Shareholders must contribute capital to receive their shares but are otherwise not subject to any further legal obligations. For this reason, it is reasonable for start-up founders to establish agreements among each other. Such agreements can be used, for example, to ensure that certain shareholders will be elected to the company’s board of directors, or that shareholders who wish to sell their shares must first offer them to other existing shareholders before they may be sold to an outside party. The founders can also prohibit one another from leaving the start-up to work for a competitor.

Shareholders’ agreements (or partnership agreements at an LLC) are one of the most complicated types of contracts. We have extensive experience in designing such agreements and settling disputes that may arise during the process. With pleasure we put our experience at your disposal in order to find the right solution for your specific situation.