Legal transformation of corporate governance in joint-stock companies

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of certain novelties in the legal regulation of the order of interaction of management bodies in joint-stock companies. The article emphasizes that choosing the optimal model of corporate governance is important for the effective functioning of joint­stock companies. The article provides examples of various well-known models of corporate governance in the world. Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages. The article emphasizes the fact that for a long time in Ukraine, legislation provided for only a two-level system of corporate governance, which provided for the simultaneous functioning of the supervisory board and the executive body (board or director). In an effort to become a member of the European Union, Ukraine undertook to adapt its national legislation to legal standards acceptable in the EU, in particular in the area of corporate governance. Therefore, in 2023, the new Law of Ukraine "On Joint-Stock Companies” entered into force, the provisions of which, in particular, established, along with the two-level model of corporate governance, an alternative option - a one-level model. This model, in contrast to the two-level model, provides for the creation of a board of directors as a single body of operational management of a joint-stock company, which combines both the representative functions of shareholders and the functions inherent in the executive body of a joint-stock company
 The article examines the provisions of the Law of Ukraine "On Joint Stock Companies”, which provide for the legal status of the board of directors. The conditions and procedure for the formation of the board of directors were analyzed, and the specifics of the activity of this management body were determined. At the same time, when examining the legal status of the supervisory board, attention was drawn to the identity of the provisions of the current Law of Ukraine "On Joint Stock Companies” with the provisions of the previous law, which has already lost its validity.
 The conclusions emphasize that the Law of Ukraine "On Joint-Stock Companies” adopted in 2022 significantly changed corporate governance in terms of the introduction of an additional one- level model of corporate governance, thereby bringing the norms of national legislation closer to EU standards.