Shareholder Agreements: the 30 minute guide

How to bulletproof your company with an effective shareholder agreement

A good Shareholder Agreement is like a fence at the top of a cliff, which stops company owners from falling over the edge and into the hands of lawyers who wait in the ambulance parked beside the rocks below.

This book explains in easy to understand language what a Shareholder Agreement does, the common clauses it contains and when it is best to put one in place.

I have found that most client meetings I attend to discuss Shareholder Agreements follow a familiar script. Company owners ask similar questions, have common worries, want to achieve matching outcomes and, in response, I give them the same answers.

The result is ‘Shareholder Agreements: the 30 minute guide’, which explains the typical issues that arise when company owners want to put in place a Shareholder Agreement and how to overcome them.

Part One explains what a Shareholder Agreement is, who needs one and when it is best to think about getting one. Part Two explores the most common clauses that 99% of company owners ask for in their Shareholder Agreement. Finally, Part Three highlights some thorny legal issues to watch out for when finalising your Shareholder Agreement.

My aim is to demystify Shareholder Agreements for business advisers and accountants who often become the first contact for company owners with a question about making a Shareholder Agreement. This book will also be helpful for company owners who feel comfortable building their own Shareholder Agreement from a template they have purchased.

By the time you have read this book you will understand how a Shareholder Agreement will protect company owners against unexpected life events, why a Shareholder Agreement is sometimes called a ‘Business Will’ and what to ask your lawyer when you are ready to put in place your own Shareholder Agreement.