Section 623. Members' 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 five percent or more
      of any class of members or by such percentage of the holders of  capital
      certificates  or  of  the owners of a beneficial interest in the capital
      certificates of such corporation.
        (b) In any such action, it shall be made to appear that each plaintiff
      is such a member, holder or owner at the time of bringing the action.
        (c)  In  any  such  action,  the  complaint  shall  set   forth   with
      particularity  the  efforts of the plaintiff or plaintiffs to secure the
      initiation of such action by the board of the reason 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 members or of 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  members  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 members or non-record owners only and limited
      to a recovery of the loss or damage sustained by them.