42:2A-6 Name of limited partnership.

6. Name of limited partnership. a. The name of each limited partnership as set forth in its certificate of limited partnership or the name of any foreign limited partnership applying for a certificate of authority to transact business in this State:

(1) Shall contain the words "limited partnership" or the abbreviation "L.P.," or "LP";

(2) May not contain the name of a limited partner unless it is also the name of a general partner or the corporate name of a corporate general partner, or the business of the limited partnership had been carried on under that name before the admission of that limited partner;

(3) May not contain any word or phrase indicating or implying that it is organized other than for a purpose stated in its certificate of limited partnership;

(4) Shall be such to distinguish it upon the records in the office of the State Treasurer from the names of other domestic limited partnerships, foreign limited partnerships, domestic profit corporations, foreign profit corporations, domestic nonprofit corporations, and foreign nonprofit corporations or a current name reservation or a current name registration unless there is filed a certified copy of a final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction establishing the prior right of the limited partnership to the use of the name in this State;

(5) Shall not contain any word or phrase, or any abbreviation or derivative thereof, the use of which is prohibited or restricted by any other statutes of this State, unless the restrictions have been complied with.

b. This section shall not require any domestic limited partnership organized prior to April 1, 1985 to change its name in accordance with this section, if the name is otherwise lawful on March 31, 1985. A limited partnership or foreign limited partnership transacting business in this State shall not change its limited partnership name on or after the effective date of P.L.1988, c.130 to a name which is not available for limited partnership use under this chapter.

c. If the name of a foreign limited partnership is not available for use in this State because of paragraphs (1) through (4) of subsection a., the limited partnership may be authorized to transact business in this State under an assumed name by filing in the office of the State Treasurer with its application for an original or amended certificate of authority a certificate of its general partner adopting the assumed name for use in transacting business in this State.

d. The limited partnership name of a domestic limited partnership whose certificate of limited partnership has been cancelled, the limited partnership name of a foreign limited partnership whose certificate of limited partnership has been cancelled or withdrawn, and the corporate name of any profit or nonprofit corporation which has been dissolved and any name confusingly similar to the name of a foreign limited partnership whose certificate of limited partnership has been cancelled or withdrawn, domestic limited partnership or profit or nonprofit corporation which has been dissolved or which has been terminated shall not be available for foreign or domestic limited partnership use for two years after the effective time of cancellation, withdrawal or termination, unless, within the two-year period, the written consent of the dissolved, withdrawn or cancelled domestic or foreign limited partnership or corporation to the adoption of its name, or a confusingly similar name, is filed in the office of the State Treasurer with the certificate of limited partnership of the new proposed domestic limited partnership or with the application of a foreign limited partnership for an original or amended certificate of authority to transact business in this State. e. The filing in the office of the State Treasurer of the certificate of limited partnership of a domestic limited partnership or the issuance by the State Treasurer of a certificate to a foreign limited partnership authorizing it to transact business in this State shall not preclude an action by this State to enjoin a violation of this section or any action by any person adversely affected to enjoin the violation or the use of a limited partnership name in violation of the rights of that person, whether on principles of unfair competition or otherwise, and the court may grant any other appropriate relief in the action.

L.1983, c.489, s.6; amended 1984, c.245, s.4; 1988, c.130, s.3; 2011, c.27, s.3.