Iowa Code 504.851 – Definitions
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As used in this part, unless the context otherwise requires:
1. “Corporation” includes any domestic or foreign predecessor entity of a corporation in a merger.
Terms Used In Iowa Code 504.851
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- Corporation: means a public benefit, mutual benefit, or religious corporation. See Iowa Code 504.141
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- Entity: includes a domestic or foreign business corporation; domestic or foreign nonprofit corporation; domestic or foreign unincorporated entity; estate; trust; state; the United States; governmental subdivision; and foreign government. See Iowa Code 504.141
- following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute mean the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See Iowa Code 4.1
- Indemnification: In general, a collateral contract or assurance under which one person agrees to secure another person against either anticipated financial losses or potential adverse legal consequences. Source: FDIC
- Individual: includes the estate of an incompetent individual. See Iowa Code 504.141
- Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
- Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
- Plan: means a plan of entity conversion or merger. See Iowa Code 504.111
- Proceeding: includes a civil suit and criminal, administrative, or investigatory actions. See Iowa Code 504.141
- Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
- Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
- Vote: includes authorization by written ballot and written consent. See Iowa Code 504.141
2. “Director” or “officer” means an individual who is or was a director or officer of a corporation or an individual who, while a director or officer of a corporation, is or was serving at the corporation’s request as a director, officer, partner, trustee, employee, or agent of another foreign or domestic business or nonprofit corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan, or other entity. A “director” or “officer” is considered to be serving an employee benefit plan at the corporation’s request if the director’s or officer’s duties to the corporation also impose duties on, or otherwise involve services by, the director or officer to the plan or to participants in or beneficiaries of the plan. “Director” or “officer” includes, unless the context otherwise requires, the estate or personal representative of a director or officer.
3. “Disinterested director” means a director who at the time of a vote referred to in section 504.854, subsection 3, or a vote or selection referred to in section 504.856, subsection 2 or 3, is not either of the following:
a. A party to the proceeding.
b. An individual having a familial, financial, professional, or employment relationship with the director whose indemnification or advance for expenses is the subject of the decision being made, which relationship would, in the circumstances, reasonably be expected to exert an influence on the director’s judgment when voting on the decision being made.
4. “Expenses” includes attorney fees.
5. “Liability” means the obligation to pay a judgment, settlement, penalty, or fine including an excise tax assessed with respect to an employee benefit plan, or reasonable expenses actually incurred with respect to a proceeding.
6. “Official capacity” means either of the following:
a. When used with respect to a director, the office of director in a corporation.
b. When used with respect to an officer, as contemplated in section 504.857, the office in a corporation held by the officer. “Official capacity” does not include service for any other foreign or domestic business or nonprofit corporation or any partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan, or other entity.
7. “Party” means an individual who was, is, or is threatened to be made a defendant or respondent in a proceeding.
8. “Proceeding” means any threatened, pending, or completed action, suit, or proceeding whether civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative and whether formal or informal.