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Shareholder Agreement ‘Gotchas’

Shareholder Agreement ‘Gotchas’

By Nina Kaufman, Esq.

My colleague Rush Nigut recently posted a piece in his blog about a little-known provision of Iowa law that could invalidate shareholder agreements after 10 years. Think about it: You’re humming merrily along with your business partner, thinking you’re covered (because of COURSE, you hired an attorney and worked out an agreement), and your partner gets hit by a bus and dies. Your partner’s spouse (whom you’ve never really gotten along well with) looks at the agreement, and sees that it’s invalid because you signed it 12 years ago. Brings a lawsuit to get hold of the “dearly departed” share of the business. All of the careful buyout formulas and procedures you’ve thought through go down the toilet. Your state might not have this law on the books . . . but maybe it does. Have you checked?  Have you dusted off that agreement to make sure that it still meets your needs after time has passed? Are the same owners involved in the business? Does the valuation formula make sense in light of changes…

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Nina Kaufman

Flying solo doesn’t have to mean going it alone.

I’m Nina Kaufman.

I know first-hand that running a knowledge-based service business has unique challenges. It’s so much easier when you have an advocate in your corner. Over the past 25 years, I’ve worked with thousands of New York business professionals who want a legal advisor to guide and support them as they navigate the business world.

With wide-ranging experience as a business attorney, strategist, and media authority, I bring the added power of a business lens to the legal issues my clients are facing.

And because I’ve been a business owner myself, I’ve lived through the soaring highs and devastating lows – like when my first law firm failed. So I understand what’s involved to serve great clients, detect business risks early and build a true legacy.

I can’t get those 12 years back. That’s why I have made it my mission to ensure that business professionals like you can become wise and discerning leaders, build a solid business, and live your best life.