Triggering Events for Share Sales in Shareholder Agreements

Grant a right of first refusal to another shareholder with this Right of First Refusal Agreement to Acquire Shares template.

• The Agreement grants one shareholder a first right of refusal to acquire shares owned by another shareholder ('granting shareholder').
• The right is granted pursuant to the winding up of a third shareholder (a company solely owned by the granting shareholder) and the transfer of the third shareholder's share interest to the granting shareholder.
• This is a generic legal form which is not specific to any country or region.
• The Right of First Refusal Agreement to Acquire Shares is available in MS Word format and is fully editable to fit your needs.

This Right of First Refusal clause can be inserted into a Shareholder Agreement to govern how a shareholder disposes of its shares.

• If a shareholder receives an arm's length offer from a third party to purchase its shares, the selling shareholder must give the other shareholders a right of first refusal to buy the shares before selling them to the third party.
• The clauses are downloadable and customizable.
• These generic clauses can be used in any common law country.
• Available in MS Word format.

Should your company shareholder agreement include a shotgun clause? Learn more about these provisions from an owner-manager's perspective, with this introductory article entitled "Shotgun Clauses & Owner Managers".

• A 'shotgun clause' or 'buy-sell clause' is a provision in the agreement that states if a shareholder wants out of the company, he/she can force the other shareholders to buy his/her shares.
• This article discusses the benefits and pitfalls of shotgun clauses, and the situations in which they work best.
• The author is an Ontario lawyer, with expertise in buy-sell agreements and other shareholder issues.

Set restrictions on transfers of shares in a U.S. corporation with this Shareholder Agreement, with a Certificate of Agreed Value.

• Before offering shares to any other party, a shareholder must first offer them to the corporation.
• The corporation is obligated to purchase a shareholder's shares if the holder dies or becomes incapacitated, bankrupt, makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors, or if the shares are attached.
• The purchase value of the shares is determined by a certificate of agreed value signed by all of the shareholders and filed with the corporation.
• If the certificate of agreed value is older than 2 years, the book value of the shares will be used, as determined by the corporation's accountants.
• The USA Shareholder Agreement with Certificate of Agreed Value is a digital download that you can easily customize to fit your exact requirements.

Every corporation with more than 1 shareholder should have a shareholder agreement in place, like this Unanimous Shareholder Agreement for Alberta corporations.

• A shareholder may transfer its shares to an affiliate provided that the affiliate agrees to be bound by the terms of the Agreement. If the affiliate ceases to be an affiliate, the shares will be transferred back to the original shareholder.
• If shareholder guarantees are required to secure the corporation's debt, each shareholder will provide its guarantee for a proportionate share in relation to his/her shareholdings. If a shareholder disposes of his interest in the corporation, the corporation will use best efforts to release and discharge his guarantee.
• The corporation has a right of first refusal to purchase the shares of any shareholder wishing to dispose of his shareholdings. The founding shareholders have a right of second refusal, and the other shareholders have a right of third refusal.
• Provisions for shot-gun buy-sell offers.
• Provisions for a call by the other shareholders if a shareholder becomes involved in a divorce or matrimonial property settlement.
• Provisions for a buy-sell upon the death or disability of a shareholder.
• Provisions for a call by the corporation if a shareholder ceases to be employed or contracted by the corporation.

The Alberta Unanimous Shareholder Agreement template can be easily customized for your exact needs. Download yours today.