Meetings

V.S.A. tit. 11A, ch. 7, subch. 1

in effect

11A V.S.A. § 7.01 Annual meeting

7.01. Annual meeting Annual shareholders’ meetings shall be held in this State, unless permitted in the bylaws of the corporation to be held outside this State. Annual meetings shall be held at the place stated in or fixed in accordance with the bylaws. If no place is stated in or fixed in accordance with the bylaws, annual meetings shall be held at the corporation’s principal office. An annual meeting may be conducted by means of any electronic or telecommunications mechanism, including video-conference telecommunication. The failure to hold an annual meeting at the time stated or fixed in accordance with a corporation’s bylaws does not affect the validity of any corporate action. Added 1993, No. 85, § 2, eff. Jan. 1, 1994; amended 2007, No. 190 (Adj. Sess.), § 88, eff. June 6, 2008.

11A V.S.A. § 7.02 Special meetings

7.02. Special meetings (a) A corporation shall hold a special meeting of shareholders: (1) on call of its board of directors or the person or persons authorized to do so by the articles of incorporation or bylaws; or (2) if the holders of at least ten percent of all the votes entitled to be cast on any issue proposed to be considered at the proposed special meeting sign, date, and deliver to the corporation’s secretary one or more written demands for the meeting describing the purpose or purposes for which it is to be held. (b) If not otherwise fixed under section 7.03 or 7.07 of this title, the record date for determining shareholders entitled to demand a special meeting is the date the first shareholder signs the demand. (c) Special shareholders’ meetings shall be held in this State, unless permitted in the bylaws of the corporation to be held outside this State. Meetings shall be held at the place stated in or fixed in accordance with the bylaws. If no place is stated in or fixed in accordance with the bylaws, annual meetings shall be held at the corporation’s principal office. A special meeting may be conducted by means of any electronic or telecommunications mechanism, including video-conference telecommunication. (d) Only business within the purpose or purposes described in the meeting notice required by subsection 7.05(c) of this title may be conducted at a special shareholders’ meeting. Added 1993, No. 85, § 2, eff. Jan. 1, 1994; amended 2007, No. 190 (Adj. Sess.), § 89, eff. June 6, 2008.

11A V.S.A. § 7.03 Court-ordered meeting

7.03. Court-ordered meeting (a) The Superior Court of the county where a corporation’s principal office (or, if none in this State, its registered office) is located may summarily order a meeting to be held: (1) on application of any shareholder of the corporation entitled to participate in an annual meeting if an annual meeting was not held within the earlier of six months after the end of the corporation’s fiscal year or 15 months after its last annual meeting; or (2) on application of a shareholder who signed a demand for a special meeting valid under section 7.02 of this title, if: (A) notice of the special meeting was not given within 30 days after the date the demand was delivered to the corporation’s secretary; or (B) the special meeting was not held in accordance with the notice. (b) The Court may fix the time and place of meeting, determine the shares entitled to participate in the meeting, specify a record date for determining shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the meeting, prescribe the form and content of the meeting notice, fix the quorum required for specific matters to be considered at the meeting (or direct that the votes represented at the meeting constitute a quorum for action on those matters), and enter other orders necessary to accomplish the purpose or purposes of the meeting. Added 1993, No. 85, § 2, eff. Jan. 1, 1994.

11A V.S.A. § 7.04 Action without meeting

7.04. Action without meeting (a) Unless the articles of incorporation preclude the taking of action required or permitted by this title without a shareholders’ meeting, action required or permitted by this title to be taken at a shareholders’ meeting may be taken without a meeting if the action is taken by all the shareholders entitled to vote on the action. Each action must be evidenced by one or more written consents describing the action taken, signed by all the shareholders entitled to vote on the action, and delivered to the corporation for inclusion in the minutes or filed with the corporate records. For purposes of this section, consent evidenced by electronic communications or an electronic record is written consent. (b) If the articles of incorporation contain specific authority to do so, action required or permitted by this title to be taken at a shareholders’ meeting may be taken without a meeting if the action is taken by the holders of at least a majority of all of the shares entitled to vote on the action, and if each shareholder is given prior notice of the action proposed to be taken. Each action must be evidenced by one or more written consents describing the action taken, signed by the holders of at least a majority of all the shares and delivered to the corporation for inclusion in the minutes or filed with the corporate records. Prompt notice of any action taken by less than unanimous written consent in lieu of a meeting shall be given to all shareholders entitled to vote on such action under this title. (c) If not otherwise fixed under section 7.03 or 7.07 of this title, the record date for determining shareholders entitled to take action without a meeting is the date the first shareholder signs the consent under subsection (a) of this section. (d) A consent signed under this section has the effect of a meeting vote and may be described as such in any document. Added 1993, No. 85, § 2, eff. Jan. 1, 1994; amended 2007, No. 190 (Adj. Sess.), § 90, eff. June 6, 2008.

11A V.S.A. § 7.05 Notice of meeting

7.05. Notice of meeting (a) A corporation shall notify shareholders of the date, time, and place of each annual and special shareholders’ meeting no fewer than ten nor more than 60 days before the meeting date. Unless this title or the articles of incorporation require otherwise, the corporation is required to give notice only to shareholders entitled to vote at the meeting. (b) Unless this title or the articles of incorporation require otherwise, notice of an annual meeting need not include a description of the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called. (c) Notice of a special meeting must include a description of the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called. (d) If not otherwise fixed under section 7.03 or 7.07 of this title, the record date for determining shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at an annual or special shareholders’ meeting is close of business on the day before the first notice is delivered to shareholders. (e) Unless the bylaws require otherwise, if an annual or special shareholders’ meeting is adjourned to a different date, time, or place, notice need not be given of the new date, time, or place if the new date, time, or place is announced at the meeting before adjournment. If a new record date for the adjourned meeting is or must be fixed under section 7.07 of this title, however, notice of the adjourned meeting must be given under this section to persons who are shareholders as of the new record date. Added 1993, No. 85, § 2, eff. Jan. 1, 1994.

11A V.S.A. § 7.06 Waiver of notice

7.06. Waiver of notice (a) A shareholder may waive any notice required by this title, the articles of incorporation, or bylaws before or after the date and time stated in the notice. The waiver must be in writing, be signed by the shareholder entitled to the notice, and be delivered to the corporation for inclusion in the minutes or filing with the corporate records. (b) A shareholder’s attendance at a meeting: (1) waives objection to lack of notice or defective notice of the meeting, unless the shareholder makes timely objection to holding the meeting or transacting business at the meeting; (2) waives objection to consideration of a particular matter at the meeting that is not within the purpose or purposes described in the meeting notice, unless the shareholder makes timely objection to considering the matter when it is presented, or when the shareholder thereafter becomes aware that the matter has been presented. (c) An objection made under subsection (b) of this section preserves the right of the shareholder to file a judicial action to challenge the validity of the meeting, transaction, or other matter under consideration. Added 1993, No. 85, § 2, eff. Jan. 1, 1994.

11A V.S.A. § 7.07 Record date

7.07. Record date (a) The bylaws may fix or provide the manner of fixing the record date for one or more voting groups in order to determine the shareholders entitled to notice of a shareholders’ meeting, to demand a special meeting, to vote, or to take any other action. If the bylaws do not fix or provide for fixing a record date, the board of directors of the corporation may fix a future date as the record date. (b) A record date fixed under this section may not be less than 10 nor more than 70 days before the meeting or action requiring a determination of shareholders. (c) A determination of shareholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a shareholders’ meeting is effective for any adjournment of the meeting unless the board of directors fixes a new record date, which it must do if the meeting is adjourned to a date more than 120 days after the date fixed for the original meeting. (d) If a court orders a meeting adjourned to a date more than 120 days after the date fixed for the original meeting, it may provide that the original record date continues in effect or it may fix a new record date. Added 1993, No. 85, § 2, eff. Jan. 1, 1994.

Source: Vermont General Assembly (legislature.vermont.gov)URL: https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/chapter/11A/007Fetched: 10/21/2026