Insights
Practical guidance for private companies and the people who run them.
Short, plain-English notes on the decisions that affect value, control, risk and exit — written by the lawyers who handle them.
10 clauses founders regret signing
Valuation gets the attention, but it is the control, leaver and exit clauses that decide who runs the company and who keeps the value.
With Robert WiederHow to prepare for investment
Investment readiness is not just a pitch deck. Investors' lawyers will test whether the company is legally investable — and weak paperwork costs valuation.
With Robert WiederSEIS/EIS readiness
SEIS and EIS make early-stage investment far more attractive to UK investors — but only if the company and the shares meet HMRC's conditions.
With Mark HamiltonWhy every family business needs a shareholders' agreement
Trust and informal understanding run a family business well — until a death, divorce, exit or sale tests them. A shareholders' agreement protects both the business and the relationships.
With Robert WiederContract risk before growth
Scaling multiplies contract risk. More customers, suppliers and jurisdictions on outdated terms is how small risks become major exposure.
With Robert WiederFounder leaver provisions
Leaver provisions decide what happens to a founder's shares if they leave — and they can quietly move ownership, control and exit value.
With Robert WiederRollover equity explained
Rolling part of your sale proceeds into the buyer keeps you in the upside — but the instrument and the waterfall decide whether that upside is real.
With Robert WiederManagement equity
Management equity can create real upside — or upside that is conditional and easily lost. The instrument, the hurdle and the leaver terms decide which.
With Robert WiederMinority investment rights
A minority shareholding gives you little control on its own. Protection comes from the rights you negotiate — over decisions, information, dilution and exit.
With Mark HamiltonFamily office direct deals
Direct investing gives family offices access and control — but a relationship-led deal still needs the same legal discipline as any other.
With Mark HamiltonPortfolio company support
After completion the legal work doesn't stop. Disciplined support helps a portfolio company execute the plan, manage risk and prepare for the next round.
With Mark HamiltonSale readiness
Buyers look for uncertainty and use it to cut the price or widen the warranties. Fixing the legal issues before a buyer appears is the cheapest leverage you have.
With Robert WiederGovernance for owner-managed businesses
Governance isn't only for big companies. When owners, directors, family and staff wear several hats at once, clear decision-making is what prevents disputes.
With Robert WiederSibling exits
When one sibling wants out of the family company, the law and the relationships are tested at once. An objective process, agreed early, protects both.
With Naman KhatriEnglish law in cross-border private capital
English law is chosen across cross-border deals for its certainty and enforcement — but it should be selected deliberately, with the dispute clauses to match.
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