Structure, Agreements and Advice

The starting point for any business is its structure and its relationship between its owners, and then, employees, and then its customer base.

We have developed extensive expertise and recognition for our practical and plain language documentation establishing businesses – be they shareholder agreements, unit holder agreements, partnership agreements, joint venture agreements, contractor arrangements and so on.

This has been a constant, busy area of work for ALG for nearly 20 years and, we pride ourselves that each of the lawyers in the corporate and business law team have a thorough understanding of the important relationships which lie behind any commercial enterprise.

When we are engaged to look at structures and relationships, we know that they require full attention.  Our engagement process sees us talking not just with the client, but also with advisers to look at commercial and interpersonal issues between the participants.  We develop a strategy with our clients so that we can make relationships work and protect our clients.

Hopefully, as set in many cases, document structuring businesses like shareholder agreements will sit in the draw and parties will be able to function, however there are times where we have to get involved and resolve conflicts within business structures between owners, directors, employees and sometimes with customers or other collaborators.

The starting point when dealing with these sorts of issues are the structured documents. We regularly ask to see the shareholders agreement.  There is a very important basis for parties to be able to regulate their relationships in business and we always make sure that our clients understand their rights, and also deal with issues that are important to our clients and to their external advisers.