Procedural problems of alienation of shares and shares of business entities

The article deals with the practice of observing the pre-emptive rights of shareholders of non-public joint-stock companies and business company participants when alienating shares (stocks) of business companies, including third parties. We are talking about protecting the interests of participants (shareholders) and the company as well as persons alienating the shares. The material is of interest in the formation of a civilized and effective corporate culture. The law provides not only for the right to alienate shares in business companies and non-public joint-stock companies, but also for the forms (methods) of exercising such a right (power). These forms (methods) have an approximate list. Based on the concept of civil law dispositivity, the rightholder can use any method of shares (stocks) alienation that is not prohibited by law. The Civil Code of the Russian Federation1 mentions the ways of transferring shares only in relation to a limited liability company (Article 93). The norms of this Code do not contain any specifics in this regard, thus leaving the issue to special (corporate) legislation. However, corporate legislation does not fully regulate the entire mechanism for transferring a share in the authorized capital or shares to another person.

The most common method of share alienation is a share purchase and sale agreement; other methods that are not prohibited by law are considered auxiliary methods. The paper deals with procedural issues involved in using methods of shares alienation in practice.

1 The Civil Code of the Russian Federation (Part one) from 30.11.1994 № 51-FZ (as amended on 16.12.2019, Rev. from 12.05.2020) / / Collection of Legislation of the Russian Federation. 1994. No. 32. St. 3301.