Shareholders Agreement: established business multiple investors

Shareholders agreement following the investment in an established business by multiple investors under a separate subscription agreement.  The agreement acts as the shareholders agreement between the investors and the founders of the company post-investment.

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When do I use this document?

What are the key features?

  • full form shareholders agreement 
  • 27 clauses and 4 schedules over 30 pages
  • investor rights: exercisable by a majority of the investors 
  • directors:
    • investor director: investors’ entitlement to appoint a director
    • other directors: the founder shareholder(s) rights to appoint a director
  • board proceedings: how proceedings of the board will be conducted 
  • information rights: rights to information for the investors and other shareholders about the company and its finances
  • future share issues: pre-emption rights on the issue of new shares
  • share transfers: rules governing the transfer of shares, including:
    • pre-emption rights on share transfers
    • compulsory transfer events, including founder good and bad leaver clauses
    • tag-along and drag-along rights
  • reserved matters: matters requiring prior approval from the investors (acting by investor majority) and other shareholders
  • restrictive covenants: restrictions on the founders from competing with the company and soliciting the company’s customers, suppliers and employees

What other documents are available?

For a combined Investment & Shareholders Agreement for an established business with multiple investors, see

For a standalone Shareholders Agreement for an established business with a single investor, see

  For standalone Shareholders Agreements for start-up business, see

When do I use this document?

  • for the grant of both a put option and call option over shares in a private limited company
  • so that both the buyer has an option to purchase the shares and the seller has an option to sell the shares

What are the key features?

  • 24 clauses over 16 pages
  • grant of the put and call options, with related definitions of option shares, exercise conditions and exercise periods
  • put option exercise and form of exercise notice
  • call option exercise and form of exercise notice
  • mechanics for sale and purchase of option shares
  • warranties and undertakings from the seller

What else do I need to know?

The principal matters which the parties to a put and call option agreement will need to negotiate include:

  • option shares: the number of option shares
  • exercise conditions: whether either option exercise is subject to satisfaction of any pre-conditions
  • exercise periods: the time periods during which the seller may exercise the put option and the buyer may exercise the call option
  • exercise price: the price payable for the shares

What other docs are available?

For alternative option agreements over shares, see:

Explanatory Guides

As with all of our document templates, your purchase will include access to clear explanatory guidance on the document and its use.

Updated by a lawyer on 02/07/2025

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