For-Benefit Corporation

Benefit Corporationという言葉を聞いたことがあるだろうか？

For-Profit Corporation（営利団体）とも、Non-Profit Corporation（非営利団体）とも違い、その中間に位置する団体の形式で、昨日4月14日、メリーランド州で初めて法律として成立した。株主の利益だけではなく、社員、社会の公益を最大化する目的を持つ会社の形態。今までは、社会的ミッションを持った会社の創業者は、お金を集めるために株式を発行することによって、自身の会社が営利を追求する株主により、社会的ミッションの達成が危うくなるというジレンマを抱えていた。

さて、この法律の成立により、実際にどういった社会変化が起こるだろうか。注目したい。

目的などについては以下。詳しくはB Corporationのサイトを参照：

目的

• shall create general public benefit
• shall have right to name specific public benefit purposes (e.g. 50% profits to charity, carbon neutral, 100% local sourcing, beneficial product to customers in poverty)
• the creation of public benefit is in the best interests of the Benefit Corporation

説明責任

• directors' duties are to make decisions in the best interests of the corporation
• directors and officers shall consider effect of decisions on shareholders and employees, suppliers, customers, community, environment (together the "Stakeholders")
• not required to give priority to any particular stakeholder
• have discretion to give priority to particular stakeholders consistent with general and any specific public benefit purposes
• standard of accountability is identical for operating and liquidity/change of control decisions

透明性

• shall publish annual Benefit Report in accordance with recognized third party standards for defining, reporting, and assessing social and environmental performance, including assessment of successes and failures in achieving general and specific public benefit purpose and in considering effects of decisions on stakeholders
• Benefit Report delivered to: 1) all shareholders; and 2) public website with exclusion of proprietary data

Right of Action

• only shareholders and directors have right of action
• no third party right of action
• Right of Action can be for 1) violation of or failure to pursue general or specific public benefit; 2) violation of duty or standard of conduct

Change of Control/Purpose/Structure

• shall require 2/3 majority vote