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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>346867</law_id><section_number>13.1-721.1</section_number><catch_line>Abandonment of a merger or share exchange</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2026/" slug="2026" current="TRUE" last_updated="2026-08-02">2026</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="44" identifier="13.1">Corporations</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="12" identifier="9">Virginia Stock Corporation Act</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="14" identifier="12">Mergers and Share Exchanges</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Unless otherwise provided in the plan of merger or <span class="dictionary">share exchange</span> or in the <span class="dictionary">laws</span> under which a <span class="dictionary">foreign corporation</span> or a domestic or foreign <span class="dictionary">eligible entity</span> that is a <span class="dictionary">party to a merger</span> or a <span class="dictionary">share exchange</span> is organized or by which it is governed, after a plan of merger or <span class="dictionary">share exchange</span> has been adopted and approved as required by this article, and at any time before the certificate of merger or <span class="dictionary">share exchange</span> has become effective, the plan may be abandoned by a <span class="dictionary">domestic corporation</span> that is a party to the plan without action by its <span class="dictionary">shareholders</span> in accordance with any procedures set forth in the plan or, if no such procedures are set forth in the plan, in the manner determined by the board of directors, subject to any contractual rights of other parties to the plan of merger or <span class="dictionary">share exchange</span>. <a id="paragraph-1293869" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/13.1-721.1/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> If a merger or <span class="dictionary">share exchange</span> is abandoned after the articles of merger or <span class="dictionary">share exchange</span> have been filed with the <span class="dictionary">Commission</span> but before the certificate of merger or <span class="dictionary">share exchange</span> has become effective, in <span class="dictionary">order</span> for the certificate of merger or <span class="dictionary">share exchange</span> to be abandoned, all parties to the plan of merger or <span class="dictionary">share exchange</span> shall <span class="dictionary">sign</span> a statement of abandonment and <span class="dictionary">deliver</span> it to the <span class="dictionary">Commission</span> for filing prior to the effective time and date of the certificate of merger or <span class="dictionary">share exchange</span>. If the <span class="dictionary">Commission</span> finds that the statement of abandonment complies with the requirements of <span class="dictionary">law</span>, it shall <span class="dictionary">issue</span> a certificate of abandonment, effective as of the date and time the statement of abandonment was received by the <span class="dictionary">Commission</span>, and the merger or <span class="dictionary">share exchange</span> shall be deemed abandoned and shall not become effective. <a id="paragraph-1293870" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/13.1-721.1/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> The statement of abandonment shall contain: <a id="paragraph-1293871" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/13.1-721.1/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C1" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> The name of each domestic and <span class="dictionary">foreign corporation</span> and <span class="dictionary">eligible entity</span> that is a party to the merger and its <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction of formation</span> and entity type; <a id="paragraph-1293872" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/13.1-721.1/#C1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C2" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> When the <span class="dictionary">survivor</span> will be a <span class="dictionary">domestic corporation</span> or a <span class="dictionary">domestic nonstock corporation</span> created by the merger, the name of the <span class="dictionary">survivor</span> set forth in the articles of merger; <a id="paragraph-1293873" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/13.1-721.1/#C2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C3" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> The date on which the articles of merger or <span class="dictionary">share exchange</span> were filed with the <span class="dictionary">Commission</span>; <a id="paragraph-1293874" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/13.1-721.1/#C3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C4" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">4.</span> The date and time on which the <span class="dictionary">Commission</span>&#x2019;s certificate of merger or <span class="dictionary">share exchange</span> becomes effective; and <a id="paragraph-1293875" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/13.1-721.1/#C4"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C5" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">5.</span> A statement that the merger or <span class="dictionary">share exchange</span> is being abandoned in accordance with this section. <a id="paragraph-1293876" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/13.1-721.1/#C5"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2005, c. 765; 2010, c. 782; 2019, c. 734; 2020, c. 1226; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 487.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
