Gesellschafter

English translation: shareholders

18:10 Jun 6, 2014
German to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Business/Commerce (general) / Bylaws of a GmbH
German term or phrase: Gesellschafter
This is within the context of the bylaws for a GmbH. In the US American system, would these be called 'shareholders" or "partners"?

Die Vornahme bestimmter Handlungen ist von der Einwilligung der Gesellschafterversammlung abhängig.

Would you then call the "Gesellschafterversammlung" a general meeting, a shareholder meeting or a partner meeting?

Any help with clarification is greatly appreciated. :-)
Sabine Reynaud
United States
Local time: 16:10
English translation:shareholders
Explanation:
It's a (close) corporation/Kapitalgesellschaft with limited liability of the owners after all, not a partnership with unlimited liability (whose owners are called partners).

AFAIK, this is not a question of US vs. UK English as both language variants treat this the same way.

Gesellschafterversammlung (of a German close corporation): shareholders' meeting. A general meeting is something I (rather) associate with a public company that issues shares traded on a stock exchange. Compare AGM.
Selected response from:

Sebastian Witte
Germany
Local time: 00:10
Grading comment
Vielen Dank Sebastian!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3shareholders
Sebastian Witte
3members
Pfadfinder


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
shareholders


Explanation:
It's a (close) corporation/Kapitalgesellschaft with limited liability of the owners after all, not a partnership with unlimited liability (whose owners are called partners).

AFAIK, this is not a question of US vs. UK English as both language variants treat this the same way.

Gesellschafterversammlung (of a German close corporation): shareholders' meeting. A general meeting is something I (rather) associate with a public company that issues shares traded on a stock exchange. Compare AGM.

Sebastian Witte
Germany
Local time: 00:10
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 20
Grading comment
Vielen Dank Sebastian!
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you so much Sebastian. This really helps a lot.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  RobinB: or "members". But, as you say, not "partners".
1 hr
  -> Members would be an option even though with that term the sweet lil added bonus of always knowing whenever you see the term shareholders that you are in that specific 1 of the 2 worlds (close/open corporation in the US vs. partnership) lapses.

agree  gangels (X)
1 day 16 hrs
  -> Thanks

agree  RISHON REUBEN: "shareholders" makes perfect sense :)
2 days 11 hrs
  -> Thank you, Rishon Reuben
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
members


Explanation:
meeting of members
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GmbH
----------------
It is not an easy question.
All variants - general meeting, shareholders' meeting, partner's meeting - are right. GmbH are often compared with LLC and LLP. The word "partners" is used in the translation of BGB.
-----------------
Gesellschaft
§ 705 Inhalt des Gesellschaftsvertrags
Durch den Gesellschaftsvertrag verpflichten sich die Gesellschafter gegenseitig, die Erreichung eines gemeinsamen Zweckes in der durch den Vertrag bestimmten Weise zu fördern, insbesondere die vereinbarten Beiträge zu leisten.
Partnership
Section 705
Contents of partnership agreement
By a partnership agreement, the partners mutually put themselves under a duty to promote the achievement of a common purpose in the manner stipulated by the contract, in particular, without limitation, to make the agreed contributions.



Pfadfinder
Russian Federation
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
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