A. After a plan of merger is approved by each party to the merger, the surviving business trust or other surviving business entity shall file with the Commission articles of merger executed by each party to the merger setting forth:

1. The name and jurisdiction of formation or organization of each of the business trusts or other business entities planning to merge and, as to each foreign entity, the date of its formation, and whether it is authorized to do business in this Commonwealth;

2. That an agreement of merger has been approved and executed by each of the business trusts or other business entities planning to merge in the manner required by its governing instrument, articles of trust, articles of incorporation or charter, articles of organization or formation, certificate of limited partnership or other constituent documents and by the laws of the jurisdiction where it is organized;

3. The name of the successor business trust or other business entity;

4. Any amendment to the articles of incorporation or charter, certificate of limited partnership, articles of organization or formation of a limited liability company, articles of trust or governing instrument of the successor to be effected as part of the merger;

5. The manner and basis of converting or exchanging issued shares of stock of the merging corporations, outstanding partnership interests of the merging general partnerships, outstanding partnership interests of the merging limited partnerships, outstanding membership interests of the merging limited liability companies, or shares of beneficial interest of the merging business trusts into different shares of stock of a corporation, partnership interests of a general partnership, partnership interests of a limited partnership, membership interests of a limited liability company, shares of beneficial interest of a business trust, or other consideration, and the treatment of any issued shares of stock of the merging corporations, partnership interests of the merging general partnerships, partnership interests of the merging limited partnerships, membership interests of the merging limited liability companies, or shares of beneficial interest of the merging business trusts not to be converted or exchanged;

6. That the executed agreement of merger is on file at the principal place of business of the successor business trust or other business entity, and shall state the address of that principal place of business; and

7. That a copy of the agreement of merger will be furnished by the successor business trust or other business entity, on request and without cost, to any beneficial owner of any business trust or any person holding an interest in any other business entity that is a party to the merger.

B. If a foreign limited liability company, partnership, limited partnership, business trust, or corporation is a party to the merger, the articles of merger shall contain a statement that the merger is permitted by the state or other jurisdiction under whose law the limited liability company is organized, the partnership, limited partnership, or business trust is formed or the corporation is incorporated and that the foreign limited liability company, partnership, limited partnership, business trust, or corporation has complied with that law in effecting the merger.

C. If the Commission finds that the articles of merger comply with the requirements of law and that all required fees have been paid, it shall issue a certificate of merger. The certificate of merger shall become effective as provided in subsection D of § 13.1-1203.

D. A certificate of merger shall act as a certificate of cancellation as described in § 13.1-1238 for a domestic business trust that is not the surviving party to the merger, and such business trust's existence shall be canceled upon the effective date of the certificate of merger.

2002, c. 621; 2003, c. 373; 2008, c. 101.