(1) Subject to subsection (4), upon application by the corporation, any successor entity to the corporation, a director of the corporation, any shareholder, beneficial shareholder, or unrestricted voting trust beneficial owner of the corporation, including any such shareholder, beneficial shareholder, or unrestricted voting trust beneficial owner as of the date of the defective corporate action ratified pursuant to s. 607.0147; or any other person claiming to be substantially and adversely affected by a ratification in accordance with s. 607.0147, the circuit court in the applicable county may take any one or more of the following actions:(a) Determine the validity and effectiveness of any corporate action or defective corporate action ratified pursuant to s. 607.0147. (b) Determine the validity and effectiveness of any ratification of any defective corporate action pursuant to s. 607.0147. (c) Determine the validity and effectiveness of any defective corporate action not ratified or not ratified effectively pursuant to s. 607.0147. (d) Determine the validity of any putative shares.
(e) Modify or waive any of the procedures specified in s. 607.0147 or s. 607.0148 to ratify a defective corporate action. (2) In connection with an action brought under this section, the court may make such findings or issue such orders and take into account any one or more factors or considerations as it deems proper under the circumstances, including, but not limited to, any one or more of the factors, considerations, findings, and orders set forth in subsections (5) and (6).
(3) Service of process of the application under subsection (1) on the corporation may be made in any manner provided in chapter 48 for service on a corporation, and no other party need be joined in order for the court to adjudicate the matter. In an action filed by the corporation, the court may require that notice of the action be provided to other persons specified by the court and permit such other persons to intervene in the action.
(4) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, any action asserting that the ratification of a defective corporate action, and any putative shares issued as a result of such defective corporate action, should not be effective, or should be effective only on certain conditions, must be brought, if at all, within 120 days after the validation effective time.
(5) In connection with the resolution of matters under subsection (2), the court may consider any of the following:(a) Whether the defective corporate action was originally approved or effectuated with the belief that the approval or effectuation was in compliance with the provisions of this chapter, the articles of incorporation, or the bylaws of the corporation.
(b) Whether the corporation and board of directors have treated the defective corporate action as a valid act or transaction and whether any person has acted in reliance on the public record that such defective corporate action was valid.
(c) Whether any person will be or was harmed by the ratification or validation of the defective corporate action, excluding any harm that would have resulted if the defective corporate action had been valid when approved or effectuated.
(d) Whether any person will be harmed by the failure to ratify or validate the defective corporate action.
(e) Whether the defective corporate action was a conflict of interest transaction.
(f) Any other factors or considerations the court deems just and equitable.
(6) In connection with an action under this section, the court may do any one or more of the following:(a) Declare that a ratification in accordance with and pursuant to s. 607.0147 is not effective or shall only be effective at a time or upon conditions established by the court. (b) Validate and declare effective any defective corporate action or putative shares and impose conditions upon such validation.
(c) Require measures to remedy or avoid harm to any person substantially and adversely affected by a ratification in accordance with and pursuant to s. 607.0147 or by any order of the court pursuant to this section, excluding any harm that would have resulted if the defective corporate action had been valid when approved or effectuated. (d) Order the department to accept an instrument for filing with an effective time specified by the court, which effective time may be before or after the date and time of such order, provided that the filing date of such instrument shall be determined in accordance with s. 607.0123. (e) Approve a stock ledger for the corporation that includes any shares ratified or validated in accordance with this section or s. 607.0147. (f) Declare that the putative shares are valid shares or require a corporation to issue and deliver valid shares in place of any putative shares.
(g) Order that a meeting of holders of valid shares or putative shares be held and exercise such powers as it deems appropriate with respect to such a meeting.
(h) Declare that a defective corporate action validated by the court shall be effective as of the date and time of the defective corporate action or at such other date and time as determined by the court.
(i) Declare that putative shares validated by the court shall be deemed to be identical valid shares or fractions of valid shares as of the date and time originally issued or purportedly issued or at such other date and time as determined by the court.
(j) Require payment by the corporation of reasonable expenses, including attorney fees and costs, that the court finds just and equitable under the circumstances.
(k) Issue other orders as it deems necessary and proper under the circumstances.
