Corp. Code, § 1201 · Chapter 12. Reorganizations
Corp. Code, § 1201
Text — As published in the Legislative Counsel's database, tables dated October 18, 2026 (pubinfo_2025.zip)
(a) The principal terms of a reorganization shall be approved by the outstanding shares (Section 152) of each class of each corporation the approval of whose board is required under Section 1200, except as provided in subdivision (b) and except that (unless otherwise provided in the articles) no approval of any class of outstanding preferred shares of the surviving or acquiring corporation or parent party shall be required if the rights, preferences, privileges, and restrictions granted to or imposed upon that class of shares remain unchanged (subject to the provisions of subdivision (c)). For the purpose of this subdivision, two classes of common shares differing only as to voting rights shall be considered as a single class of shares.
(b) No approval of the outstanding shares (Section 152) is required by subdivision (a) in the case of any corporation if that corporation, or its shareholders immediately before the reorganization, or both, shall own (immediately after the reorganization) equity securities, other than any warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase those equity securities, of the surviving or acquiring corporation or a parent party (subdivision (e) of Section 1200) possessing more than five-sixths of the voting power of the surviving or acquiring corporation or parent party. In making the determination of ownership by the shareholders of a corporation, immediately after the reorganization, of equity securities pursuant to the preceding sentence, equity securities which they owned immediately before the reorganization as shareholders of another party to the transaction shall be disregarded. For the purpose of this section only, the voting power of a corporation shall be calculated by assuming the conversion of all equity securities convertible (immediately or at some future time) into shares entitled to vote but not assuming the exercise of any warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase those shares.
(c) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), the principal terms of a reorganization shall be approved by the outstanding shares (Section 152) of the surviving corporation in a merger reorganization if any amendment is made to its articles that would otherwise require that approval.
(d) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), the principal terms of a reorganization shall be approved by the outstanding shares (Section 152) of any class of a corporation that is a party to a merger or sale-of-assets reorganization if holders of shares of that class receive shares of the surviving or acquiring corporation or parent party having different rights, preferences, privileges, or restrictions than those surrendered. Shares in a foreign corporation received in exchange for shares in a domestic corporation have different rights, preferences, privileges, and restrictions within the meaning of the preceding sentence.
(e) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (b), the principal terms of a reorganization shall be approved by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of each class, or a greater vote if required in the articles, of the outstanding shares (Section 152) of any close corporation if the reorganization would result in their receiving shares of a corporation that is not a close corporation. However, the articles may provide for a lesser vote, but not less than a majority of the outstanding shares of each class.
(f) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (b), the principal terms of a reorganization shall be approved by at least two-thirds of each class, or a greater vote if required in the articles, of the outstanding shares (Section 152) of a corporation that is a party to a merger reorganization if holders of shares receive shares of a surviving social purpose corporation in the merger.
(g) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (b), the principal terms of a reorganization shall be approved by the outstanding shares (Section 152) of any class of a corporation that is a party to a merger reorganization if holders of shares of that class receive interests of a surviving other business entity in the merger.
(h) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (b), the principal terms of a reorganization shall be approved by all shareholders of any class or series if, as a result of the reorganization, the holders of that class or series become personally liable for any obligations of a party to the reorganization, unless all holders of that class or series have the dissenters’ rights provided in Chapter 13 (commencing with Section 1300).
(i) Any approval required by this section may be given before or after the approval by the board. Notwithstanding approval required by this section, the board may abandon the proposed reorganization without further action by the shareholders, subject to the contractual rights, if any, of third parties.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 617, Sec. 22. (SB 1202) Effective January 1, 2023.
Source of truth
- Edition
- As published in the Legislative Counsel's database, tables dated October 18, 2026 (pubinfo_2025.zip)
- Official file
- https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=1201.
- Text hash
- sha256 c694cb3236d55b1dc7aa056280f31f67408488b2f48bbadb455aeac0b3f66874
- Composed by
- compose_ca.py 2026-10-22: the Legislative Counsel's CAML content files read by a tokenizer (caml_readers.reader_a); an independent xml.etree reading (caml_readers.reader_b) agrees on every section
This section cites
Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.
Cited by 11 provisions
Provisions in this library whose text cites Corp. Code, § 1201. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Corporations Code
- Corp. Code, § 158Printed as Sections 186, 202, 204, 300, 418, 421, 1111, 1201, 1800, and 1904
- Corp. Code, § 168Printed as Sections 181, 1001, 1113, 1200, and 1201
- Corp. Code, § 300Printed as Section 1201
- Corp. Code, § 601Printed as Section 310, 902, 1152, 1201, 1900, or 2007
- Corp. Code, § 603Printed as Section 310, 317, 1152, 1201
- Corp. Code, § 1103Printed as Section 1201
- Corp. Code, § 1110Printed as Section 1201 | Sections 1101, 1102, 1103, 1200, 1201, and 1202
- Corp. Code, § 1113Printed as Section 1201
- Corp. Code, § 1202Printed as Section 1201 | Sections 1200 and 1201
- Corp. Code, § 1300Printed as Section 1201
- Corp. Code, § 2001Printed as Sections 1001, 1200 and 1201
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