§ 1782. Actions against directors and officers.
(a) General rule.--Except as provided in subsection (b), in any action or proceeding brought to enforce a secondary right on the part of one or more shareholders of a business corporation against any present or former officer or director of the corporation because the corporation refuses to enforce rights that may properly be asserted by it, each plaintiff must aver and it must be made to appear that each plaintiff was a shareholder of the corporation or owner of a beneficial interest in the shares at the time of the transaction of which he complains, or that his shares or beneficial interest in the shares devolved upon him by operation of law from a person who was a shareholder or owner of a beneficial interest in the shares at that time.
(b) Exception.--Any shareholder or person beneficially interested in shares of the corporation who, except for the provisions of subsection (a), would be entitled to maintain the action or proceeding and who does not meet such requirements may, nevertheless in the discretion of the court, be allowed to maintain the action or proceeding on preliminary showing to the court, by application and upon such verified statements and depositions as may be required by the court, that there is a strong prima facie case in favor of the claim asserted on behalf of the corporation and that without the action serious injustice will result.
(c) Security for costs.--In any action or proceeding instituted or maintained by holders or owners of less than 5% of the outstanding shares of any class of the corporation, unless the shares held or owned by the holders or owners have an aggregate fair market value in excess of $200,000, the corporation in whose right the action or proceeding is brought shall be entitled at any stage of the proceedings to require the plaintiffs to give security for the reasonable expenses, including attorneys' fees, that may be incurred by it in connection therewith or for which it may become liable pursuant to section 1743 (relating to mandatory indemnification) (but only insofar as relates to actions by or in the right of the corporation) to which security the corporation shall have recourse in such amount as the court determines upon the termination of the action or proceeding. The amount of security may, from time to time, be increased or decreased in the discretion of the court upon showing that the security provided has or may become inadequate or excessive. The security may be denied or limited in the discretion of the court upon preliminary showing to the court, by application and upon such verified statements and depositions as may be required by the court, establishing prima facie that the requirement of full or partial security would impose undue hardship on plaintiffs and serious injustice would result.
(d) Cross reference.--See section 4146 (relating to provisions applicable to all foreign corporations).
Suspension by Court Rule. Section 1782(a) and (b) were suspended by Pennsylvania Rule of Civil Procedure No. 1506(e), amended April 12, 1999, insofar as inconsistent with Rule No. 1506 relating to stockholder's derivative action. Rule No. 1506(e) further provided that section 1782(c) and (d) shall not be deemed suspended or affected by Rule No. 1506.
Cross References. Section 1782 is referred to in section 4146 of this title.
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