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Previously, the Law on Enterprises 2014 allows enterprises to have one or more than one legal representative, which facilitates enterprises wishing to reduce the workload of their current legal representatives or increases control over essential corporate affairs. The Law on Enterprises 2014 does not discuss further about the liability of each Representative if there is any damage to the enterprise.

The Law on Enterprises 2020 resolves this matter by requiring an enterprise having more than one legal representative to have its charter “specifies rights and obligations of each legal representative. In case the division of rights and obligations of each legal representative is not clearly specified in the company’s charter, each legal representative of the company will be the fully authorized representative of the enterprise in front of a third party; all legal representatives are jointly liable for any damage caused to the enterprise in accordance with the civil law and other relevant laws.” cited from Article 12.2 of the Law on Enterprises 2020.

The problem arises if the charter does not clearly specify the rights and obligations of each Representative as mentioned above, the decision of one Representative will be construed as the decision of the remaining Representatives and implicitly the Representatives will be jointly responsible before the company and the law even though such content or document is decided by only one Representative. This joint responsibility will not be imposed when the charter clearly specifies the works and authority of each Representative. Accordingly, a Representative is solely responsible for any damage arising from such Representative’s decision, excluding the liability of the remaining Representatives who do not participate in that decision.