Fiduciary Duties and Limited Partnership Agreements

Abstract:     
This article shows that the ULPA 2001's restrictions on contracting regarding fiduciary duties are seriously misguided because they are based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the special nature and functions of the limited partnership form. Even if restrictions on fiduciary duty waivers are appropriate in some contexts, they clearly are inappropriate in limited partnerships, which are designed for relatively sophisticated firms that frequently would want to limit general partners' fiduciary duties. Even if there are valid concerns about protecting limited partners from general partner misconduct, restrictions on waiver should be designed to balance the costs and benefits of waiver. This article shows that courts have managed to do this under UPA and under the more nuanced approach of Delaware law. By contrast, the heavy-handed approach of RUPA and ULPA 2001 precludes such balancing.

Keywords: fiduciary duties, limited partnerships, uniform laws, corporate governance, partnerships

JEL Classifications: G3, K2

Working Paper Series