Shareholders’ Agreements

Speak with our Corporate Commercial lawyers to discover how we can support you or your company with business contracts.

What is a Shareholders’ Agreement and what does it do?

A Shareholders’ Agreement is a contract entered into and signed by shareholders of a Company, for the purpose of providing better internal governance and heightened clarity around expectations to both shareholders and directors. Although it is optional for shareholders to enter into, if a Shareholder Agreement is put in place, it can give enhanced legal remedies to aggrieved shareholders.

Shareholders’ agreements provide a particularly good foundation for many Start-ups, and allow give you the peace of mind to focus on growing and scaling your Start-Up.

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Who needs a Shareholders’ Agreement?

 

1. Shareholders of a company
2. Business partners
3. Angel investors
4. Founders
5. Minority shareholders
6. Start-ups

What are the benefits of a Shareholders’ Agreement?

 

• Clarity – it is important that you have a document which governs the relationship between co-shareholders and particularly how you will make important decisions relating to the Company, including management of the Company and appointing directors in the face of disagreement.
• Privacy – while much can be contained in the Articles of Association (a publicly-available document), there may be sensitive internal matters which you do not wish to disclose to the public. Shareholders’ Agreements are a way for you to keep your privacy and protect your business.
• Protection – There may be many times where shareholders disagree about a course of action or even the direction of the Company. During such times, it is vital that you have an internal dispute resolution system to manage disagreements. A Shareholders’ Agreement is the place for this procedure to be documented.
• Peace of mind – At some point, you or your co-shareholders may exit the Company. At this point, it is important that you have reference to the formal procedures and processes which must be followed, including who  buy the shares and how to value the shares. This is important to get right the first time.

What is the cost of a  Shareholders’ Agreement cost?

We like to give fixed prices, so please speak with one of Corporate Commercial lawyers for an exact quote. As an indication of pricing, however:

• To draft a basic Shareholders’ Agreement, our price begins from £1,000.00.
• To review and advise on a basic Shareholders’ Agreement, our price begins from £500.00.
• To negotiate a basic Shareholders’ Agreement with other legal representatives, our price begins from £750.00.

How long does it take to draft a Shareholders’ Agreement?

We typically advise that drafting a standard Shareholders’ Agreements can take up to 1-2 weeks from when we receive instructions. For more complex Shareholders’ Agreements, it can take a longer period of time.

How do I get started?

1. We’ll ask you to sign and return our Client Care Letter and to place monies on account.
2. Depending on your availability, we’ll schedule a call within 7 working days, to take your instructions and learn about your business.
3. We’ll aim to provide you with a first draft 7 workings days after taking your instructions.
4. Once we receive your feedback, we’ll send you a final version of your Shareholders’ Agreement, ready for signing.