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Terms Used In New Jersey Statutes 14A:17-14

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • person: includes corporations, companies, associations, societies, firms, partnerships and joint stock companies as well as individuals, unless restricted by the context to an individual as distinguished from a corporate entity or specifically restricted to one or some of the above enumerated synonyms and, when used to designate the owner of property which may be the subject of an offense, includes this State, the United States, any other State of the United States as defined infra and any foreign country or government lawfully owning or possessing property within this State. See New Jersey Statutes 1:1-2
14. a. Corporate name. The corporate name of a professional corporation shall contain the full or last names of one or more of the shareholders or a name descriptive of the type of professional service in which the corporation will be engaged and shall also contain the words “chartered,” “professional association” or “a professional corporation,” or the abbreviation “P.A.,” “P.C.,” “PA,” or “PC”. The use of the word “company,” “corporation” or “incorporated,” or any other word, words, abbreviations, affix or prefix indicating that it is a corporation, in the corporate name of a professional corporation, other than the words “chartered,” “professional association” or “a professional corporation,” or the abbreviation “P.A.,” “P.C.,” “PA,” or “PC” is specifically prohibited. It shall be permissible, however, for the corporation and the shareholders to render professional services or to exercise its authorized powers under a name which is identical to its corporate name except that the words “chartered,” “professional association” or “a professional corporation,” or the abbreviation “P.A.,” “P.C.,” “PA,” or “PC” is omitted. Nothing in this subsection shall limit the right of a professional corporation to use or register an alternate name pursuant to N.J.S.14A:2-2.1, provided that the alternate name contains the full or last name of one or more of the shareholders or adequately describes the type of professional service in which the professional corporation will be engaged.

b. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection a. of this section, the corporate name of a professional corporation may contain the name of a deceased person only if, at the time of the person’s death:

(1) that person’s name was part of the corporate name; or

(2) that person’s name was part of the name of an existing partnership and at least two-thirds of that partnership’s partners become shareholders of the professional corporation.

L.1969, c.232, s.14; amended 1982, c.97, s.1; 1991, c.50; 2011, c.27, s.1