A shareholder may vote his shares in person or by proxy.
Terms Used In Utah Code 16-10a-722
Attorney-in-fact: A person who, acting as an agent, is given written authorization by another person to transact business for him (her) out of court.
Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
Employee: includes an officer but not a director, unless the director accepts a duty that makes that director also an employee. See Utah Code 16-10a-102
Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
A shareholder, his agent, or attorney-in-fact, may appoint a proxy to vote or otherwise act for the shareholder by signing an appointment form or by an electronic transmission. An electronic transmission shall contain or be accompanied by information that indicates that the shareholder, the shareholder’s agent, or the shareholder’s attorney-in-fact authorized the transmission.
(3)
An appointment of a proxy is effective when a signed appointment form or an electronic transmission of the appointment is received by the inspector of election or the officer or agent of the corporation authorized to tabulate votes. An appointment is valid for 11 months unless a longer period is expressly provided in the appointment form.
(4)
An appointment of a proxy is revocable unless the appointment form or electronic transmission states that it is irrevocable and the appointment is coupled with an interest. Appointments coupled with an interest include the appointment of any of the following persons or their designees:
(a)
a pledgee;
(b)
a person who purchased or agreed to purchase the shares;
(c)
a creditor of the corporation who extended its credit under terms requiring the appointment;
(d)
an employee of the corporation whose employment contract requires the appointment; or
(e)
a party to a voting agreement created under Section 16-10a-731.
(5)
The death or incapacity of the shareholder appointing a proxy does not affect the right of the corporation to accept the proxy’s authority unless the appointment is not irrevocable and coupled with an interest, and notice of the death or incapacity is received by the secretary or other officer or agent authorized to tabulate votes before the proxy exercises the authority under the appointment.
(6)
An appointment made irrevocable under Subsection (4) is revoked when the interest with which it is coupled is extinguished but the revocation does not affect the right of the corporation to accept the proxy’s authority unless:
(a)
the corporation had notice that the appointment was coupled with that interest and notice that the interest is extinguished is received by the secretary or other officer or agent authorized to tabulate votes before the proxy exercises the authority under the appointment; or
(b)
other notice of the revocation of the appointment is received by the secretary or other officer or agent authorized to tabulate votes before the proxy exercises the authority under the appointment.
(7)
The corporation is not required to recognize an appointment made irrevocable under Subsection (4) if it has received a writing revoking the appointment signed by the shareholder either personally or by the shareholder’s attorney-in-fact, notwithstanding that the revocation may be a breach of an obligation of the shareholder to another person not to revoke the appointment. This provision does not affect any claim the other person may have against the shareholder with respect to the revocation.
(8)
A transferee for value of shares subject to an irrevocable appointment may revoke the appointment if the transferee did not know of its existence when acquiring the shares and the existence of the irrevocable appointment was not noted conspicuously on the certificate representing the shares or on the information statement for shares without certificates.
(9)
Subject to Section 16-10a-724 and to any express limitation on the proxy’s authority stated in the appointment form or electronic transmission, a corporation is entitled to accept the proxy’s vote or other action as that of the shareholder making the appointment.
