolidation also may set forth any additional provision permitted by the laws of any state under the laws of which any constituent entity exists, consistent with the laws under which the surviving entity exists or the new entity is to exist.
(B)(1) A merger or consolidation in which a domestic public benefit corporation is one of the constituent entities shall be approved by the court of common pleas of the county in this state in which the principal office of the domestic public benefit corporation is located in a proceeding of which the attorney general's charitable law section has been given written notice by certified mail within three days of the initiation of the proceeding and in which proceeding the attorney general may intervene as of right. No approval by the court under division (B)(1) of this section is required if either of the following applies:
(a) A public benefit entity is the surviving entity in the case of a merger and continues to be a public benefit entity or is the new entity in the case of a consolidation and continues to be a public benefit entity.
(b) A public benefit entity is not the surviving entity in the case of a merger or is not the new entity in the case of a consolidation, and all of the following apply:
(i) On or prior to the effective date of the merger or consolidation, assets with a value equal to the greater of the fair market value of the net tangible and intangible assets, including goodwill, of the domestic public benefit corporation or the fair market value of the domestic public benefit corporation if it is to be operated as a business concern are transferred or conveyed to one or more persons that would have received its assets under section1702.49of the Revised Code had it voluntarily dissolved.
(ii) The domestic public benefit corporation returns, transfers, or conveys any assets held by it upon a condition requiring return, transfer, or conveyance, which condition occurs by reason of the merger or consolidation, in accordance with that condition.
(iii) The merger or consolidation is approved by a majority of directors of the domestic public benefit corporation who will not receive any financial or other benefit, directly or indirectly, as a result of the merger or consolidation or by agreement, and who are not and will not as a result of the merger or consolidation become members, partners, or other owners, however denominated, of, shareholders in, directors, officers, managers, employees, agents, or other representatives of, or consultants to, the surviving or new entity.
(2) At least twenty days before consummation of any merger or consolidation of a domestic public benefit corporation pursuant to division (B)(1)(b) of this section, written notice, including a copy of the proposed plan of merger or consolidation, shall be delivered to the attorney general's charitable law section. The attorney general's charitable law section may review a proposed merger or consolidation of a domestic public benefit corporation under division (B)(1)(b) of this section. The attorney general may require pursuant to section109.24of the Revised Code the production of the documents necessary for review of a proposed merger or consolidation under division (B)(1)(b) of this section. The attorney general may retain at the expense of the domestic public benefit corporation one or more experts, including an investment banker, actuary, appraiser, certified public accountant, or other expert, that the attorney general considers reasonably necessary to provide assistance in reviewing a proposed merger or consolidation under division (B)(1)(b) of this section. The attorney general may extend the date of any merger or consolidation of a domestic public benefit corporation under division (B)(1)(b) of this section for a period not to exceed sixty days and shall provide notice of that extension to the domestic public benefit corporation. The notice shall set forth the reasons necessitating the extension.
(3) No member, other than a member that is a public benefit entity, or director of a domestic public benefit corporation in that person's capacity as a member or director may receive or keep anything as a result of a merger or consolidation other than membership or directorship in the surviving or new public benefit entity without the prior written consent of the attorney general or of the court of common pleas of the county in this state in which the principal office of the domestic public benefit corporation is located that is obtained in a proceeding in which the attorney general's charitable law section has been given written notice by certified mail within three days of the initiation of the proceeding and in which proceeding the attorney general may intervene as of right. The court shall approve the transaction if it is in the public interest.
(4) The attorney general may institute a civil action to enforce the requirements of divisions (B)(1), (2), and (3) of this section in the court of common pleas of the county in this state in which the principal office of the domestic public benefit corporation is located or in the Franklin county court of common pleas. In addition to any civil remedies that may exist under common law or the Revised Code, a court may rescind the transaction or grant injunctive relief or impose any combination of these remedies.
Last updated September 9, 2021 at 11:45 AM