Ultra vires acts are any acts that lie beyond the authority of a corporation to perform. Ultra vires acts fall outside the powers that are specifically listed in a corporate charter or law. This can also refer to any action that is specifically prohibited by the corporate charter.
The roots of the term are from a Latin phrase that means beyond the power.
These acts cannot be legally defended in court. They will, in fact, leave the corporation vulnerable to lawsuits by employees or other parties.
Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.