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Shareholder Agreements

Starting a new business can be exciting, but it is also important that you and your business partner have comprehensive documentation in place to deal with situations that can arise in the future. Our specialist solicitors are here to help you put a shareholder agreement in place.

Setting up a Shareholder Agreement

Often when starting a new business you are excited about the ideas that you have for the venture and the possibility of failure or breakdown in the relationship with your business partner is not something that is considered at all. However, often businesses will fail and without comprehensive documentation in place dealing with such scenarios, you may be forced into action that you would not otherwise wish to take.

Alternatively, you may have run your very successful business with your business partner for many years, but what would happen if your business partner was to die suddenly, would you want to continue running your business with their wife or family member? Without specific documentation in place, this is the situation that you may find yourself in.

Our specialist shareholder advisers can assist you in putting in place a shareholder agreement to deal with issues such as;

  • Who must be involved in the decision making process in the company?
  • Who is entitled to appoint or be appointed as a director?
  • What happens if you and your business partner cannot agree on important issues?
  • Providing mechanisms allowing you to purchase your business partner’s shares if they leave the business, die or simply want to sell their shares?
  • What happens if you find someone who wants to buy the business but your business partner refuses to join and sell their shares?

Read our Shareholder Agreement Case Studies to find out what could happen if there is not a shareholder agreement in place:

Brian and Jamie  Case Study 1

Lucy and Sophie - Case Study 2

Debbie and Richard - Case Study 3

Seek expert legal advice

The specialist lawyers at Neves have extensive experience in assisting clients with putting a shareholder agreement in place. Contact our Commercial Law team on 0330 0945 500, email info@neves.co.uk or complete our Contact Form and we’ll get back to you.

Shareholder Agreements
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Dear Beth, I just wanted to take a moment to sincerely thank you for all the support, advice, and hard work you've provided throughout my case. It’s been a challenging and emotionally charged process at times, but your clarity, professionalism, and steady guidance have made a real difference. I’ve felt reassured knowing you were in my corner, and I’m genuinely grateful for the time and effort you’ve put in on my behalf. You haven’t just helped me navigate the legal process — you’ve helped me protect what matters to me the most, my daughter. That’s something I’ll never forget. With heartfelt thanks, Ashley
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I can’t thank Beth at Neves Solicitors enough for the incredible support and representation she provided during my family court case. Her professionalism, compassion, and expertise made all the difference during what was a very stressful and emotional time. From our first meeting, Beth was understanding, honest, and reassuring. She always kept me fully informed and explained everything in a way that was clear and easy to understand. Her calm and confident approach, especially in court, gave me a sense of security that I truly needed. Thanks to Beth’s hard work and dedication, we achieved a fantastic outcome — far better than I had hoped for. I’m so grateful to her and the team at Neves, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Beth to anyone needing support with family law. She’s absolutely outstanding.
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I would like to mention my very satisfying experience with Emily Pope of Neves (Luton office). Emily dealt efficiently with my divorce taking careful instructions and guiding me around the pitfalls. Emily was always prompt in communicating and pleasant in dealing with me. I always knew I was in good hands. Neves' charges were extremely reasonable. This overall good experience reinforced the positive impression made by the firm in dealing with the making of my new will which was not straightforward. I gladly recommend Emily and Neves for any matters in which they profess to have expertise.
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Kim Sayer
Associate - Commercial Law and Commercial Property
Eleanor Parkinson
Solicitor - Commercial Law
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