The Vermont Statutes Online
The Vermont Statutes Online have been updated to include the actions of the 2023 session of the General Assembly.
NOTE: The Vermont Statutes Online is an unofficial copy of the Vermont Statutes Annotated that is provided as a convenience.
Title 11A : Vermont Business Corporations
Chapter 021 : Benefit Corporations
(Cite as: 11A V.S.A. § 21.13)-
§ 21.13. Right of action
(a) The duties of directors and officers under this chapter and the general and specific public benefit purposes of a benefit corporation may be enforced only in a benefit enforcement proceeding, and no person may bring such an action or claim against a benefit corporation or its directors or officers except as provided in this section.
(b) A benefit enforcement proceeding may be commenced or maintained only by:
(1) a shareholder that would otherwise be entitled to commence or maintain a proceeding in the right of the benefit corporation on any basis;
(2) a director of the corporation;
(3) a person or group of persons that owns beneficially or of record 10 percent or more of the equity interests in an entity of which the benefit corporation is a subsidiary; or
(4) such other persons as may be specified in the articles of incorporation of the benefit corporation.
(c) As used in this chapter, “benefit enforcement proceeding” means a claim or action against a director or officer for:
(1) failure to pursue the general public benefit purpose of the benefit corporation or any specific public benefit purpose set forth in its articles of incorporation; or
(2) violation of a duty or standard of conduct under this chapter. (Added 2009, No. 113 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. July 1, 2011.)
