Quorum

A quorum refers to the minimum number of votes or persons required for a body, such as an LLC shareholders' meeting, a supervisory board, or the board of a club, to be quorate. Without reaching this voting quorum, decisions are legally invalid. In practice, bylaws or articles of association define specific quorums, such as a simple majority, a qualified majority of 75%, or unanimity. Particularly for amendments to the bylaws, capital increases, or changes to the company's purpose, the law often requires higher quorums, which are subsequently registered in the commercial register. Although the quorum itself does not need to be published in the register, its fulfillment is crucial for effective resolutions and their registration. Entrepreneurs, shareholders, and notaries should therefore verify before each vote whether the specified quorum—be it a certain number of shareholders or a percentage of voting rights—is met. A clearly defined quorum enhances legal certainty, prevents challenges, and simplifies documentation for authorities and banks.

Through the handelsregister.ai API, the current list of shareholders is available as a PDF document, enabling the verification of potentially eligible voters.