Shareholders Agreement Sample Template

Description
Shareholders truthfully own a company. They are in charge of appointing the directors who in turn appoint the management. Shareholders are not considered liable for company actions however it is not as clear cut for management; they may or may not be liable. A lot of the time, the same people claim these roles, but as a business gets bigger, its original shareholders will decide how a company is owned and run.

These decisions are stated in a shareholders agreement. As new shareholders come on board, e.g. angels, they'll have the desire to join the agreement and therefore make things more complicated. E.g. they may ask to add vesting terms and mechanisms that will help them to get ROI upon exit.

If you don't have an agreement outlining all of this, it can result in big problems and disputes, ultimately leading to corporate failure. This sample template will hopefully provide you with a good starting point.