Standard of conduct for directors; permissible reliance on opinions and reports of others; limitation of liability

(1) A director shall discharge the duties of a director, including the duties as a member of a committee, in good faith, with the care an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would exercise under similar circumstances and in a manner the director reasonably believes to be in the best interests of the cooperative. (2) In discharging the duties of a director, a director is entitled to rely on information, opinions, reports or statements including financial statements and other financial data, if prepared or presented by: (a) One or more officers or employees of the cooperative whom the director reasonably believes to be reliable and competent in the matters presented; (b) Legal counsel, public accountants or other persons as to matters the director reasonably believes are within the person’s professional or expert competence; or (c) A committee of the board of directors of which the director is not a member if the director reasonably believes the committee merits confidence. (3) A director is not acting in good faith if the director has knowledge concerning the matter in question that makes reliance otherwise permitted by subsection (2) of this section unwarranted. (4) A director is not liable for any action taken as a director, or any failure to take any action, if the director performed the duties of the director’s office in compliance with this section. (5) When evaluating any offer of another party to make a tender or exchange offer for any equity security of the cooperative or any proposal to merge or consolidate the cooperative with another corporation or cooperative or to purchase or otherwise acquire all or substantially all the properties and assets of the corporation or cooperative, the directors of the cooperative may, in determining what they believe to be in the best interests of the cooperative, give due consideration to the social, legal and economic effects on employees, customers and suppliers of the cooperative and on the communities and geographical areas in which the cooperative and its subsidiaries operate, the economy of the state and nation, the long term as well as short term interests of the cooperative and its members, including the possibility that these interests may be best served by the continued independence of the cooperative, and other relevant factors.