Tennessee § 48-21-108 - Effect of merger or share exchange.

§ 48-21-108. Effect of merger or share exchange.

When a merger becomes effective: The corporation or eligible entity that is designated in the plan of merger as an entity surviving the merger shall survive, and the separate existence of every other corporation or eligible entity that is a party to the merger shall cease; All property owned by, and every contract right possessed by, each corporation or eligible entity that is merged into the survivor shall be vested in the survivor without reversion or impairment; All liabilities of each corporation or eligible entity that is merged into the survivor shall be vested in the survivor; A proceeding pending against any corporation or eligible entity that is a party to the merger may be continued as if the merger did not occur or the name of the survivor may be substituted in the proceeding for any corporation or eligible entity whose existence ceased in the merger; The charter or organic document of the survivor shall be amended to the extent provided in the plan of merger; The charter or organic documents of a survivor created by the plan of merger shall become effective; and The share of each corporation and the interests of each eligible entity that are to be converted into shares, other securities, interests, obligations, rights to acquire shares, other securities or interests, cash, other property, or any combination of the foregoing in the merger shall be converted or exchanged, and the former holders of such shares or eligible interests shall be entitled only to the rights provided to them in the plan of merger or to their rights under chapter 23 of this title or the organic law of the eligible entity. When a share exchange takes effect, the shares of each corporation that are to be exchanged for shares, other securities, interests, obligations, rights to acquire shares, other securities or interests, cash, other property or any combination of the foregoing in the share exchange shall be exchanged, and the former holders of such shares shall be entitled only to the rights provided in the plan of share exchange or to their rights under chapter 23 of this title. Upon a merger becoming effective, a foreign corporation, or a foreign eligible entity, that is the survivor of the merger is deemed to: Appoint the secretary of state as its agent for service of process in a proceeding to enforce the rights of shareholders of each domestic corporation that is a party to the merger who exercise dissenters' rights; and Agree that it will promptly pay the amount, if any, to which such shareholders are entitled under chapter 23 of this title. The effect of a merger or share exchange on the owner liability of a person who had owner liability for some or all of the debts, obligations or liabilities of a party to the merger or share exchange shall be as follows: The merger or share exchange does not discharge any owner liability under the organic law of the entity in which the person was a shareholder or interest holder to the extent any such owner liability arose before the effective time of the articles of merger or share exchange; The person shall not have owner liability under the organic law of the entity in which the person was shareholder or interest holder prior to the merger or share exchange for any debt, obligation or liability that arises after the effective time of the articles of merger or share exchange; The organic law of any entity for which the person had owner liability before the merger or share exchange shall continue to apply to the collection or discharge of any owner liability preserved by subdivision (d)(1), as if the merger or share exchange had not occurred; and The person shall have whatever rights of contribution from other persons are provided by the organic law of the entity for which the person had owner liability with respect to any owner liability preserved by subdivision (d)(1), as if the merger or share exchange had not occurred. A merger or share exchange shall take effect upon the date the articles of merger or share exchange are filed as provided in § 48-21-107(b) or on such later date as may be specified in the plan of merger or share exchange. Acts 1986, ch. 887, § 11.06; 1994, ch. 776, § 41; T.C.A., § 48-21-106 ; Acts 2012, ch. 1051, § 39.