Last Updated April 23, 2024
What are Articles of Association?
Articles of Association are the rules a limited company uses to organise its internal management. They outline meeting rules, voting rights, and the policies and responsibilities of the corporation’s directors, officers, and shareholders.
Articles of Association are typically drafted upon incorporation.
What are model Articles of Association?
Model Articles of Association are the default set of governing rules for incorporating companies under the Companies Act 2006.
What are bespoke Articles of Association?
In the United Kingdom, bespoke Articles of Association are customised to a limited company’s specific needs. If you do not create and file bespoke Articles, then your corporate governance will default to the model articles set out in the Companies Act 2006.
Use LawDepot’s Articles of Association template to create bespoke Articles of Association that are custom-built according to your company’s specific needs.
Who can use LawDepot's Articles of Association template?
LawDepot’s Articles of Association template can be used by for-profit corporations operating in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
Simply select your country when filling out our questionnaire, and your Articles of Association will be customised to meet the laws and regulations of your jurisdiction.
Why are Articles of Association important?
Articles of Association provide a company with a set of rules to follow. This ensures transparency and fairness for everyone with a stake in a company and for third parties doing business with the company.
Without Articles of Association, directors and shareholders could face ongoing disagreements about how to operate the company. With clear rules, directors and shareholders can manage the company consistently and fairly.
What rules and terms should Articles of Association include?
In the United Kingdom, Articles of Association include crucial information about how your company’s decision-making process operates. When drafting them, here are the key rules you’ll have to outline.
1. Share classes
Companies usually have a single class of shares with unlimited voting rights. The company's controllers, also known as the owners or shareholders, typically own these common shares.
Some companies create additional share classes with different conditions or voting rights to facilitate investment in the company without weakening the voting strength of the original shareholders. The Articles of Association should specify the number of classes and the conditions and rights which pertain to each class.
2. Share redemption
When setting your share classes, your Articles of Association should also mention if these shares are redeemable at a fixed value.
When shares are redeemable at a fixed value, the company can buy them back from shareholders at a set price. Typically, the price is agreed upon by shareholders or determined by the company’s board of directors when the shares are issued. If the company dissolves, redeemable shares will be paid out first at a price that doesn't surpass the agreed redemption amount.
3. Dividends
Dividends are payments made by a company to its shareholders from a portion of the company's profits. Dividends can be either cumulative or non-cumulative.
Cumulative dividends are dividends payable annually at a fixed amount. If no dividend is declared in a year, the dividends will remain owing and will be paid out in a future year when the company declares a surplus.
Non-cumulative dividends are only paid when the company declares a dividend. Typically, dividends are non-cumulative. This allows companies to reinvest the profits towards expanding the business.
4. Quorum
A quorum is the minimum number of shareholders present or the percentage of voting shares required before a meeting can proceed.
Generally, when setting a quorum, it’s smart to select a percentage that effectively represents the desired cross-section of shareholders. For example, if one shareholder owns 66 percent of the corporation, setting the quorum percentage below 66 ensures that one shareholding is a quorum. Alternatively, setting it at 67 percent or more ensures at least another shareholder needs to be present.
If your Articles don't address what forms a quorum then, under the Companies Act, a majority of the shareholders present at the meeting is a quorum.
5. Remote communication
There may be instances where it’s more practical for shareholders to attend a meeting remotely. If your Articles of Association allow remote communication, a shareholder can attend a meeting by phone or video conference.
6. Voting trusts
A voting trust occurs when a shareholder temporarily gives their voting shares to a third party known as a trustee. This third party is usually obligated to vote in accordance with the shareholder’s instructions, which are outlined in a voting trust agreement (also known as a Shareholder Proxy).
Voting trusts are useful when a company has minority shareholders with limited interest or voting strength. They can also help resolve conflicts of interest, retain majority control, and prevent hostile takeovers.
7. Cumulative voting
When electing directors, cumulative voting allows minority shareholders to concentrate all their votes on a single director candidate.
For example, suppose a corporation holds five elections for five potential directors, and a minority shareholder has two votes in each election (ten total votes). In that case, cumulative voting allows the shareholder to apply their combined ten votes to a single director's election.
Cumulative voting can help prevent a majority shareholder from choosing all the directors of a company.
8. Meeting notice periods
When a special meeting is called, the Corporate Bylaws should state how much notice is required. LawDepot’s template provides three options: reasonable notice, a number of hours, or a number of days.
What qualifies as reasonable notice is up for interpretation and depends on the established business practices within the company. Select a different option if you prefer more definitive notice for directors’ meetings.
9. Conflict of interest
During directors' meetings, your company may find it appropriate to stop a director from voting on issues where there is a potential conflict of interest.
A conflict of interest occurs when a director’s personal interests clash with the company’s interests. This is a problem because a director must act in the company’s best interest.
10. Officer structure
Directors are the only officers that a company must appoint. However, some businesses choose to appoint additional people for roles in the corporation’s management structure.
When drafting your Articles of Association, you will be asked if your corporation will appoint officers. If so, you can name the leader of your company as either a managing director or a chief executive officer. Next, decide if you will add other roles, such as a company secretary, chief financial officer, or chief operating officer.
How to write Articles of Association
To create this essential document for your limited company, complete our questionnaire and follow these six simple steps:
- Step 1: State your location
- Step 2: Provide company details, including registered name and company structure
- Step 3: Set share details
- Step 4: Outline the rules for shareholder meetings
- Step 5: Create rules for directors and director meetings
- Step 6: Finalise officer details
Are Articles of Association public?
Yes, your company’s Articles of Association will be publicly available on Companies House, the registry that incorporates and dissolves limited companies in the United Kingdom.
Additionally, your Articles of Association should also be stored with your other corporate documents at the company’s registered office.
What is the difference between a memorandum of association and Articles of Association?
In the United Kingdom, both a memorandum of association and Articles Association are essential for starting and managing your business.
A memorandum of association is a legal document signed by shareholders in which they agree to form a company. The memorandum uses a template from Schedules 1 and 2 of The Companies (Registration) Regulations 2008. A memorandum includes essential details about the corporation, such as its name, subscribers, and subscription date.
On the other hand, Articles of Association are internal rules and regulations that guide the corporation’s day-to-day operations and management.
Both a memorandum of association and Articles of Association are required to register your company in the United Kingdom.
How do I amend my Articles of Association?
As your business grows and corporate regulations change, it is important to update your Articles of Association to reflect any changes in your corporation.
To amend your Articles of Association, a company’s directors need to agree on the change(s) in a special Directors’ Resolution. In order to make any changes, the resolution must be approved by 75% of the members of the company.
Once agreed upon, the company must send the new Articles of Association, the Directors’ Resolution documenting the proposed changes, and any other important documentation to Companies House within 15 days of the special resolution being passed.