Locke Lord QuickStudy: Massachusetts Makes “Virtual Meeting” ‎Relief Permanent

We previously issued a QuickStudy reporting that the Massachusetts legislature had extended to March 31, 2023 the COVID-19 pandemic relief that allowed Massachusetts public companies and Massachusetts non-profit corporations to hold shareholder and member meetings entirely remotely. As anticipated in our QuickStudy, before expiration of the temporary relief the Massachusetts legislature made the relief permanent by (1) amending Section 7.08 of Chapter 156D of the General Laws to allow public companies to use the flexibility to hold virtual-only meetings of shareholders if authorized by the board of directors and (2) amending Section 6A of Chapter 180 of the General Laws to make clear that meetings of members of non-profit corporations may be held in-person, by means of remote communication (i.e., “virtually”) or on a hybrid basis.

As a result of these actions, Massachusetts joins other states that provide flexibility for shareholder and member meetings to be held entirely remotely without regard to any emergency situation.