When starting a business, owners usually think, not surprisingly, that relationships with their partners will be eternally copacetic. Unfortunately, issues among owners arise and resolution of these issues can be both time-consuming and expensive. A bit of planning at the outset, however, can prevent heartache later.
“Because of unforeseen circumstances which may arise and circumstances which business owners may foresee but choose not to address, I advise clients, at the outset of the formation of their business, that it is crucial for them to enter into a comprehensive agreement with the other owners,” says Craig M. Chernoff, a member at Semanoff Ormsby Greenberg & Torchia, LLC.
“There are many areas to be considered in these agreements and each business is unique,” he says. “It is crucial that business owners consult with their attorneys to sort through these issues and determine the best way to handle them.”
Smart Business spoke with Chernoff about the importance of agreements among business owners.
What is the role of agreements among business owners?
These agreements — primarily shareholder, operating, partnership and similar agreements — address and govern a multitude of situations by setting forth the rights and obligations of business owners across a broad spectrum of areas.
What issues might owners address with these agreements?
These issues can be broken down into four categories as discussed below. How each issue is handled may vary from business to business, and there is no one ‘right’ way or answer. So, consulting with your attorney is vital to ensure that each issue is handled in the best way to suit your business.
- Dispositions of interests upon certain triggering events: What happens with an owner’s interest when that owner dies, becomes disabled, is terminated, becomes bankrupt or divorces? Typically, owners enter into relationships based on various personal and business factors. When a ‘triggering event’ occurs, owners generally do not want to be forced into a new relationship (for example, they do not want to be in business with their partner’s spouse). Typically, agreements provide the business and the remaining owners an option to purchase the interest of the owner affected by the triggering event. The more difficult question is valuation, and how it is to be paid so as not to cripple the business. Other considerations include obtaining insurance to fund the buyout and purchase price discounts depending on the type of triggering event.
- Transfers of interests in the business: What happens when a business owner wants to transfer his or her interests in the business? For example, Trey (75 percent) and Mike (25 percent) own Piper Pipe, Inc. Jon offers to buy Trey’s 75 percent interest in Piper for $10,000,000. If there is no agreement, Trey may sell his interest to Jon, and Jon and Mike would be co-owners of Piper. Because business owners want to control who they are in business with, agreements may provide that an owner may not transfer an interest without first offering to the business or to the other owners on the same terms and conditions as offered by the potential purchaser. If Trey and Mike had an agreement, Trey would offer Piper and/or Mike his interest for $10,000,000. Piper and/or Mike may accept or reject the offer. If they reject, Trey would be free to sell his interest to Jon. Agreements may provide for ‘tag along’ and ‘drag along’ rights. ‘Tag along’ rights allow an owner with the right to ‘tag along’ in a sale by the other owner (favoring minority owners), and ‘drag along’ rights allow an owner to ‘drag along’ the other owners in a sale (favoring majority owners). If there are ‘tag along’ rights, Mike may choose to include his interest in the sale to Jon. If there are ‘drag along’ rights, Trey may be able to force Mike to sell his interests to Jon.
- Management and voting rights in the business: Agreements may provide owners with certain management and voting rights. Depending on the business, one person (or a group) may run the day-to-day operations or have the right to do whatever they want with the business. Owners may vary voting requirements for certain business actions. For example, appointing officers may require a majority, but approving a merger may require unanimity. Owners may also provide a mechanism to break deadlocks, including mediation, arbitration, ‘shoot out’ provisions or even the business’s dissolution.
- Miscellaneous: Anything may be provided for in agreements among owners, if such provisions are not contrary to applicable law. Examples are anti-dilution provisions; restrictive covenants; requirements when additional capital is needed; escrow and voting right provisions upon the sale of an interest; contribution and indemnity obligations; and truncated arbitration or other dispute resolution mechanisms.
What steps should be taken when owners are considering agreements?
When an owner wants to start a business or prepare an agreement for an existing business, the owner should meet with their attorney to discuss which issues are applicable and how to address those that are. It is often prudent to include financial and insurance advisers who may have greater insight into the inner-workings of the business, particularly with regard to valuation of the business.
What is the most common error an owner can make?
The biggest error is not having an agreement or using an ‘off-the-shelf’ agreement. Too often, people tell their attorney, ‘We never got around to signing an agreement, but now my partner and I are not getting along and we cannot amicably resolve our differences. What can we do?’ There are solutions, but resolution of these issues is less time consuming and expensive if there is an agreement in place beforehand.
Craig M. Chernoff is a member at Semanoff Ormsby Greenberg & Torchia, LLC. Reach him at (215) 887-4835 or [email protected].
Insights Legal Affairs is brought to you by Semanoff Ormsby Greenberg & Torchia, LLC
