英国公司法讲义3

Page1of5UniversityofExeter,BusinessSchoolCorporateLaw2011/12PartA(Sections1-3):CREATINGTHECOMPANYSECTION3-CORPORATEPERSONALITYMaterialtoaccompanylecturesandlectureslidesSeparateCorporatePersonalityS16(2):Thesubscriberstothememorandum,togetherwithsuchotherpersonsasmayfromtimetotimebecomemembersofthecompany,areabodycorporatebythenamecontainedinthememorandum.Salomon’scaseSalomonvA.Salomon&CoLtd[1897]AC22HighCourt:“[T]hisbusinesswasMrSalomon’sbusinessandnooneelse’s:…hechosetoemployasagentalimitedcompany;…heisboundtoindemnifythatagent,thecompany…”(VaughnWilliamsJ)CourtofAppeal:“Ishouldratherlikenthecompanytoatrusteeforhim–atrusteeimproperlybroughtintoexistencebyhimtoenablehimtodowhatthestatuteprohibits.Itismanifestthattheothermembersofthecompanyhavepracticallynointerestinit,andtheirnameshavemerelybeenusedbyMr.AronSalomontoenablehimtoformacompany,andtouseitsnameinordertoscreenhimselffromliability.”(LindleyLJ)“thecompanywasamerenominisumbra,undercoverofwhichhecarriedonhisbusinessasbefore.”“itwouldbelamentableifaschemesuchasthiscouldnotbedefeated.”(LopesLJ)“Thestatuteswereintendedtoallowsevenormorepersonsbonafideassociatedforthepurposeoftradetolimittheirliabilityundercertainconditionsandtobecomeacorporation.Buttheywerenotintendedtolegalizeapretendedassociationforthepurposeofenablinganindividualtocarryonhisownbusinesswithlimitedliabilityinthenameofajointstockcompany.”(KayLJ)HouseofLords:“Thecompanyisatlawadifferentpersonaltogetherfromthesubscriberstothememorandum;and,thoughitmaybethatafterincorporationthebusinessispreciselythesameasitwasbefore,andthesamepersonsaremanagers,andthesamehandsreceivetheprofits,thecompanyisnotinlawtheagentofthesubscribersortrusteeforthem.Norarethesubscribersasmembersliable,inanyshareorform,excepttotheextentandinthemannerprovidedbytheAct.”(LordMacnaughten)“Inapopularsense,acompanymayineverycasebesaidtocarryonbusinessforandonbehalfofitsshareholders;butthiscertainlydoesnotinpointoflawconstitutetherelationofprincipalandagentbetweenthemorrendertheshareholdersliabletoindemnifythecompanyagainstthedebtswhichitincurs.”(LordHerschell)Page2of5“[I]tseemstomeimpossibletodisputethatoncethecompanyislegallyincorporateditmustbetreatedlikeanyotherindependentpersonwithitsrightsandliabilitiesappropriatetoitself,andthatthemotivesofthosewhotookpartinthepromotionofthecompanyareabsolutelyirrelevantindiscussingwhatthoserightsandliabilitiesare.”(LordHalsbury)ApplicationoftheSalomonprincipleLeevLee’sAirFarmingLtd[1961]AC12“[I]tisalogicalconsequenceofthedecisioninSalomon’scasethatonepersonmayfunctionindualcapacities.”(LordMorris)MacauravNorthernAssurance[1925]AC619“[T]hecorporatorevenifheholdsallthesharesisnotthecorporation,and…neitherhenoranycreditorofthecompanyhasanypropertylegalorequitableintheassetsofthecorporation.”(LordWrenbury)TunstallvSteigmann[1962]2QB593“Thereisnoescapefromthefactthatacompanyisalegalentityentirelyseparatefromitscorporators–seeSalomonvA.Salomon&CoLtd.Herethelandlordandthecompanyareentirelyseparateentities.Thisisnomatterofform;itisamatterofsubstanceandreality.Eachcansueandbesuedinitsownright;indeed,thereisnothingtopreventtheonefromsuingtheother.Eventheholderof100percentofthesharesinacompanydoesnotbysuchholdingbecomesoidentifiedwiththecompanythatheorshecanbesaidtocarryonthebusinessofthecompany.”(WillmerLJ)Attorney-General’sReference(No.2of1982)[1984]2AllER216;RvPhillipou(1989)89CrAppR290ConsequencesofcorporatepersonalityMacauravNorthernAssurance[1925]AC619FossvHarbottleLeevLee’sAirFarmingLtd[1961]AC12TheAlbazero[1977]AC774:“[E]achcompanyinagroupofcompaniesisaseparatelegalentitypossessedofseparatelegalrightsandliabilitiessothattherightsofonecompanyinagroupcannotbeexercisedbyanothercompanyinthatgroup…”(RoskillLJ)ReSouthard&CoLtd[1979]1WLR1198:“Aparentcompanymayspawnanumberofsubsidiarycompanies,allcontrolleddirectlyorindirectlybytheshareholdersoftheparentcompany.Ifoneofthesubsidiarycompanies...turnsouttobetheruntofthelitteranddeclinesintoinsolvencytothedismayofitscreditors,theparentcompanyandothersubsidiarycompaniesmayprospertothejoyoftheshareholderswithoutanyliabilityforthedebtsoftheinsolventsubsidiary.”(TemplemanLJ)ReNoelTedmanHoldingsPtyLtd[1967]QdR561LiftingtheveilofincorporationbystatuteBankvoorHandelenScheepvaartvSlatford[1953]1QB248“Nodoubtthelegislaturecanforgeasledgehammercapableofcrackingopenthecorporateshell;anditcan,ifitchooses,demandthatthecourtsignorealltheconceptionsandprincipleswhichareattherootofcompanylaw”(DevlinJ)Page3of5DimblebyvNationalUnionofJournalists[1984]1WLR427“The‘corporateveil’…isdrawnbystatuteanditcanbepiercedbysomeotherstatuteissuchotherstatutesoprovides;but,inviewofitsraisond’etreanditsconsistentrecognitionbythecourts…onewouldexpectthatanyparliamentaryintentiontopiercethecorporateveilwouldbeexpressedinclearandunequivocallanguage.”(LordDiplock)Ss.398-408;s.1162:taxationandaccountsS.30(3)LTA1954:LandlordandTenantAct–businessofacompanySs.213-5IA1986:fraudulentandwrongfultradingSs216-217IA1986:misuseofacompanynameSs.15CDDA1986:actingwhilstdisqualifiedLiftingtheveilofin