

United States: 

Email May Not Suffice For Boards To Act



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Q: Our board of directors generally wants to act
promptly outside of our regular conferences. Can we just vote by
electronic mail?
A: Whilst voting by e mail may feel like an
economical way to conduct business, a board might not use e-mail to
acquire a common the greater part vote. An email exchange does not
qualify as a valid meeting below the New Hampshire Organization
Company Act, which calls for that all taking part administrators be
equipped to at the same time hear every single other for the duration of the conference.
Directors may as an alternative use electronic mail to authorize an motion by
unanimous penned consent if this technique is not usually precluded
by the corporation’s article content of incorporation or bylaws. 
An motion by unanimous prepared consent needs the vote to be
both of those: (i) unanimous (even if only a the vast majority vote would be required
at a assembly) and (ii) in creating, signed by just about every director, and
bundled in the corporate documents.
The need of unanimity makes this process most effective suited to
uncontroversial decisions or actions that have by now been
talked about and deliberated by the board in a prior assembly, as the
motion is not legitimate if even one director fails to give consent.
The unanimous written consent should evidently point out the motion to
be taken and ought to be signed by each and every director. Under New
Hampshire company legislation, the definition of “indicator” or
“signature” involves an intent to sign or authenticate a
doc, and incorporates a manual, facsimile (scanned), conformed, or
digital signature, which is broadly defined as “an
digital sound, image, or process attached to or logically
related with a history.”
A very carefully-worded email requesting a “certainly” vote from
just about every director and an affirmation of his or her intent to indication could
qualify as a signed doc, but it is not the advised process,
as it can result in unclear responses and cumbersome
report-trying to keep. It also might not be acknowledged as a legitimate
motion by 3rd functions these as banking institutions.
A far better apply is for directors to signal a printed duplicate of the
consent and e-mail a scanned copy to the corporate secretary or
attorney to compile, or to use digital signature software package these types of
as DocuSign or RightSignature, which streamlines the course of action by
allowing for directors to securely sign files without having the will need for
a printer or scanner. Each procedures allow administrators to consider
valid corporate action by electronic mail as lengthy as the acceptance is
unanimous.
Know the Law is a bi-weekly column sponsored by McLane
Middleton. Questions and thoughts for long term columns really should be
emailed to [email protected]. Know the Legislation presents
standard legal information and facts, not lawful suggestions. We propose
that you consult with a lawyer for assistance unique to your individual
predicament.
Published in the Union Leader (10/10/2021)
The written content of this posting is intended to offer a common
guide to the subject matter subject. Specialist tips ought to be sought
about your specific situation.
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