A1 Company Services

Shareholders' Agreements

When starting a company with more than one shareholder, or when admitting new shareholders to an existing company, consideration should be given to establishing a shareholders’ agreement.

A shareholders’ agreement is a private document between the shareholders and does not usually require filing at Companies House, so the content is confidential to the parties.

Although there is additional time and expense involved initially, the existence of a well thought-out agreement can save time in the long run and provide some protection against expensive action between parties in any future disputes.

Our team of qualified company secretaries draft comprehensive shareholders' agreements that are tailored to suit our clients' needs. Our fees are often much more competitive than a solicitor, with drafting starting at £250 + vat and capped at £500 + vat. (Please note that whilst the drafting fees are capped, if additional structural changes are required to the company, these will be chargeable.)

If you are interested in receiving a tailored quote, then please download our questionnaire or contact our Company Secretarial team on 0208 492 6385 or at cosec@a1companies.com.

For more information on the service provided, please read on.

What is Included

Our agreements can cover all the common situations, as required, and the main topics for consideration are:

  • Company Objects
  • Conditions on Completion
  • Directors’ Meetings
  • Conduct of the Company’s Affairs
  • Reserved Matters
  • Staff
  • Voluntary Share Transfers
  • Compulsory Share Transfers
  • Employee Shares and Good/Bad Leavers
  • Drag and Tag Provisions
  • Dividend Policy
  • Deadlock Resolution
Each topic is discussed in more detail in the questionnaire.

What is NOT Included

As we are not solicitors, there are some restrictions on what we can include in any Shareholders' Agreement. Essentially, we cannot include anything that is considered as "Reserved Legal Activity". This would include being able to prepare the agreement as a deed, or including any wording that could be construed as creating an instrument relating to real or personal estate for the purposes of the law of England and Wales.

We also cannot include any provisions relating to share options or intellectual property.