Published: April 8, 2020
Category: Legal Update
By: David Cui
In China, all kinds of enterprise activities need company seal. For example, the relevant departments require that when any of business registration items are changed, the application materials must be sealed to confirm the true intention of the company as the "applicant". In business activities, the company will use the company seal to execute the contract, and only using the seal (without signature) can turn such contract into a binding legal obligation.
Every company in China has its official seal, which can be used in almost any occasion. There are also seals for special purposes or those specially used to represent branches or departments of the company. These seals can only be used in specific circumstances, such as the contract seal for signing the contract, the financial seal for banking business, etc.
Why is the company seal important
Seal has been used in commercial practice for a long time. Over the years, China has been implementing the "legal representative" system. The only legal representative has the inherent power to act on behalf of the company, and there is no need to express specific authorization for specific matters or scope.
The legal representative can be the chairman of the board, the executive director of the company (if there is no board of directors), or the general manager of the company. In order to facilitate the company's business activities, the company seal is used as another way to express the company's consent, without constantly obtaining the signature of the sole legal representative. Generally speaking, whether it is the signature of the legal representative or the application of the company seal, it has the legal effect of binding the company in all kinds of commercial transactions. For convenience, in business practice, company seals are more commonly used than signatures.
The competent government departments also require that when a company changes its legal representative, it must seal the application documents. Therefore, the legal representative (if also an employee) of the company can take advantage of this opportunity to deal with the company. We generally suggest that the above problems can be avoided by signing relevant documents before the establishment of the company.
Misuse of company seal
The company shall formulate an internal control system to prevent the misuse of the company seal, and clearly limit the functions and powers of the legal representative. However, if the other party of the contract assumes in good faith that the use of the seal has appropriate authority, but in fact it is not, the company will be hard to deny the contract and its legal obligations, making itself in a difficult situation.
The shareholders of the company have full discretion on the appointment and removal of the legal representative in law, but without the seal of the company, the replacement of the legal representative can not be formally completed. If the outgoing legal representative holds the company seal and refuses to cooperate, the shareholders usually have two choices. Before the final solution, the company will worry that the outgoing legal representative will cause continuous interference and damage to the company's operation.
Shareholders can cancel the old company seal and carve the new company seal, but usually need to obtain the original business license;
Shareholders can decide to sue the former legal representative for the return of the company's seal and compensation for losses, but this process may take several months.
Finally, the company must generally bear the legal consequences of misusing the company seal, because the company has the responsibility to properly manage the company seal and prevent the seal from being misused or stolen. If the company seal is lost, the relevant partners should be informed in time.
Proposal
In view of the importance of seal, the company should pay attention to the internal control of seal management. This is especially true for foreign-invested enterprises with management outside China and / or managers who do not understand Chinese. Based on our years of experience in assisting customers in seal management and dispute resolution, we strongly recommend that each company follow the following practical suggestions:
Limit the number of seals. In case of fake seals, inform the other party in time and report to the police. If the company permits the existence of a second company seal, the use of that seal can still be considered binding even if it is not recorded with the authorities. In addition, limit the number of seals for special purposes - the more seals, the more difficult it is to control.
The use of the company seal and the signature of the legal / authorized representative will be combined as the only way to execute the documents. This measure helps to prevent misuse. For example, the counterparties who have a long-term cooperative relationship with your company know your company's everyday practice of combining signature with company seal. When the legal representative or the person holding company seal acts beyond his authority, he will inform the company.
The use of company seal is restricted. The company seal shall be kept by the legal representative or other entrusted person of the company; or if it is not feasible (for example, the legal representative is a person from the headquarters, is not in China, and / or has no local senior management), for the sake of safety, the foreign shareholders may appoint the entrusted law firm or accounting firm to keep the company seal. In addition, with the help of lawyers, before the legal representative takes office, reach a resignation agreement, sign and affix the official seal, which will also help to prevent the legal representative from using the company seal as a bargaining chip in case of disputes.
Formulate detailed rules for the use of seals. Detailed rules should be drafted and formally implemented (such as through the resolution of the board of directors or the resolution of shareholders) to determine the custodians, usage methods, usage records, etc. of the company seal and special seal. These rules should be made as legal documents so that companies can determine the liability for misuse.
Electronic company seal gradually entered China. Compared with physical company seal, electronic company seal has higher security because of encryption and authentication technology. With the development and promotion of science and technology, this kind of electronic company seal may be more attractive, and it may become a feasible alternative. Before that, the company should have a clear strategy to ensure the safety of the company seal and serve the enterprise.
小心中国公司印章风险
实际上，在中国，各种企业活动都需要企业印章。例如，有关部门要求在工商登记变更时，必须将申请材料盖章，以确认公司作为“申请人”的真实意图。在商业活动中，公司将使用公司印章执行合同，仅使用印章（无需签字）即可将此类合同变为具有约束力的法律义务。
中国的每家公司都有公司公章，几乎在任何场合都可以使用。也有特殊用途的印章或专门用来代表公司分支机构或部门的印章。这些印章只能在特定情况下使用，如签署合同的合同章、用于银行业务的财务章等。
为什么公司的印章很重要
印章在商业实践中的应用由来已久。多年来，中国一直实行“法定代表人”制度，唯一的法定代表人具有代表公司行事的固有权力，无需对特定事项或范围表示具体授权。法定代表人可以是董事长，也可以是公司的执行董事（如果没有董事会），或者是公司的总经理。为了方便公司的业务活动，公司印章被用作表示公司同意的另一种方式，而无需不断取得唯一法定代表人的签字。一般来说，无论是法定代表人的签字还是公司印章的申请，在各种商业交易中都具有约束公司的法律效力。为方便起见，在商业实践中，公司印章比签名更常用。
政府主管部门还要求，公司更换法定代表人时，必须将文件盖章。因此，公司的法定代表人（如果也是公司的雇员）可以利用这个机会与公司周旋。我们一般建议在公司成立前通过签署相关文件的形式来避免上述问题的产生。
不当使用公司印章
公司应当制定内部控制制度，防止滥用公司印章，并明确限制法定代表人的职权。但是，如果合同的对方善意地假定印章的使用具有适当的权限，而事实上并非如此，公司只能否认这种合同及其法律义务，使得自身处于一种困难的境地。
公司股东在法律上对法定代表人的任免有充分的自由裁量权，但未经公司盖章，则不能正式完成法定代表人的更换。如果即将离任的法定代表人持有公司印章并拒绝合作，那么股东通常有两种选择。两者都不容易实施，在最终解决之前，公司会担心即将卸任的法定代表人会对公司运营造成持续的干扰和损害。
股东可以办理注销旧公司印章、刻制新公司印章的手续，但通常需要获得营业执照原件；
股东可以决定对前法定代表人提起诉讼，要求返还公司印章以及赔偿损失，但这一过程可能需要数月。
最后一点：公司一般必须承担滥用公司印章的法律后果，因为公司首先有责任妥善管理公司印章，防止印章被滥用或被盗。如果公司印章丢失，应及时通知相关合作伙伴。
建议
鉴于印章的重要性，公司应注意印章管理的内部控制。对于在中国境外拥有管理层的外商投资企业和/或不懂中文的管理者来说尤其如此。基于我们多年协助客户进行印章管理和解决纠纷的经验，我们强烈建议每家公司遵循以下实用建议：
只刻一个公司印章。如发现假印章，及时通知对方并报警。如果公司允许存在第二个公司印章，即使没有向当局记录，使用该印章仍然可以被视为具有约束力。此外，限制特殊用途的印章数量——印章越多，控制起来就越困难。
将使用公司印章和法定/授权代表签字相结合，作为执行文件的唯一方式。这项措施有助于防止滥用。例如，与贵公司有长期合作关系的交易对手，知道贵公司将签名与公司印章相结合的习惯，当法定代表人或持有公司印章的人越权行事时，将通知公司。此外，这意味着员工不能简单地在自己的雇佣合同上盖章。
限制使用公司印章。公司印章应由公司的法定代表人或其他受委托人保管；或者如果不可行（如法定代表人是总部的人，不在中国，和/或没有当地高级管理人员），则为了安全起见，外国股东可以指定受委托的律师事务所或会计师事务所保管公司印章。此外，在律师的帮助下，在法定代表人任职前，应事先达成离职协议，并签名及加盖公章，这也将有助于防止出现法定代表人在发生纠纷时将公司印章作为谈判筹码的情况。
制定印章使用细则。应起草详细规则并正式实施（如通过董事会决议或股东决议），以确定公司印章和专用印章的保管人、使用方法、使用记录等。这些规则应作为法律文件制定，这样公司就可以确定滥用的责任。
电子公司印章逐渐进入中国。与物理公司印章相比，电子公司印章由于采用了加密和认证技术，具有更高的安全性。随着科技的发展和推广，这种电子公司印章可能会更有吸引力，它可能成为一个可行的替代品。而在此之前，公司应该有一个明确的战略，以确保公司印章安全，并为企业服务。
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