2023 District of Columbia Code › Title 29 - Business Organizations. [Enacted title] › Chapter 6 - General Partnerships › Subchapter I - General Provisions › § 29–601.04. Effect of partnership agreement; nonwaivable provisions

§ 29–601.04. Effect of partnership agreement; nonwaivable provisions.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b) of this section, relations among the partners and between the partners and the partnership shall be governed by the partnership agreement. To the extent the partnership agreement does not otherwise provide, this chapter shall govern relations among the partners and between the partners and the partnership.
(b) A partnership agreement shall not:
(1) Vary the rights and duties under § 29-601.05, except to eliminate the duty to provide copies of statements to all of the partners;
(2) Unreasonably restrict the right of access to books and records under § 29-604.03(b);
(3) Eliminate the duty of loyalty under § 29-604.04(b) or § 29-606.03(b)(3), but:
(A) The partnership agreement may identify specific types or categories of activities that do not violate the duty of loyalty, if not manifestly unreasonable; or
(B) All of the partners or a number or percentage specified in the partnership agreement may authorize or ratify, after full disclosure of all material facts, a specific act or transaction that otherwise would violate the duty of loyalty;
(4) Unreasonably reduce the duty of care under § 29-604.04(c) or § 29-606.03(b)(3);
(5) Eliminate the obligation of good faith and fair dealing under § 29-604.04(d), but the partnership agreement may prescribe the standards by which the performance of the obligation is to be measured, if the standards are not manifestly unreasonable;
(6) Vary the power to dissociate as a partner under § 29-606.02(a), except to require the notice under § 29-606.01(1) to be in writing;
(7) Vary the right of a court to expel a partner in the events specified in § 29-606.01(5);
(8) Vary the requirement to wind up the partnership business in cases specified in § 29-608.01(4), (5), or (6);
(9) Vary the law applicable to a limited liability partnership under § 29-105.01(a);
(10) Restrict rights of third parties under this chapter;
(11) Vary the provisions of § 29-601.10;
(12) Vary the provisions of § 29-603.07;
(13) Relieve or exonerate a person from liability for conduct involving bad faith, willful or intentional misconduct, or knowing violation of the law;
(14) Vary the right of a partner to approve a merger, interest exchange, conversion, or domestication; or
(15) Vary any requirement, procedure, or other provision of this title pertaining to:
(A) Registered agents; or
(B) The Mayor, including provisions pertaining to records authorized or required to be delivered to the Mayor for filing under this title.
(c) Subject to subsection (b) of this section, without limiting other terms that may be included in a partnership agreement, the following rules apply:
(1) The partnership agreement may specify the method by which a specific act or transaction that would otherwise violate the duty of loyalty may be authorized or ratified by one or more disinterested and independent persons after full disclosure of all material facts.
(2) If not manifestly unreasonable, the partnership agreement may:
(A) Restrict or eliminate the aspects of the duty of loyalty stated in § 29-604.07(b);
(B) Identify specific types or categories of activities and affairs that do not violate the duty of loyalty;
(C) Alter the duty of care, but may not authorize willful or intentional misconduct or knowing violation of law; and
(D) Alter or eliminate any other fiduciary duty.
(d) The court shall decide as a matter of law any claim under subsection (b)(5) or (c)(2) of this section that a term of a partnership agreement is manifestly unreasonable. The court:
(1) Shall make its determination as of the time the challenged term became part of the partnership agreement and by considering only circumstances existing at that time; and
(2) May invalidate the term only if, in light of the purposes, activities, and affairs of the limited partnership, it is readily apparent that:
(A) The objective of the term is unreasonable; or
(B) The term is an unreasonable means to achieve the provision’s objective.
(July 2, 2011, D.C. Law 18-378, § 2, 58 DCR 1720; Mar. 5, 2013, D.C. Law 19-210, § 2(f)(2)(C), 59 DCR 13171.)
Prior Codifications
2001 Ed., § 33-101.03.
1981 Ed., § 41-151.3.
Section References
This section is referenced in § 29-601.09 and § 29-604.01.
Effect of Amendments
The 2013 amendment by D.C. Law 19-210 substituted “A” for “The” in the introductory language of (b); added (b)(11) through (b)(15) and made related changes; and added (c) and (d).
Editor's Notes
Uniform Law: This section is based on § 103 of the Uniform Partnership Act (1997 Act).
Application of Law 19-210: Section 7 of D.C. Law 19-210 provided that the act shall apply as of January 1, 2012.