General partnership - Goumeigaisha

Japanese: 合名会社 - ごうめいがいしゃ

A company with a unified organization, consisting only of members who are jointly and severally liable for the company's debts directly and without limit to the company's creditors (Article 576, Paragraph 2, Article 580 of the Companies Act). In the Companies Act, the three types of companies, namely, general partnerships, limited partnerships, and limited liability companies, are collectively called equity companies, and are subject to many common legal regulations. In principle, a general partnership is the original form of company in which all members who are capital investors participate in the management of the company and enjoy the profits that are derived from it. Since it requires mutual trust among members and the individuality of the members is strongly reflected in the company, it is used as a joint enterprise form for a small number of people who have a trusting relationship, such as relatives and friends. Although a general partnership is formally a corporate association, in reality it has a cooperative character and is a typical example of a personal company. Under the Companies Act, even a one-person partnership can have multiple members through the joining of new members or the transfer of shares, so it cannot be said to be immediately contrary to the nature of an association.In addition, a company having only one member is not considered a reason for dissolution (Article 641 of the Companies Act; for joint-stock companies, Article 471 of the Companies Act), so even a general partnership can be a one-person partnership with only one member who is an investor.

[Shuzo Toda and Norihiko Fukuhara]

Employee Composition

All partners are directly and unlimitedly liable for the company's debts. However, partners are only liable when (1) the company's assets are not sufficient to pay off the company's debts in full, or (2) enforcement of the company's assets is ineffective (Article 580, Paragraph 1 of the Companies Act). Therefore, even if a claim is made against a partner with unlimited liability, the claim must first be made against the company.

[Shuzo Toda and Norihiko Fukuhara]

Established

First, those who wish to become members must prepare articles of incorporation, and all members must sign or affix their names and seals to them (Articles 575 and 576 of the Companies Act). By preparing the articles of incorporation, the members are determined and the organization is prepared, and the company is relatively easily established by registering its incorporation at the location of the head office (Article 579 of the same Act). This is because there is a strong aspect of personal bonding between members who have mutual trust, and there is no need to establish complicated and strict incorporation procedures as in the case of a joint-stock company, which is a capital bond. Members' investments do not require full payment until the time of incorporation (Article 578 of the same Act), and in addition to property investments, labor investments and credit investments are also permitted. This is because there is no need to secure company assets to protect creditors, as there are unlimited liability members.

[Shuzo Toda and Norihiko Fukuhara]

Employee rights and obligations/changes in employees

While employees have the right to claim dividends, they are also obligated to share in losses. In addition, because the credibility of employees is important, the hiring of employees and replacement of employees (transfer of shares) requires the consent of all other employees (Companies Act, Article 585, Paragraph 1). However, in consideration of the convenience of employees' recovery of their invested capital, employees can request a refund of the financial value of their shares by unilaterally requesting to quit the company (freedom to quit; Companies Act, Article 606). There is also a system for expelling employees (Corporate Act, Article 607, Paragraph 1, Item 8, Article 859). In addition to changes to the articles of incorporation, the consent of all employees is required to decide on fundamental matters of the company (for example, changes to the articles of incorporation, dissolution, and mergers) (Companies Act, Articles 637, 668, 793, Paragraph 1, Item 1, Article 802, Paragraph 1, Item 1).

[Shuzo Toda and Norihiko Fukuhara]

Business Execution

In principle, each member has the right and the obligation to execute business operations, but by stipulation in the articles of incorporation, certain members can be designated as executive members (Companies Act, Article 590, Paragraph 1). If there are two or more executive members, unless otherwise stipulated in the articles of incorporation, the executive members shall be selected by majority vote (Companies Act, Article 590, Paragraph 2, Article 591, Paragraph 1, first part). In other words, in principle, ownership and management are the same.

[Shuzo Toda and Norihiko Fukuhara]

[Reference] | Company | Unlimited liability partner | Equity

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

会社の債務について、会社債権者に対し連帯して直接無限の弁済責任を負う社員だけで構成される、一元的組織の会社（会社法576条2項、580条）。会社法では、合名会社・合資会社・合同会社の三者が持分(もちぶん)会社と総称され、多くの共通した法規整に服する。合名会社は、原則的に、資本の出資者である社員が全員で会社経営に参加し、そこから得られる利益を享受するという、原初的な会社形態である。社員相互の信頼関係を必要とし、社員の個性が会社企業のうえに強く反映するから、親族や友人など少数の信頼関係にたつ者の共同企業形態として利用されている。合名会社も形式的には社団法人であるが、その実質は組合的な性格を有し、人的会社の典型である。会社法では、一人持分会社であっても社員の加入や持分の譲渡により社員が複数になる可能性があることから、ただちに社団性に反するとはいえず、また、社員が1人となった場合は会社の解散事由とされていないことから（同法641条、株式会社につき、同法471条）、合名会社でも、出資者たる社員が1名の一人持分会社が認められている。

［戸田修三・福原紀彦］

社員構成

社員は全員、会社債務に対して直接無限責任を負う。ただ、社員が責任を負うのは、(1)会社財産をもって会社の債務を完済することができない場合、(2)会社財産に対する強制執行が効を奏しない場合（会社法580条1項）であるから、無限責任社員に対する請求とはいっても、まずは会社に対して請求しなければならない。

［戸田修三・福原紀彦］

設立

まずは社員となろうとする者が定款を作成し、その全員がこれに署名し、または記名押印しなければならない（会社法575条、576条）。定款の作成により社員が確定して機関も具備され、本店の所在地における設立登記をもって比較的簡単に成立する（同法579条）。相互に信頼関係ある社員の人的結合の面が強く、資本的結合である株式会社の場合におけるような複雑・厳格な設立手続を定める必要はないからである。社員の出資は、設立時までの全額払込制はとられておらず（同法578条）、また、財産出資のほか、労務出資や信用出資も認められている。無限責任社員が存在するので、債権者保護のための会社財産の確保の要請が存しないからである。

［戸田修三・福原紀彦］

社員の権利義務・社員の変更

社員は利益配当請求権をもつ反面、損失を分担する義務を負う。また、社員の信用が重視されるため、社員の入社および社員の交替（持分の譲渡）には他の総社員の承諾が必要である（会社法585条1項）。ただ、社員の投下資本の回収の便を考慮し、会社に対する退社の一方的申入れの方法により、持分の財産的価値の払戻しを請求できる（退社の自由。同法606条）。また、社員の除名の制度もある（同法607条1項8号、859条）。定款の変更のほか、会社の基本的事項の決定（たとえば定款変更・解散・合併）には総社員の同意が必要（同法637条、668条、793条1項1号・802条1項1号）である。

［戸田修三・福原紀彦］

業務執行

原則として各社員が業務執行の権利を有し義務を負うが、定款の定めにより、一定の社員のみを業務執行社員とすることができる（会社法590条1項）。業務執行社員が2人以上いる場合には、定款に特別の定めがある場合を除き、その過半数によってなされる（同法590条2項、591条1項前段）。すなわち、原則的に所有と経営が一致している。

［戸田修三・福原紀彦］

[参照項目] | 会社 | 無限責任社員 | 持分

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