Proxy in a company - who is he and what are his duties and powers?

Proxy from the Latin procurare, meaning a special kind of power of attorney. Below I will discuss who can be a proxy, what are the powers of a proxy, how a proxy is established, types of proxy, etc.

Who is a proxy - definition and meaning

A proxy is a person endowed by an entrepreneur with special powers of attorney in a company subject to registration in the Central Register of Business Activity and Information or in the Register of Entrepreneurs of the National Court Register. He acts as an additional representative of the entrepreneur in the conduct of the company's affairs. He is authorized to sign contracts represent the company externally perform court actions and fulfill other duties on behalf of the company. He is appointed and dismissed by the entrepreneur on a specific date. It can be established for a specific period of time. The establishment of a power of attorney should be accompanied by notification of this fact to the relevant business register.

Proxy in a company - who can become one?

A proxy can be a natural person, who must have full legal capacity. There is no provision that dictates that it must be a person with a specific educational background, such as a lawyer. The establishment of a limited liability company can be combined with the appointment of its proxy right away.

What are the responsibilities of a proxy?

The proxy represents the company externally also before state authorities, performs legal actions, manages finances, signs documents, manages employees. A proxy in a company may be authorized to perform yet other tasks related to the running of the company including court actions.

A person to whom a power of attorney has been granted shall perform the activities specified in the scope of this authorization and pursuant to the Articles of Incorporation.

Board member vs. company proxy - separation of functions

There is no provision in Polish law that prohibits combining the function of a proxy with that of a member of the management board. Thus, a proxy in a company can be a member of the management board. A member of the management board and a proxy can perform partly the same tasks.

The institution of proxy and its types

The law provides for different types of power of attorney, so that its scope can be adapted to the business and the situation in the company.

Spontaneous procuration

Self-procuration is the fact that the proxy can independently represent the company externally and is authorized, for example, to perform a legal act on his own.

Joint procuration

The granting of a joint proxy by an entrepreneur subject to registration in the relevant register means that only by acting together can several proxies make decisions related to the operation of the enterprise.

Branch proxy

An entrepreneur can also appoint a proxy, who will have the right to represent not the entire company but only a specific part of it.

List of legal actions when establishing a power of attorney

The granting of a proxy consists of two stages - the establishment of the proxy and the granting of the proxy.

Proxy in a company - how to appoint one?

The establishment of a proxy belongs to internal actions in a company. In partnerships, the decision is made through a shareholders' resolution. In capital companies through a unanimous resolution of the board of directors. Next comes the granting of a power of attorney, that is, the appointment of a proxy. This is already an action with external effects and is carried out in accordance with the company's established rules of representation.

A proxy, on pain of invalidity, must be appointed in writing and filed with the appropriate register.

Proxy of the company - how to revoke it?

When revoking a proxy, no such formalized procedure is required as when appointing a proxy. It can be revoked by any member of the company's board of directors independently. It is not even required to be in writing, but it is worth keeping it, because the fact must be reported to the relevant registration authority.

The power of attorney can also be granted for a limited period of time, in which case it expires spontaneously. This also occurs as a result of deletion of the company from the register, declaration of bankruptcy or death of the proxy.

Liability of a proxy - is he liable for the company's obligations?

A proxy is not liable if he represents the company in accordance with the scope of the proxy granted. He is liable only for his own decisions or omissions that exposed the company to losses. He is fully liable if he is proven to be at fault for the company's losses. A proxy is also liable for exceeding the scope of the power of attorney.

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