Selling to an external buyer requires thorough legal documentation, including a purchase agreement outlining the sale terms, payment structure, and ongoing obligations. Due diligence is critical to address liabilities, intellectual property rights, and compliance issues, ensuring a smooth transition for both parties.

A partial exit through a partnership or strategic alliance necessitates agreements that detail ownership, voting rights, profit-sharing, and exit options. Your solicitor drafts partnership or joint venture agreements, often including dispute resolution and buy-sell rights clauses, while ensuring compliance with regulations if applicable.

Liquidating a business requires legal steps to settle debts, distribute assets, and formally dissolve the company. Creditors' rights must be considered, and any remaining assets are sold off with proceeds used to pay debts before the business owner can collect any remaining funds. Advisors ensure that all liabilities are settled to prevent future legal issues.

Taking a company public involves significant regulatory compliance. Legal advisors assist with preparing the IPO prospectus, conducting due diligence, handling financial disclosures, and ensuring governance policies meet public company standards. They also address ongoing legal compliance once shares are offered on the public market.

In a management buyout, legal advisors facilitate negotiations and draft purchase agreements defining terms, funding arrangements, and performance-based earnouts. Additionally, they may need to structure financing, coordinate with lenders or investors, and manage confidentiality and non-compete agreements to protect business interests post-sale.

Transferring ownership to family members involves estate planning and may require restructuring to minimise tax implications, including inheritance and gift taxes. Solicitors are essential to drafting succession plans, clarifying roles and ownership percentages, and establishing trusts or holding companies if needed to ensure a clear, structured transition.

Structuring an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) or other financing arrangements is key to an employee buyout (EBO). Legal advisors must help navigate securities laws and tax implications and ensure compliance with employment laws. Drafting shareholder agreements or buyout terms can clarify the rights and responsibilities of employees as new owners.

A merger or acquisition involves detailed contracts and regulatory filings, mainly if anti-competition laws apply. Legal considerations include handling existing contracts with clients, vendors, and employees and determining non-compete or confidentiality clauses. In addition, the sale price structure, whether in cash or shares, requires clear documentation for tax and valuation purposes.