While Shareholder Agreements might touch on provisions related to the transfer of shares or prohibiting transfers, a Buy-Sell Agreement is more specific and effective. It ensures that transitions are handled in a way that aligns with the owners' expectations and the business's financial stability.
Therefore, shareholder agreements are often called buy/sell agreements. The agreement should define persons to whom stock may be transferred without triggering any implications.
A buy and sell agreement may also be called a buyout agreement, a business will, or a business prenup.
While a buy-sell agreement typically addresses the sale of shares among co-owners of a business, a shareholder agreement may address a wider range of issues, including the management and control of the business , the distribution of profits, and the appointment of directors and officers.
Trigger events will determine when your buy-sell agreement will come into play. Common circumstances include the death, disability, retirement or voluntary departure of a partner, but may extend to additional scenarios, such as divorce or individual bankruptcy.
What should be included in a buy-sell agreement? Any stakeholders, including partners or owners, and their current stake in the business' equity. Events that would trigger a buyout, such as death, disability, divorce, retirement, or bankruptcy. A recent business valuation.
These agreements work by first purchasing life insurance policies for each business owner, with the other owner(s) named the beneficiary. If a partner passes away, the surviving owners receive a death benefit to use toward purchasing the deceased owner's stake in the business.