Company (law)
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A company is, in general, any group of persons united to pursue a common interest. The term is thus synonymous with association, but more often it is used specifically to identify associations formed for profit, such as the partnership, the joint-stock company, and the for-profit corporation. A company is not necessarily a corporation, and thus may not have a separate existence from its members. A company might also not be able to sue or be sued in its own name, and thus would not be considered to be a legal person. Whether a company has either of these characteristics depend on the law of the jurisdiction.
For example, in UK law, a company is a legal person with a separate identity from its members, and thus would be a form of corporation. A minimum of two people are required to form such a company, usually one director and one secretary. Both directors and secretaries can be either individuals or corporate entities, and there are almost no nationality and residence restrictions, although there must be an office within the UK, registered with Companies House. The most important legislation governing company law is found in the Companies Act 1985 and to a lesser extent the Companies Act 1989.