The Devil Is In The Details: Director Minutes and Liability

March 27, 2013 by Stephen M. Honig

Even lawyers disagree about the correct answer to question that they hear often from members of the board of directors of companies they serve: What minutes should look like and how detailed should they be?

Executive Summary

What should director minutes say and how detailed should they be? It likely depends on the maturity of the company, the personality of its management and the input of its lawyers, according to Stephen Honig, a partner for Duane Morris LLP, who reviews the considerations in conjunction with the ground rules set forth in the NACD "Directors' Guide."
Executive Summary What should director minutes say and how detailed should they be? It likely depends on the maturity of the company, the personality of its management and the input of its lawyers, according to Stephen Honig, a partner for Duane Morris LLP, who reviews the considerations in conjunction with the ground rules set forth in the NACD “Directors’ Guide.”

Last month, the National Association of Corporate Directors took a stab at identifying ground rules in its “Directors’ Guide” to corporate board and committee minutes. The guide is, well, just that—a guide. There are no bright-line answers, but many “it depends.”