Delaware Code Title 6 Sec. 17-305 – Access to and confidentiality of information; records
(a) Each limited partner, in person or by attorney or other agent, has the right, subject to such reasonable standards (including standards governing what information (including books, records and other documents) is to be furnished, at what time and location and at whose expense) as may be set forth in the partnership agreement or otherwise established by the general partners, to obtain from the general partners from time to time upon reasonable demand for any purpose reasonably related to the limited partner‘s interest as a limited partner:
(1) True and full information regarding the status of the business and financial condition of the limited partnership;
(2) Promptly after becoming available, a copy of the limited partnership’s federal, state and local income tax returns for each year;
(3) A current list of the name and last known business, residence or mailing address of each partner;
(4) A copy of any written partnership agreement and certificate of limited partnership and all amendments thereto, together with executed copies of any written powers of attorney pursuant to which the partnership agreement and any certificate and all amendments thereto have been executed;
(5) True and full information regarding the amount of cash and a description and statement of the agreed value of any other property or services contributed by each partner and which each partner has agreed to contribute in the future, and the date on which each became a partner; and
(6) Other information regarding the affairs of the limited partnership as is just and reasonable.
Terms Used In Delaware Code Title 6 Sec. 17-305
- Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
- Certificate of limited partnership: means the certificate referred to in § 17-201 of this title, and the certificate as amended. See Delaware Code Title 6 Sec. 17-101
- General partner: means a person who is named as a general partner in the certificate of limited partnership or similar instrument under which a limited partnership is formed if so required and who is admitted to the limited partnership as a general partner in accordance with the partnership agreement or this chapter, and includes a general partner of the limited partnership generally and a general partner associated with a series of the limited partnership. See Delaware Code Title 6 Sec. 17-101
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Limited partner: means a person who is admitted to a limited partnership as a limited partner as provided in § 17-301 of this title, and includes a limited partner of the limited partnership generally and a limited partner associated with a series of the limited partnership. See Delaware Code Title 6 Sec. 17-101
- Partner: means a limited or general partner. See Delaware Code Title 6 Sec. 17-101
- 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.
- Partnership agreement: means any agreement, written, oral or implied, of the partners as to the affairs of a limited partnership and the conduct of its business. See Delaware Code Title 6 Sec. 17-101
- Person: means a natural person, partnership (whether general or limited), limited liability company, trust (including a common law trust, business trust, statutory trust, voting trust or any other form of trust), estate, association (including any group, organization, co-tenancy, plan, board, council or committee), corporation, government (including a country, state, county or any other governmental subdivision, agency or instrumentality), custodian, nominee or any other individual or entity (or series thereof) in its own or any representative capacity, in each case, whether domestic or foreign. See Delaware Code Title 6 Sec. 17-101
- Power of attorney: A written instrument which authorizes one person to act as another's agent or attorney. The power of attorney may be for a definite, specific act, or it may be general in nature. The terms of the written power of attorney may specify when it will expire. If not, the power of attorney usually expires when the person granting it dies. Source: OCC
- State: means the District of Columbia or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or any state, territory, possession, or other jurisdiction of the United States other than the State of Delaware. See Delaware Code Title 6 Sec. 17-101
- Year: means a calendar year, and is equivalent to the words "year of our Lord. See Delaware Code Title 1 Sec. 302
(b) A general partner shall have the right to keep confidential from limited partners for such period of time as the general partner deems reasonable, any information which the general partner reasonably believes to be in the nature of trade secrets or other information the disclosure of which the general partner in good faith believes is not in the best interest of the limited partnership or could damage the limited partnership or its business or which the limited partnership is required by law or by agreement with a third party to keep confidential.
(c) A limited partnership may maintain its books, records and other documents in other than paper form, including on, by means of, or in the form of any information storage device, method, or 1 or more electronic networks or databases (including 1 or more distributed electronic networks or databases), if such form is capable of conversion into paper form within a reasonable time.
(d) Any demand under this section shall be in writing and shall state the purpose of such demand. In every instance where an attorney or other agent shall be the person who seeks the right to obtain the information described in subsection (a) of this section, the demand shall be accompanied by a power of attorney or such other writing which authorizes the attorney or other agent to so act on behalf of the limited partner.
(e) Any action to enforce any right arising under this section shall be brought in the Court of Chancery. If a general partner refuses to permit a limited partner, or attorney or other agent acting for the limited partner, to obtain from the general partner the information described in subsection (a) of this section or does not reply to the demand that has been made within 5 business days (or such shorter or longer period of time as is provided for in a partnership agreement but not longer than 30 business days) after the demand has been made, the limited partner may apply to the Court of Chancery for an order to compel such disclosure. The Court of Chancery is hereby vested with exclusive jurisdiction to determine whether or not the person seeking such information is entitled to the information sought. The Court of Chancery may summarily order the general partner to permit the limited partner to obtain the information described in subsection (a) of this section and to make copies or abstracts therefrom, or the Court of Chancery may summarily order the general partner to furnish to the limited partner the information described in subsection (a) of this section on the condition that the limited partner first pay to the limited partnership the reasonable cost of obtaining and furnishing such information and on such other conditions as the Court of Chancery deems appropriate. When a limited partner seeks to obtain the information described in subsection (a) of this section, the limited partner shall first establish: (1) that the limited partner has complied with the provisions of this section respecting the form and manner of making demand for obtaining such information, and (2) that the information the limited partner seeks is reasonably related to the limited partner’s interest as a limited partner. The Court of Chancery may, in its discretion, prescribe any limitations or conditions with reference to the obtaining of information, or award such other or further relief as the Court of Chancery may deem just and proper. The Court of Chancery may order books, records and other documents, pertinent extracts therefrom, or duly authenticated copies thereof, to be brought within the State of Delaware and kept in the State of Delaware upon such terms and conditions as the order may prescribe.
(f) If a limited partner is entitled to obtain information under this chapter or a partnership agreement for a purpose reasonably related to the limited partner’s interest as a limited partner or other stated purpose, the limited partner’s right shall be to obtain such information as is necessary and essential to achieving that purpose. The rights of a limited partner to obtain information as provided in this section may be expanded or restricted in an original partnership agreement or in any subsequent amendment approved or adopted by all of the partners or in compliance with any applicable requirements of the partnership agreement. The provisions of this subsection shall not be construed to limit the ability to expand or restrict the rights of a limited partner to obtain information by any other means permitted by law.
(g) A limited partnership shall maintain a current record that identifies the name and last known business, residence, or mailing address of each partner.
6 Del. C. 1953, § ?1710; 59 Del. Laws, c. 105, § ?1; 63 Del. Laws, c. 420, § ?1; 65 Del. Laws, c. 188, § ?1; 66 Del. Laws, c. 316, § ?35; 70 Del. Laws, c. 362, § ?15; 73 Del. Laws, c. 73, § ?20; 77 Del. Laws, c. 288, §§ ?22, 23; 79 Del. Laws, c. 326, § ?3; 81 Del. Laws, c. 356, § 5; 82 Del. Laws, c. 258, § 12; 83 Del. Laws, c. 63, § 3;