Unfortunately we often talk to business owner's who are in dispute, or heading to a dispute, with their fellow business owners. The first question we always ask is "Do you have a Shareholder's Agreement?". You would be surprised at the number of businesses that don't - and we get it, it's often hard to find the time to sit together, appoint a lawyer, work through a legal document and find the few thousand dollars that it can cost. 

A shareholder's agreement is intended to protect the business owners - set out the expectations of what happens should a dispute occur, and even what happens if an owner is unwell or dies. Valuation clauses can be vague, so if you want to talk about how you could structure your agreement to best set you up for success, please contact Tim Lane or Fiona Ettles at our office.