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Mutual Fund Prospectus Comparable Information Requirements
(Mutual Fund Prospectus Comparable Information Requirements)
Significance of Par Value of a Stock
Common stock and other securities may be issued with or without a stated face value or "par" value. Issuing stock with or without par or face value may have several consequences.
Reliance on Third-Party Advice or Information
The duty of care requires directors to act in good faith and in a manner that they reasonably believe is in the best interest of the corporation. Directors must exercise informed business judgment and be attentive to the corporation's affairs. In order to do so, directors are required to keep themselves informed of all material information that is reasonably available to them before making a business decision. Directors also must use care when performing their duties.
Degree of Culpability
Typically, directors who conduct the corporation's business must exercise the care that an ordinary prudent person would exercise in the management of his or her own affairs under similar circumstances. This "ordinary" standard of care has been adopted by a majority of states and enacted in their corporation statutes. However, courts consistently interpret the culpability standard for the duty of care as one of gross negligence.
Sarbanes-Oxley Act
Most states recognize that corporate directors and upper-level officers owe the corporation the duties of care, loyalty, and obedience. The duty to act in good faith has emerged in some jurisdictions as an equally important fiduciary duty imposed upon directors and officers. Historically, directors and officers were frequently exonerated of personal liability for business decisions because of courts' long-standing deference to the business decision under the business judgment rule or because the transaction was deemed fair to the corporation and its shareholders overall. In the wake of recent corporate scandals, however, officers and directors are under ever-increasing scrutiny by shareholders, the courts, state governments, and the federal government. Many corporate commentators bemoan the fact that conduct once protected under the business judgment rule may not be viewed with such deference in the future.
