Issuance and transfer of shares; share certificates

(a) A professional corporation may issue shares, fractional shares, and rights or options to purchase shares only to individuals authorized by law in this State or in any other state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia to render a professional service permitted by the corporation's articles of incorporation. (b) Where the licensing authority for any profession deems it necessary to prevent violations of the ethical standards of such profession, the licensing authority may by rule further restrict, condition, or abridge the authority of professional corporations to issue shares but no such rule, of itself, shall have the effect of causing a shareholder of a professional corporation at the time the rule becomes effective to become a disqualified person. All shares issued in violation of this section or any rule under this section shall be void. (c) A shareholder of a professional corporation may transfer or pledge shares, fractional shares, and rights or options to purchase shares of the corporation only to individuals qualified under this section to hold shares issued directly to them by the professional corporation. Any transfer of shares in violation of this subsection shall be void; provided that nothing contained herein shall prohibit the transfer of shares of a professional corporation by operation of law or court decree; and provided further that a shareholder may transfer part or all of such shares to a revocable living or inter vivos trust with respect to which such shareholder: (1) Retains the unilateral right of revocation; (2) Is the sole beneficiary during the shareholder's lifetime; and (3) Is either a trustee or co-trustee or otherwise retains the right to direct the trustee in all matters related to the corporation or its shares; but nothing in such trust nor in this section shall in any way diminish the liability of the shareholder with respect to the professional actions of the corporation. (d) Every certificate representing shares of a professional corporation shall state conspicuously upon its face that the shares represented thereby are subject to restrictions on transfer imposed by this chapter and are subject to such further restrictions on transfer as may be imposed by the licensing authority from time to time pursuant to this chapter.