(a) As used in this chapter, the following terms and phrases have the following meanings:

(1) “Business” includes every trade, occupation, and profession.

(2) “Debtor in bankruptcy” means a person who is the subject of either of the following:

(A) An order for relief under Title 11 of the United States Code or a comparable order under a successor statute of general application.

(B) A comparable order under federal, state, or foreign law governing insolvency.

(3) “Distribution” means a transfer of money or other property from a partnership to a partner in the partner’s capacity as a partner or to the partner’s transferee.

(4) “Electronic transmission by the partnership” means a communication (a) delivered by (1) facsimile telecommunication or electronic mail when directed to the facsimile number or electronic mail address, respectively, for that recipient on record with the partnership, (2) posting on an electronic message board or network that the partnership has designated for those communications, together with a separate notice to the recipient of the posting, which transmission shall be validly delivered upon the later of the posting or delivery of the separate notice thereof, or (3) other means of electronic communication, (b) to a recipient who has provided an unrevoked consent to the use of those means of transmission, and (c) that creates a record that is capable of retention, retrieval, and review, and that may thereafter be rendered into clearly legible tangible form. However, an electronic transmission by a partnership to an individual partner is not authorized unless, in addition to satisfying the requirements of this section, the transmission satisfies the requirements applicable to consumer consent to electronic records as set forth in the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (15 U.S.C. § 7001(c)(1)).

(5) “Electronic transmission to the partnership” means a communication (a) delivered by (1) facsimile telecommunication or electronic mail when directed to the facsimile number or electronic mail address, respectively, which the partnership has provided from time to time to partners for sending communications to the partnership, (2) posting on an electronic message board or network that the partnership has designated for those communications, and which transmission shall be validly delivered upon the posting, or (3) other means of electronic communication, (b) as to which the partnership has placed in effect reasonable measures to verify that the sender is the partner, in person or by proxy, purporting to send the transmission, and (c) that creates a record that is capable of retention, retrieval, and review, and that may thereafter be rendered into clearly legible tangible form.

(6) (A) “Foreign limited liability partnership” means a partnership, other than a limited partnership, formed pursuant to an agreement governed by the laws of another jurisdiction and denominated or registered as a limited liability partnership or registered limited liability partnership under the laws of that jurisdiction (i) in which each partner is a licensed person or a person licensed or authorized to provide professional limited liability partnership services in a jurisdiction or jurisdictions other than this state, (ii) which is licensed under the laws of the state to engage in the practice of architecture, the practice of public accountancy, the practice of engineering, the practice of land surveying, or the practice of law, or (iii) which (I) is related to a registered limited liability partnership that practices public accountancy or, to the extent permitted by the State Bar of California, practices law or is related to a foreign limited liability partnership and (II) provides services related or complementary to the professional limited liability partnership services provided by, or provides services or facilities to, that registered limited liability partnership or foreign limited liability partnership.

(B) For the purposes of clause (iii) of subparagraph (A), a partnership is related to a registered limited liability partnership or foreign limited liability partnership if (i) at least a majority of the partners in one partnership are also partners in the other partnership, or (ii) at least a majority in interest in each partnership hold interests in or are members of another person, except an individual, and each partnership renders services pursuant to an agreement with that other person, or (iii) one partnership, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, the other partnership.

(7) “Licensed person” means any person who is duly licensed, authorized, or registered under the provisions of the Business and Professions Code to provide professional limited liability partnership services or who is lawfully able to render professional limited liability partnership services in this state.

(8) (A) “Registered limited liability partnership” means a partnership, other than a limited partnership, formed pursuant to an agreement governed by Article 10 (commencing with Section 16951), that is registered under Section 16953 and (i) each of the partners of which is a licensed person or a person licensed or authorized to provide professional limited liability partnership services in a jurisdiction or jurisdictions other than this state, (ii) is licensed under the laws of the state to engage in the practice of architecture, the practice of public accountancy, the practice of engineering, the practice of land surveying, or the practice of law, or (iii)(I) is related to a registered limited liability partnership that practices public accountancy or, to the extent permitted by the State Bar of California, practices law or is related to a foreign limited liability partnership and (II) provides services related or complementary to the professional limited liability partnership services provided by, or provides services or facilities to, that registered limited liability partnership or foreign limited liability partnership.

(B) For the purposes of clause (iii) of subparagraph (A), a partnership is related to a registered limited liability partnership or foreign limited liability partnership if (i) at least a majority of the partners in one partnership are also partners in the other partnership, or (ii) at least a majority in interest in each partnership hold interests in or are members of another person, other than an individual, and each partnership renders services pursuant to an agreement with that other person, or (iii) one partnership, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, the other partnership.

(9) “Partnership” means an association of two or more persons to carry on as coowners a business for profit formed under Section 16202, predecessor law, or comparable law of another jurisdiction, and includes, for all purposes of the laws of this state, a registered limited liability partnership, and excludes any partnership formed under Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 15900).

(10) “Partnership agreement” means the agreement, whether written, oral, or implied, among the partners concerning the partnership, including amendments to the partnership agreement.

(11) “Partnership at will” means a partnership in which the partners have not agreed to remain partners until the expiration of a definite term or the completion of a particular undertaking.

(12) “Partnership interest” or “partner’s interest in the partnership” means all of a partner’s interests in the partnership, including the partner’s transferable interest and all management and other rights.

(13) “Person” means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, government, governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality, or any other legal or commercial entity.

(14) “Professional limited liability partnership services” means the practice of architecture, the practice of public accountancy, the practice of engineering, the practice of land surveying, or the practice of law.

(15) “Property” means all property, real, personal, or mixed, tangible or intangible, or any interest therein.

(16) “State” means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.

(17) “Statement” means a statement of partnership authority under Section 16303, a statement of denial under Section 16304, a statement of dissociation under Section 16704, a statement of dissolution under Section 16805, a statement of conversion or a certificate of conversion under Section 16906, a statement of merger under Section 16915, or an amendment or cancellation of any of the foregoing.

(18) “Transfer” includes an assignment, conveyance, lease, mortgage, deed, and encumbrance.

(b) The inclusion of the practice of architecture as a professional limited liability partnership service permitted by this section shall extend only until January 1, 2026.

(c) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2026, and as of that date is repealed.

(Amended (as amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 150, Sec. 5) by Stats. 2019, Ch. 497, Sec. 33. (AB 991) Effective January 1, 2020. Repealed as of January 1, 2026, by its own provisions. See later operative version, as amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 497.)