A shareholder agreement is a legal document that outlines the rights, responsibilities, and obligations of shareholders in a company. Its primary purpose is to establish a framework for the governance and management of the company, as well as to protect the interests of the shareholders.
If you do not have a shareholders' agreement, the normal rule is that a majority of the voting shares can elect the board of directors, and the board of directors can do pretty much what they want with the management of the company. Whoever controls the board controls the business.
Shareholders' agreements protect the interests of both minority and majority shareholders in numerous circumstances and make for a more structured day-to-day management of the company.
Together with your company's constitution, a shareholders agreement provides the foundation for the corporate governance of your startup and outlines what a shareholder can and can't do.
A shareholders' agreement is a cheap way to minimise the risk of disputes as it provides a framework for how certain decisions are to be made. The agreement usually also includes rules for how any disagreements and disputes are to be managed.
A shareholder agreement, on the other hand, is optional.
In addition to requirements regarding quorum and voting, shareholders might include provisions around: certain decisions requiring unanimous shareholder consent (e.g. borrowing over a certain limit), certain shareholders having the right to appoint (more) directors, a requirement for shareholders to participate in ...
What is included in a shareholder agreement? Decision making. The shareholder agreement states how business decisions are made. Joining the business. Provide for what happens in the event of death or incapacity. Settle internal disputes. Anticipating certain situations.
A shareholders' agreement is an agreement entered into between all or some of the shareholders in a company. It regulates the relationship between the shareholders, the management of the company, ownership of the shares and the protection of the shareholders. They also govern the way in which the company is run.
Under the standard rules of contract law, any party to the shareholders' agreement may, if no provision is made in the agreement to resolve disputes, seek a declaration, damages, an injunction or order for specific performance to stop other parties to the agreement acting contrary to its terms.