Without a shareholders' agreement, rights and obligations will be governed by the Companies Act 2006 and the default constitutional rules. For companies incorporated on or after 1 October 2009, the default constitutional rules are known as the "Model Articles".
Without a Shareholders Agreement, the relationship between shareholders would be governed by the by-laws of the company, and the company's articles of incorporation. The by-laws are typically prepared as part of the company's minute book after the company's articles of incorporation are issued.
Although you don't have to hire a lawyer, you should. Entering into a legally binding agreement isn't something you should take lightly. Signing a document without fully comprehending the terms or your rights is dangerous. It can lead to significant unintended consequences and time-consuming legal battles.
Now it's time to look inward and say, what do we need to properly run this business? Having governance documents in place, such as a shareholder agreement, is critical. These written documents will dictate how the entity is run, who has what authority, and what's going to happen in the event of a dispute.
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.
Whilst a shareholders' agreement is not required by law and is often seen by some as not necessary, the value it can provide is very important.
Legally binding contracts can be done both in writing or orally. However, when it comes to business transactions, it's best to have the majority of your contracts in writing. There is no law requiring contracts to be written by a lawyer. There are no laws that indicate any specific form or font they should be in.
Your agreement should clearly identify all the organisations that will be involved in the data sharing and should include contact details for their data protection officer (DPO) or another relevant employee who has responsibility for data sharing, and preferably for other key members of staff.
Write the contract in six steps Start with a contract template. Open with the basic information. Describe in detail what you have agreed to. Include a description of how the contract will be ended. Write into the contract which laws apply and how disputes will be resolved. Include space for signatures.