Section 14-11-906. Election by a limited liability company to become a foreign limited liability company, a foreign limited partnership, or a foreign corporation; certificate of authority; requirements

   (a) A limited liability company may elect to become a foreign limited liability company, a foreign limited partnership, or a foreign corporation, if such a conversion is permitted by the law of the state or jurisdiction under whose law the resulting entity would be formed.

(b) To effect a conversion under this Code section, the limited liability company must adopt a plan of conversion that sets forth the manner and basis of converting the interests of the members of the limited liability company into interests, shares, obligations, or other securities, as the case may be, of the resulting entity. The plan of conversion may set forth other provisions relating to the conversion.

(c) The limited liability company shall have the plan of conversion authorized and approved by the unanimous consent of the members, unless the articles of organization or a written operating agreement of such limited liability company provides otherwise.

(d) After a conversion is authorized, unless the plan of conversion provides otherwise, and at any time before the conversion has become effective, the planned conversion may be abandoned, subject to any contractual rights, in accordance with the procedure set forth in the plan of conversion or, if none is set forth, by the unanimous consent of the members of the limited liability company, unless the articles of organization or a written operating agreement of such limited liability company provides otherwise.

(e) The conversion shall be effected as provided in, and shall have the effects provided by, the law of the state or jurisdiction under whose law the resulting entity is formed and by the plan of conversion, to the extent not inconsistent with such law.

(f) If the resulting entity is required to obtain a certificate of authority to transact business in this state by the provisions of this title governing foreign corporations, foreign limited partnerships, or foreign limited liability companies, it shall do so.

(g) After a plan of conversion is approved by the members, the limited liability company shall deliver to the Secretary of State for filing a certificate of conversion setting forth:

   (1) The name of the limited liability company;

   (2) The name and jurisdiction of the entity to which the limited liability company shall be converted;

   (3) The effective date, or the effective date and time, of such conversion if later than the date and time the certificate of conversion is filed;

   (4) A statement that the plan of conversion has been approved as required by subsection (c) of this Code section;

   (5) A statement that the authority of its registered agent to accept service on its behalf is revoked as of the effective time of such conversion and that the Secretary of State is irrevocably appointed as the agent for service of process on the resulting entity in any proceeding to enforce an obligation of the limited liability company arising prior to the effective time of such conversion, including the rights, if any, of dissenting members;

   (6) A mailing address to which a copy of any process served on the Secretary of State under paragraph (5) of this subsection may be mailed; and

   (7) A statement that the Secretary of State shall be notified of any change in the resulting entity's mailing address.

(h) Upon the conversion's taking effect, the resulting entity is deemed:

   (1) To appoint the Secretary of State as its agent for service of process in a proceeding to enforce any of its obligations arising prior to the effective time of such conversion, including the rights, if any, of dissenting members; and

   (2) To agree that it will promptly pay to any dissenting members the amount, if any, to which such member is entitled under Article 10 of this chapter.

(i) A converting limited liability company pursuant to this Code section may file a copy of its certificate of conversion, certified by the Secretary of State, in the office of the clerk of the superior court of the county where any real property owned by such limited liability company is located and record such certified copy of the certificate of conversion in the books kept by such clerk for recordation of deeds in such county with the limited liability company indexed as the grantor and the foreign entity indexed as the grantee. No real estate transfer tax otherwise required by Code Section 48-6-1 shall be due with respect to recordation of such certificate of conversion.

Code 1981, § 14-11-906, enacted by Ga. L. 2006, p. 825, § 26/SB 469; Ga. L. 2007, p. 455, § 5/SB 234.