智仁成果

Achievements

智仁成果

【涉外业务部】主营业地在大陆的香港注册公司也可与内地关联公司构成法人人

作者:智仁律师 发布时间:2021-09-27   点击:1328


Company Registered in Hongkong with Its Principal Place of Business in the Mainland May Constitute A Mixed Legal personality with Its Mainland Affiliates.





一、案情介绍


飘马公司和博识公司都是注册在香港的公司,2020年6月2日,飘马公司作为采购方与博识公司达成了三份无粉乙烯基手套的买卖合同,约定2020年6月12日交货,从宁波始发到目的地迪拜。合同签订后,飘马公司支付了全部货款,博识公司仅履行了部分供货义务。2020年7月下旬,双方达成了退回4个柜货款的一致意见。2020年7月24日,大陆注册的巴萨公司通过微信和邮箱向飘马公司出具了《订单款项退款保函》,承诺会将无法供应的货物对应的款项退还给飘马公司。2020 年8月,飘马公司还发现已收到的货物中有短缺,此时,作为博识公司和巴萨公司法定代表人、股东及实际控制人的应某某表示同意退还该短缺货物对应的货款,退还的美金加到总尾款里。但无论是博识公司还是巴萨公司都没有按时退还货款,因此飘马公司将博识公司起诉到法院,要求其立即退还货款,同时要求巴萨公司对博识公司的还款义务承担连带清偿责任。

I.Brief Introduction


Both E.K.PRIMA and BATHING CO.  are registered companies in Hong Kong.On June 2, 2020, E.K.PRIMA , as the purchaser, entered into three sale contracts of gloves with NINGBO BATHING  CO.Both parties agreed to delivere goods on June 12, 2020 from Ningbo to Dubai.After signing the contract, E.K.PRIMA EXPORTS HONG KONG LIMITED paid all payment for goods,but NINGBO BATHING INT’LIND.CO.,LIMITED didn’t deliver as the contracts.In late July 2020, both parties reached an agreement on refunding the payment for four containers.On July 24, 2020, Ningbo Basa International Trade Co., LTD ,an affiliated company of  NINGBO BATHING INT’LIND.CO.,LIMITED, issued a Refund Guarantee to E.K.PRIMA EXPORTS HONG KONG LIMITED through Wechat and Email, promising to return the money corresponding to the goods that could not be supplied to E.K.PRIMA EXPORTS HONG KONG LIMITED.In August 2020, E.K.PRIMA EXPORTS HONG KONG LIMITED also found a shortage in the shipment it had received.At this time, Mr. Ying, as the legal representative, shareholder and actual controller of NINGBO BATHING INT’LIND.CO.,LIMITED and Ningbo Basa International trade Co., LTD , agreed to return the payment for the goods in shortage, and the  refund would be added to the total amount owed.However, neither NINGBO BATHING INT’LIND.CO.,LIMITED nor Ningbo Basa International Trade Co. LTD returned the payment on time, so E.K.PRIMA EXPORTS HONG KONG LIMITED filed a case against NINGBO BATHING INT’LIND.CO and Ningbo Basa International trade Co. LTD , requiring them to return the payment and bear joint and several liability.


二、律师分析


智仁涉外律师接受飘马公司的委托后,从现有证据角度分析了合同成立、履行以及合同部分解除、货款部分退还的情况,发现双方买卖合意的达成、合同签订、对方承诺退款等大部分是通过微信群聊和邮件来往进行的,于是代理人建议当事人针对与本案相关的电子证据进行固定以方便法庭查明案件事实。


同时,代理人还发现,虽然被告博识公司注册地在香港,但案涉合同和博识公司的官网都显示其联系地为中国宁波,博识公司的法定代表人应某某提供的名片也显示公司地址在中国宁波,博识公司的联系电话和发货地也是宁波的电话和宁波港,委托人与博识公司有生意往来多年,都是到宁波与博识公司进行洽谈,以上证据已足以证明博识公司的主营业地就在中国宁波,根据《中华人民共和国涉外民事法律适用法》第十四条的规定:“法人及其分支机构的民事权利能力、民事行为能力、组织机构、股东权利义务等事项,使用登记地法律。法人的主营业地与登记地不一致的,可以使用主营业地法律。法人的经常居住地,为其主营业地。”本案可以使用博识公司的主营业地即我国大陆法律来进行审理。


通过进一步分析发现,巴萨公司与博识公司的经营、人员、办公场所、财产等方面高度混同,两公司不仅注册地址和办公地址完全一致,还使用同一个网址、电子邮箱、微信、电话号码等,日常与飘马公司进行工作对接的员工经常混用两个公司的身份,同时,巴萨公司发的函件用的是博识公司的抬头,巴萨公司对博识公司的债务也明确表示承诺履行。以上事实足以证明,巴萨公司和博识公司完全违背了法人人格独立的原则,参照适用《中华人民共和国公司法》第二十条第三款的规定:“公司股东滥用公司法人独立地位和股东有限责任,逃避债务,严重损害公司债权人利益的,应当对公司债务承担连带责任。”两公司构成法人人格混同;而且巴萨公司以行动表明加入了博识公司的债务,巴萨公司都应当对博识公司的还款义务承担连带清偿责任。


原告代理人同时灵活运用了“同案同判”的审判规则,将与本案案情类似最终判决人格混同承担连带责任的案例整理成类案检索报告提交法院参考,以期达到最好的代理效果。

Ⅱ.Lawyer Analysis


After accepting the entrustment of E.K.PRIMA EXPORTS HONG KONG LIMITED, the lawyer of Foreign-related business department of Zhejiang Zhiren Law Firm analyzed all the performance of the contracts and found that all the agreements between the two parties, including the signing of the contract and the promise of refund were mostly communicated through Wechat and Email. To keep the evidence and show the truth to the court , the lawyer suggested E.K.PRIMA EXPORTS HONG KONG LIMITED to apply for evidence preservation to the notary office for the electronic evidence related to the case.

At the same time, We also found that although NINGBO BATHING INT’LIND.CO.,LIMITED is registered in Hong Kong, but the company"s website and contract show that its main place of business is Ningbo, China. Mr. Ying’s name card also shows that NINGBO BATHING INT’LIND.CO.,LIMITED address is in Ningbo, China. According to the most significant relationship principle, the above evidence is enough to prove that the main place of business of NINGBO BATHING INT’LIND.CO.,LIMITED is in Ningbo, China. According to the provision of Article 14 of "Law of the People"s Republic of China on the Application of Civil Laws concerning Foreign Affairs", "the legal person and its branches shall use the law of the place of registration for civil rights capacity, civil conduct capacity, organizational structure, rights and obligations of shareholders and other matters. If the main place of business of a legal person is not the same as the place of registration, the law of the main place of business may be applied. The habitual residence of a legal person shall be its main place of business." This case can be done in accordance with the law of China, the main place of business of NINGBO BATHING INT’LIND.CO.,LIMITED.

With further analysis,We found that the two companies‘management, staff, office, assets are on high fusion, the two companies are not only having the same office address, but also using the same website, E-mail, WeChat, phone Numbers, etc. The employees of NINGBO BATHING INT’LIND.CO.,LIMITED often mix with the identity of the two companies too. The title of the guarantee letter sent by Ningbo Basa International trade Co., LTD is NINGBO BATHING INT’LIND.CO.,LIMITED, and Ningbo Basa International Trade Co., LTD stated its commitment to NINGBO BATHING INT’LIND.CO.,LIMITED"s debts. The above facts show that NINGBO BATHING INT’LIND.CO.,LIMITED and Ningbo Basa International Trade Co., LTD are completely against the rule of the independence of corporate personality, according to the provisions of the third paragraph of article 20 of Company Law of the People"s Republic of China "Where the shareholders of the company abuse the independent status of the company as a legal person and the limited liability of shareholders to evade debts and seriously damage the interests of the creditors of the company, they shall be jointly and severally liable for the debts of the company." The two companies are confused with each other .We think the above provision should be applied by reference, that is Ningbo Basa International Trade Co., LTD shall be jointly and severally liable for the repayment obligation of NINGBO BATHING INT’LIND.CO.,LIMITED.

We find similar cases on website too ,which strenthen our confidence to win.


三、法院裁判


经过了严格的法庭调查、举证质证和辩论环节,法院确定了案件事实,也采纳了原告代理人的代理意见,认可了应该适用内地法律以及两被告构成人格混同应当承担连带责任的观点。据此,法院支持了原告的全部诉讼请求,判令被告宁博公司归还原告飘马公司应付未付的货款以及利息损失,同时被告巴萨公司对宁博公司的还款责任承担连带责任。

Ⅲ.Judgement


After strict court investigation, evidencing-cross-examination and debate, the court accepted our opinions and applied mainland laws. The court held the two companies’ responsible, that the two defendants should bear joint and several liability in the form of personality confusion. Accordingly, the court supported all the claims of the plaintiff.


四、办案心得


首先,律师在处理涉外民商事案件中,要谨慎分析法律适用和管辖,在熟练掌握《中华人民共和国涉外民事法律适用法》等相关法律法规的基础上,结合案件事实和相关证据形成代理思路。如果我国法律对审理案件有明确的指引,能够平衡双方利益,建议找到连接点尽可能地适用国内法。


同时,对法人之间的纠纷,特别是涉及到有涉外因素的企业,不仅要熟练掌握《中华人民共和国公司法》及其司法解释、《中华人民共和国合伙企业法》,《中华人民共和国外商投资法》及其实施细则、司法解释等相关规定,还需要对当事人提供的证据有充分的敏感度,与本案类似的法人之间的混同、法人与股东的混同等,都应当及时识别出来,选择最佳诉讼策略为当事人争取到合法权益。

Ⅳ.Professional Tips

Lawyers should carefully analyze the application and jurisdiction of laws in dealing with foreign-related civil and commercial cases. On the basis of mastering the Law of the People"s Republic of China on the Application of Foreign-related Civil Laws and other relevant laws and regulations, lawyers should combine the facts of the case and relevant evidence to form the idea of agency. If the law of our country  has clear guide for the trial of cases and can balance the interests of both parties, it is recommended to find the connecting points and apply domestic laws as much as possible.

At the same time, for disputes between companies with foreign factors, lawyers should master all the evidence and communicate with  trustor carefully. Both profession and patience are important.


作者简介

林芳

浙江智仁律师事务所

涉外业务部首席律师

教育背景:

西南政法大学经济学学士、安徽财经大学法律硕士


专业方向:

涉外民商事纠纷、海事海商 


执业格言:

笃实办案,实现共赢

今日“微矩阵”号推荐: