Shareholder and partner agreements
Introduction
Agreements that settle how owners share control, fund the company, transfer shares and resolve disagreements.
A shareholder agreement governs the relationship between the owners in ways the articles of association often cannot: board seats, veto rights over key decisions, information rights, funding commitments and the rules for selling or buying shares.
We draft and negotiate these agreements for founders, families, joint venture partners and investors, and we make sure they work alongside the articles. Where the two conflict, the agreement may bind its parties without binding the company, so key protections are written into both.
Good agreements anticipate the hard moments: a partner who stops contributing, a deadlock on the budget, an offer for the whole company, or a death in the family. We write a clear mechanism for each, so the business can continue while the owners resolve their differences.
How we help
What the work covers
Control
Board seats, reserved matters and voting arrangements between the owners.
Funding
Capital calls, shareholder loans and the consequences of not funding.
Transfers
Pre-emption, lock up periods, and tag along and drag along rights.
Disputes
Deadlock resolution, buyout options and the forum for disputes.
Contact