In our blog “What is an Independent Manager?” we briefly touched on why an LLC would appoint an Independent Manager. Before we dig a little deeper into the why of Independent Representation – did you know there are other names this special role goes by, dependent upon the type of entity? Independent Director, Springing Member, and Special Member are some of the other terms you will hear when referring to this special type of representation within a company’s board. An Independent Director and a Springing Member are both types of Special Members. A Springing Member is a member that sits dormant until an event triggers the need to bring the Member into action. This could then cause them to be an Independent Manager. For the sake of this blog, we’ll stick to discussing an Independent Manager on an LLC’s board of managers.

So, why appoint someone to this special role? There are various reasons for appointing this position, but a common motive for appointment is to protect the lender.    As an independent party with no financial relationship with the LLC, an Independent Manager simply fulfills their obligation as indicated in the operating agreement. This section of the operating agreement is drafted with consent by the lending party, so this independent party acts as a representative for the financial institution.

As long as there is a debt held by the lender or financial institution, the Independent Manager would remain active and required to vote in the interest of the lender or financial institution, including voting against bankruptcy, thus safeguarding the lender.

While the situations and names may vary, the role is rather consistent. If you have any questions about or need to appoint Independent Representation, just give us a call or email us.