[AU] Startup Essentials to Co Founder and Shareholders Agreements

When you are embarking on the road to unicorn status, legal agreements are probably the furthest thing from your mind. However, ensuring your startup has the right legal foundations in place can reduce risk, improve relationships and drive growth.
To help ensure you are on the right track, LegalVision hosted a free webinar on Startup Essentials to Cofounder and Shareholders Agreements. On Thursday 17 March at 11 am, Sarah Roberts (Lawyer) and Robert Chen (Lawyer) discussed:
+ what Shareholders and Co-founders Agreements are and why you need them;
+ the benefits of a corporate structure;
+ governance, including the role of company directors and management structure; and
+ rights in relation to buying, selling and issuing new shares in your company.
0:00 - Intro.
0:48 - Summary of today's discussion.
1:26 - Benefits of a corporate structure: What is a company?
3:58 - Benefits of using a company structure.
6:56 - What is a Co-founder Agreement?
8:42 - What is a Shareholders Agreement?
10:55 - Governance: Directors
17:11 - Governance: Management frameworks.
21:24 - Selling, buying & issuing new shares.
22:54 - Shareholders agreement clauses: drag-along + tag-along.
24:24 - Shareholders agreement clauses: ESOPs.
25:54 - Shareholders agreement clauses: share vesting.
27:35 - Governance: practical tips.
33:04 - Download 'Startup Manual' handbook.
33:25 - Link for the registration of the next webinar.
33:51 - Live Q & A.
34:06 - My co-founder said a shareholder agreement is good enough, do we need another co-founder agreement?
35:33 - When does a Director's duty start when a person buys or registers their company to get an ACN but hasn't done anything else?
36:32 - I have an MVP that needs considerable funding with regards to shareholders and co-founders when attracting investors, what share of the company would they be looking for?
37:57 - Out of the 3 registers mentioned in the presentation before, one was the members' register. What are the other two?
38:39 - How do I bring in external investment without losing control of the company?
41:00 - About the LVConnect pro membership
42:50 - Webinar wrap up.
About Sarah Roberts
Sarah is a Lawyer in LegalVision’s Commercial Contracts, Construction and Regulatory and Compliance teams. She offers effective assistance to a range of startup, small business, and corporate clients, focusing on the practical implications of a regulated environment for each client and guiding them through relevant Australian Consumer Law considerations.
About Robert Chen
Robert is a lawyer in LegalVision’s Corporate and Commercial Team specialising in Commercial and Construction Law. Robert has worked with clients ranging from SMEs, government to multinational corporations, assisting with negotiating and tendering for major infrastructure projects. He has also advised on contractual arrangements for residential and commercial projects and contract administration.
About LegalVision
LegalVision is a market disruptor in the commercial legal services industry. Visit legalvision.com.au or call 1300 544 755 to get in touch with our team.