Yes, corporate bylaws are confidential.
Breach of Fiduciary Duties When directors or officers fail to follow the corporation's governing documents, they open themselves up to liability for breaching their duties of care and obedience. Officers and directors may be held personally liable in the event a breach of duty occurs.
Corporate bylaws are legally required in New York. Under NY Bus Corp L § 601, corporate bylaws “shall be adopted” by a company's incorporators. That means that in New York, you'll need to adopt bylaws to comply with the law.
Topics to Include in Your Corporate Bylaws. Shareholders' Meetings. Corporate Officers: Positions, Duties, and Appointment. Board of Directors: Number, Term, and Elections. Board of Directors Meetings. Corporate Records and Reports. Shares and Stock Certificates.
New York's requirements include: Officers. Officer names and addresses are not required to be listed in the Certificate of Incorporation.
(a) The board of directors shall consist of one or more members. The number of directors constituting the board may be fixed by the by-laws, or by action of the shareholders or of the board under the specific provisions of a by-law adopted by the shareholders.
Bylaws are internal documents, so they don't need to be filed with the New York Department of State like your Certificate of Incorporation. But even though the state government may never see your bylaws, they're still legally required for all New York corporations.
Corporate bylaws are required by state law in New York, but you don't need to file your bylaws with the NY Department of State. The law stipulates that your bylaws must be adopted by your incorporators during your company's initial organization meeting.