Section 626. Shareholders' derivative action brought in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor  


Latest version.
  • (a) An action may be brought in the right of  a  domestic  or  foreign
      corporation to procure a judgment in its favor, by a holder of shares or
      of  voting  trust  certificates  of  the  corporation or of a beneficial
      interest in such shares or certificates.
        (b) In any such action, it shall be made to appear that the  plaintiff
      is such a holder at the time of bringing the action and that he was such
      a  holder  at the time of the transaction of which he complains, or that
      his shares or his interest therein devolved upon  him  by  operation  of
      law.
        (c) In   any   such   action,  the  complaint  shall  set  forth  with
      particularity the efforts of the plaintiff to secure the  initiation  of
      such action by the board or the reasons for not making such effort.
        (d) Such  action  shall  not  be discontinued, compromised or settled,
      without the approval of the court having jurisdiction of the action.  If
      the court shall determine that the interests of the shareholders or  any
      class  or  classes  thereof  will  be  substantially  affected  by  such
      discontinuance, compromise, or settlement, the court, in its discretion,
      may direct that notice, by publication or otherwise, shall be  given  to
      the  shareholders  or  class  or  classes  thereof  whose  interests  it
      determines will be so affected; if notice is so directed  to  be  given,
      the  court  may determine which one or more of the parties to the action
      shall bear the expense of giving the same, in such amount as  the  court
      shall  determine and find to be reasonable in the circumstances, and the
      amount of such expense shall be awarded as special costs of  the  action
      and recoverable in the same manner as statutory taxable costs.
        (e) If  the  action  on  behalf  of the corporation was successful, in
      whole or in part, or if  anything  was  received  by  the  plaintiff  or
      plaintiffs  or  a  claimant  or  claimants  as the result of a judgment,
      compromise or settlement of an action or claim, the court may award  the
      plaintiff  or  plaintiffs,  claimant  or claimants, reasonable expenses,
      including reasonable attorney's fees, and shall direct him  or  them  to
      account to the corporation for the remainder of the proceeds so received
      by  him or them. This paragraph shall not apply to any judgment rendered
      for the benefit of injured shareholders only and limited to  a  recovery
      of the loss or damage sustained by them.