You may have always thought of us in relation to dental matters, but our expertise far exceeds this remit.
It is true that we conduct numerous dental transactions, whether that be buying or selling the assets and business of the practice or buying or selling the entire share capital of the company which holds the practice. That said, we also have significant experience in dealing with a wide range of other corporate and business transactions and company and commercial matters, with and without a dental angle.
We advise companies, partnerships and individuals in connection with all company and commercial work, including advising on employment matters, joint venture deals, acquisitions and disposals and terms and conditions.
Mergers, Acquisitions and Disposals
Buying or selling a company is unbelievably stressful at the best of times, never mind in the lead up to and beginning of the New Year! You are already struggling with endless administration, a difficult day job and undoubtedly, one or two “business” issues. On top of that, your lawyer is expecting you to do a full-time job answering a whole load of repetitive questions!
So what can you do to make the process less stressful? First up, hire a lawyer who understands the process. By understands, I mean has the maturity, experience and commercial nouse to know the difference between a pointless question and a meaningful question.
A pro-active solicitor is a vital component in any practice deal. Slow legals can result in the deal not proceeding, and lead to what we have badged “deal fatigue”. This is one of the most frustrating aspects of the job of a commercial solicitor. For this reason, all parties must do whatever they can to ensure that the solicitor for each party is an experienced solicitor, with the appropriate back up.
And it’s up to the solicitor to use all techniques available to him to get the deal through. The two lawyers might get bogged down in a detail on warranties. A shrewd lawyer will pull together the clients and the lawyers for a 10 minute teams call to resolve the issue.
Our lawyers at Abrahams Dresden are specialists in company matters. Whilst the process differs slightly considering on whether you are a buyer or a seller, we will ensure a transparent and smooth transaction takes place and that you are kept informed throughout.
Shareholders’ Agreements
A Shareholders’ Agreement is of the utmost importance for any company which has two or more shareholders. This Agreement is intended to spell out the rights and interests of the Shareholders in the company. It regulates the management of the company and provides for the protection of the Shareholders, as well as setting out how company profit is distributed and what happens in the event of a Shareholder leaving or retiring from the company.
The absence of a Shareholders’ Agreement can often lead to heated discussions and disputes between Shareholders down the road and leaves a degree of uncertainty in the way that the company is going to be run. A Shareholders’ Agreement goes some way to removing the risk of ambiguity.
If you have a company or commercial query or require a Shareholders’ Agreement or just have a commercial law question, please contact:
David Nezri, Company and Commercial solicitor
Abrahams Dresden LLP: 020 7251 3663
Abrahams Dresden articles and guidance notes are for general information purposes only and generally state the law as at the date of publication. The information may not be relied upon as legal advice. We are of course always happy to advise directly on specific issues arising.