Josh Twilley 2 Comments

What is an Independent Manager?

This post was updated on January 18, 2021.

An Independent Manager is an ad hoc member of an LLC’s board of managers that has no equity relationship with the entity and thus is considered independent of the LLC’s ownership.

What Does an Independent Manager Do?

A Limited Liability Company (LLC) is managed by a board of managers. The board of managers oversees the activities of the LLC. An Independent Manager is a special type of manager appointed to the LLC’s board that has no equity relationship with the entity and thus is considered independent of the LLC’s ownership. The role of this unique position is usually outlined in the LLC’s operating agreement.

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Why Would an LLC Appoint an Independent Manager?

Appointment of Independent Representation may be a lender or third party requirement in a transaction. This special position provides a level of security for the third party. (Think of it as insurance.) The third party will detail the Independent Manager’s duties in the operating agreement. These duties generally require the Independent Manager to be party to and vote in certain major board decisions. The specific types of decisions the Independent Manager must give consent for are also outlined in the operating agreement of the LLC. By requiring this unique position, the third party retains some control over the LLC without actively managing the entity.

As always, the contents of this article should not be considered legal or financial advice. Have more questions about independent managers? We’re here to help.

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What is a Registered Agent and Why Are They Important?

A registered agent is the company or person you designate to receive legal and tax notices for your company. Most jurisdictions legally require entitiesWhat is a registered agent and why are they important? what dog 300x300 such as corporations and limited liability companies (LLCs) to list a company or individual physically located within the jurisdiction and available normal business hours to serve as this point of contact. Resident agent, statutory agent, and statutory representation are some of the additional titles a registered agent may go by.

So, why is a registered agent important? Well, aside from the legal requirement telling you that you have to have one (which in my book makes them kind of important), a registered agent helps you sustain your business by providing important documents and notices to keep you compliant in the jurisdictions you formed or qualified to do business in. Since these documents and notices usually require an action within a limited amount of time, it’s imperative your agent always has up-to-date contact information for you.

As mentioned earlier, the registered agent will receive and forward important legal and governmental documents and notices. In the case of legal documents such as Service of Process (SOP), you may have only a few days to respond to a summons. If your agent doesn’t have your current contact information, important response dates could be missed, resulting in significant legal repercussions. The same holds true for annual report and franchise tax notices. Invalid contact information may equate to a missed filing date and major headache, with late fees, penalties, and interest continually accruing.

Not only is keeping your registered agent up-to-date with current contact information for your entity important, but so is ensuring your annual registered agent fees are paid. Failure to maintain a registered agent may result in your agent resigning. When an agent resigns, the company is no longer considered to be in good standing with the jurisdiction and you risk losing the legal protections your entity may provide you. Returning to good standing with the jurisdiction then usually requires additional fees and may even involve filing new documents. So, why risk it?

If you have any questions or need assistance with Registered Agent Services, feel free to reach out to us. We’re always happy to help!

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Certificate of Incumbency – A Case Study

Over the past few weeks, we’ve covered the ins and outs of boat registrations, as well as the “Who?” “What?””Why?”and “How” forCertificate of Incumbency Case Study case study 300x182 a Certificate of Incumbency. Today we wrap it all up with a real-life case study of how a Certificate of Incumbency was able to help an international boat owner.

An international client needed to prove to Israeli authorities he was the rightful owner of his boat. The boat was registered under the name of a Limited Liability Company (LLC). This client in turn owned the LLC. Sounds simple enough, right? Wrong… A basic LLC formation document in Delaware does not list the owners of the entity. So, how does the client prove ownership then? One suggestion his legal counsel gave was to file an Amendment in Delaware adding an article to show he was the owner. However, this would mean the client’s personal information, such as home address would become public information, which was not an ideal solution for this client. In talking with the client about the situation, we mentioned we often provide a Certificate of Incumbency for international clients needing to prove ownership to banking officials.  The client asked for a sample document and conferred with his attorney. The attorney agreed the Certificate of Incumbency would sufficiently meet the needs to prove his ownership. The client provided us with all the necessary documentation. We then drafted the certificate, had it notarized, and sent it to the State of Delaware for an Apostille. The end result? A very happy client!

If you have additional questions or need assistance with obtaining a certificate, give us a call or email us. We’re always happy to help you out in any way we can. Just remember, we can’t give legal or tax advice. You’ll have to contact an attorney or CPA for that.