fbpx

THE SHAREHOLDERS’ AGREEMENT IS AN AGREEMENT ON THE BOUNDARIES OF A PARTNERSHIP.

What happens to the ownership of your company when a shareholder passes away? What if the shareholder has gotten married abroad to a foreign citizen and your shareholders’ agreement doesn’t contain a redemption clause or a shareholder obligation to create a premarital agreement?

The biggest risk in a company partnership with a friend is when you initially agree on most things, and all goes well. Disputes are all but an unrealistic event and when such an event pops up, the oral agreement between you has been misunderstood or forgotten. Most disputes are often the result of misunderstandings between the parties.

Ambiguous situations are best countered by creating a comprehensive shareholders’ agreement. Both the rights and obligations are registered in the agreement between the parties, and it serves as a memorandum of what has been agreed upon between the owners of the company. It also protects against potentially hostile takeovers and other unpredictable changes in ownership.

BOWA is your trusted expert in agreements related to company law.

The different stages of the BOWA Shareholders agreement drafting process

THE TOUGH PRICE OF A VERBAL AGREEMENT

Based on our experience, a dispute turned legal costs about 20-40 times what a well-made agreement is worth and even a single dispute can paralyse the entire business. Therefore, the cost of a shareholders’ agreement is a cheap price for lost friendships and let alone the financial losses.

WHEN SHOULD YOU DRAFT A SHAREHOLDERS' AGREEMENT?

A shareholders’ agreement is the easiest to create either as the company is being established or quickly after that. If you’re planning on taking external investors onboard or to commit the employees with shares or options, creating a shareholders’ agreement is extremely advisable.

ADDED VALUE WITH A SHAREHOLDERS' AGREEMENT

The existence of a shareholders’ agreement makes your company way more enticing and a safer investment for investors. Many external investors straight out refuse to invest in a company without a shareholders’ agreement. If the company is to be sold in the future, a shareholders’ agreement is often the buyer’s condition to proceed with a corporate transaction.

ORDER A SHAREHOLDERS’ AGREEMENT IN A BUNDLE:

SHAREHOLDERS’ AGREEMENT – AT LEAST AGREE UPON THE PROCEDURE IN THE FOLLOWING EVENTS:

  • If one of the owners decides to leave the company either in good terms or by storming out?
  • If one of the working owners stops putting in effort?
  • If one of the owners leave, taking the business idea and clients with them and establishes a new company?
  • If a single owner demands a payout of dividends and others do not agree
  • Selling a company or doing an “exit”
  • Funding a company
  • Dilution of ownership
  • The decision-making power granted by shares and right of access to information being transferred to a hostile party or competitor
  • If one of the owners decides to sell or donate shares of the company without permission
  • What if the company decides to issue new stocks?
  • How the board of director members are elected

AGREEMENT VS. DISPUTE

The price of a shareholders’ agreement at BOWA starting at 890,00 €.

 

The price of legal proceedings is easily at least 10 000,00 €.

Wondering about shareholders' agreements? See our blog posts about them in Finnish.

BOWA knows finance, taxation, and legal matters.

BOWA is an efficient and understandable partner in developing your business. We focus on the bigger picture to get a better financial view. That’s why we know that by combining law and finance processes get smarter and the results top-tier.

Cost-effective

Our modern tools and refined processes guarantee fantastic results in a cost-efficient manner.

Modern

Forget the old school law firms and business offices. Service is quick and effective in the modern world.

Risk-free

We start our co-operation with a quick call without a commitment to anything, 100% free of charge.

451

Clients

523

Projects

7562

Documents

We offer services in all financial and legal matters.

Tailored tax planning

Bankruptcy and debt restructuring

Corporate transactions and tax

Corporate Governance

Financial officer services

Business law and legal services for companies

THE EXPERTS AT BOWA

Paula Bock

The entrepreneurial Paula is often readily available to clients in helping them with tax and other legal matters. Paula handles her tasks with a swift and in-depth touch with a focus on perfection. During her free time Paula is often spotted sailing or horse riding.

Paula has several years’ worth of experience working in various attorney’s offices and law firms and she specialized in taxation in her studies. During her career she has also garnered experience in other fields such as labour law, commercial agreements, and insolvency law. The determined Paula has studied taxation internationally in both Sweden and Australia and has passed the Finnish Bar exam and the mediator training module organised by the Finnish Bar Association. She is a licensed legal counsel.

Paula is a Master of Laws (Finnish OTM, University of Helsinki), and an LL.M (University of Melbourne).

Matias Isotalo

Matias is a business-focused lawyer, who strives to reach the best, most efficient and financially viable solution for the client. First and foremost, Matias helps the clients with questions related to disputes, trials, and contract law. Matias spends nearly all his time golfing during the summer.

Matias has several years of experience successfully representing his clients in court. He has also taken responsibility for planning and creating comprehensive sets of contractual agreements.  He has worked his entire career in the field of advocacy, carrying out his commissions independently. Matias has passed the Finnish Bar exam and is a licensed legal counsel.

Matias is a Master of Laws (Finnish OTM, University of Lapland).

Matti Vansén

As an entrepreneur Matti knows how much well-timed and appropriate support matters.  He gladly assists clients in overcoming various challenges and in solving problems. In his free time Matti likes to practice Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and NO-GI sport grappling.

Matti is a versatile expert in both law and finance and has profound knowledge of start-ups in particular. For years, he has worked as both an entrepreneur and an employee in various companies and has been an advisor both in legal and financial matters. Matti’s expertise focuses on company law, crowdfunding, other financial affairs, and corporate transactions.

Matti is the Country Head of the Finnish branch of the crowdfunding investment company EstateGuru. The Finnish branch was established in Fall 2020.

Matti is a Master of Laws (Finnish OTM) and a Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration (Hanken School of Economics).

Valtteri Gundersby

 

Ella Kyntäjä

Ella works at BOWA as a lawyer-to-be Junior Associate with a keen interest in company law. At BOWA she acts as a helping hand for the lawyers in commissions and handles the administrative tasks of the office while also managing client relations.

Outside of work Ella loves to exercise and go on walks with her dog Mosse.

Ella graduated recently with a Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration (University of Vaasa) and is studying for her Master of Laws degree at the University of Helsinki.

Varaa maksuton kartoitus

Jätä yhteystietosi ja soitamme sinulle arkipäivän kuluessa!​

Yhteystietojen jättäminen ei sido sinua mihinkään, mutta jättämällä tietosi annat suostumuksesi siihen, että BOWA säilyttää tietosi. Tutustuthan tietosuojaselosteeseemme, josta ilmenee miten tietojasi säilytämme.

Contact us!

Leave us your contact details and we will call you!

BOWA Legal Oy

Pieni Roobertinkatu 11
00130 Helsinki

Email: [email protected]

Yhteystietojen jättäminen ei sido sinua mihinkään, mutta jättämällä tietosi annat suostumuksesi siihen, että BOWA säilyttää tietosi. Tutustuthan tietosuojaselosteeseemme, josta ilmenee miten tietojasi säilytämme.