Shareholders’ Agreement with Buy-Sell Agreement Allowing
Corporation the First Right of Refusal to Purchase the Shares
of Deceased Shareholder should the Beneficiaries of the Deceased
Shareholder Desire to Sell such Shares
Agreement made this _________________ (date) , between
_______________________ (Name of Corporation) , a corporation organized and
existing under the laws of ________________ (name of state) , with its principal office
located at _____________________________________________________________
________________ (street address, city, state, zip code) , referred to herein as
Corporation ; _____________________ (Name of First Shareholder) , of ___________
_____________________________________________________________________
(street address, city, state, zip code) , referred to herein as First Shareholder ; and
_________________________ (Name of Second Shareholder) , of _______________
______________________________________________________________ (street
address, city, state, zip code) , referred to herein as Second Shareholder .
Whereas, Corporation is authorized to issue ________ (number) shares of
common stock, with a $____________ par value per share. __________ (Number) of
shares of common stock are issued, outstanding, and are owned by Shareholder as
follows:
__________________________ _________________________
(Name of First Shareholder) (Number of Shares)
__________________________ __________________________
(Name of Second Shareholder) (Number of Shares)
Whereas, the parties deem it in their best interest, and in the best interest of the
Corporation, to provide some restrictions on the transfer, purchase, and ownership of
the stock of the Corporation;
Now, therefore, for and in consideration of the mutual covenants contained in this
agreement, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of
which is hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:
1. Definitions: The following definitions apply to this Agreement:
A. Closing means the date of purchase and sale of stock pursuant to this
Agreement.
B. Sale Date means the date triggering a purchase and sale under this
Agreement.
2. Issuance and Transfer of Stock
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All stock owned currently or acquired after execution of this Agreement shall be
issued, held, and transferred pursuant to the terms of this Agreement. Shareholders
agree not to dispose of or transfer any stock owned now or in the future except as
provided in this Agreement. Any disposal or transfer of stock in violation of this
Agreement is ineffective.
3. Stock Certificate Legend
Stock certificates for stock issued by Corporation to a shareholder must contain
the following legend:
The shares of stock represented by this certificate are held pursuant to the
provisions of a Shareholders’ Agreement executed on __________________
(date) . All transfers of ________________________________ (Name of
Corporation) stock are subject to the terms of such Shareholders’ Agreement. A
copy of the Shareholders’ Agreement is on file in the office of the Secretary of the
Corporation.
4. Transfer of Stock during Life of Shareholder
A. A Shareholder shall give written notice to Corporation and to remaining
Shareholder within ____ days of receiving a third party's bona fide written offer,
which the Shareholder plans to accept, to purchase any portion of the
Shareholder's stock.
B. Remaining Shareholder have the right to purchase the stock for which the
offer was made in proportion to the number of shares then owned by remaining
Shareholder. Remaining Shareholder may avail himself of this right by giving
written notice to the selling Shareholder of his election to buy within _____ days
of receiving notice of intent to sell. If Remaining Shareholder fails to purchase
such Selling Shareholder's shares of offered stock, Corporation shall have the
right to purchase the offered stock. Remaining Shareholder and Corporation may
take any action required to enable Corporation to purchase Selling Shareholder's
stock under the terms of this Agreement, including creation of a surplus.
1. Either the Remaining Shareholder or Corporation may avail
themselves of the right to purchase offered stock by giving notice of that
election to the Selling Shareholder within ______ days of receipt of the
notice given pursuant to Paragraph A of this Section 4 .
2. Purchases and sales pursuant to this Paragraph B shall be at the
prices and terms set forth in the original offer. In a sale of stock by a
Shareholder to Corporation, the sale price shall increase or decrease by
an amount equal to any indebtedness owed Selling Shareholder by
Corporation, or any indebtedness owed to Corporation by Selling
Shareholder.
3. The Selling Shareholder may not participate in determining whether
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Corporation will purchase any portion of the offered stock.
4. If all offered stock is not purchased by Remaining Shareholder or
Corporation pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement, the offered
stock may then be sold by the Selling Shareholder to the third party at the
price and terms in that party's offer.
5. A Selling Shareholder may not sell stock at a price or term that
differs from the original offer without first reoffering the offered stock to
Remaining Shareholder and Corporation pursuant to the procedures set
forth in this Section.
6. In the event of a sale of stock from a Shareholder to another
Shareholder or to Corporation, Closing shall occur at a time mutually
agreed on by the parties to the sale. However, Closing may not occur later
than ____ days from the sale date. On the sale date, the Selling
Shareholder shall deliver the stock to the agreed upon escrow agent
representing Corporation. The agent shall hold the stock until full payment
is made, and shall then deliver the stock to the purchaser.
C. If offered stock is not purchased by the third party pursuant to this Section
within ____ days from the date of Selling Shareholder's receipt of the third party's
offer, the offer shall be deemed to have expired. If Selling Shareholder's still
wishes to accept the third party's offer, the offered stock must be reoffered to
remaining Shareholder and Corporation pursuant to the procedures outlined in
this Section.
D. Any person acquiring offered stock from a Shareholder shall become
bound by the terms of this Agreement immediately after acquiring the interest in
stock of Corporation. Transfer of the offered stock on Corporation's books shall
not be accomplished until a copy of this Agreement is executed by the acquiring
person. However, failure or refusal to sign this Agreement shall not relieve any
person acquiring an interest in Corporation's stock from the obligations set forth
in this Agreement.
E. On sale of all stock owned by a Shareholder, all interests of such
Shareholder with respect to the stock sold shall terminate, and such Shareholder
shall resign as an officer or director of Corporation effective no later than the
closing date of the sale.
5. Transfers of Stock after Shareholder Death
Upon the death of a Shareholder, if the b eneficiaries of said Shareholder desire
to sell the shares in the Corporation owned by said Shareholder at the time of his death,
the Corporation shall have the first right of refusal to purchase said deceased
Shareholder’s shares within Ninety (90) days following the qualification of the executor
or administrator of said deceased Shareholder’s estate, for an amount equal to six times
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the amount of the net income of the Corporation based on an average of the past two
years. If said Corporation does not exercise this first right of refusal within said Ninety
(90) day period, said beneficiaries may sale such shares to any third party at any price
acceptable to them.
6. Noncompetition in Case of Sale by Shareholder
Selling Shareholder shall, on Closing Date, execute an agreement as follows:
A. Definitions. As used in this Section, the following terms have the
following meanings:
1. Confidential Information means (i) any information with respect to
Corporation’s customers, accounts, costs, plans, business policies,
programs, formulae, products, know-how, trade secrets, suppliers, pricing
policies or rates, marketing techniques, or any other information which
may now or in the future be considered by Corporation to be confidential
or proprietary, (ii) reports, memoranda, correspondence, and other
writings belonging to Corporation, which may have been produced by or
come into the possession of Selling Shareholder in the course of his
involvement with the Corporation as a shareholder, officer, director, or
employee, excluding any of the foregoing which is in the public domain.
2. Territory means the following area: (describe) _______________
___________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________ .
B. Selling Shareholder does hereby covenant and agree that for a period
______ (number) years after the Closing Date, Selling Shareholder shall not,
directly or indirectly (as agent, consultant or otherwise) compete in any way with
the business of Corporation throughout the Territory.
C. Selling Shareholder will not, at any time, disclose any such Confidential
Information of Corporation to any person, except as required by law. Selling
Shareholder acknowledges that the Confidential Information of the Corporation is
material to the value of the Corporation, and is unique, and agrees that
disclosure thereof in violation of this Agreement may irreparably damage the
value of the Corporation.
D. It is the intent of the parties that the provision of this Section 6 shall be
enforced to the fullest extent permissible under the laws and public policies
applied in each jurisdiction in which enforcement is sought. Accordingly, to the
extent that the non-competition restrictions hereunder shall be adjudicated to be
invalid or unenforceable in any such jurisdiction, the court making such
determination shall have the power to limit, construe or reduce the duration,
scope, activity and/or area of such provision, and/or delete specific words or
phrases to the extent necessary to render such provision enforceable to the
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maximum reasonable extent permitted by applicable law, such limited form to
apply only with respect to the operation of this Section in the particular
jurisdiction in which such adjudication is made.
E. Selling Shareholder acknowledges that his adherence to the terms of the
covenants set forth in Section 6 are necessary to protect the value of the
Corporation, that a continuing breach of such covenants will result in irreparable
and continuing damage to the value of the Corporation, and that money damages
would not adequately compensate Corporation for any such breach and,
therefore, Corporation would not have an adequate remedy at law. In the event
any action or proceeding shall be instituted by Corporation to enforce any
provision of Section 6 , Selling Shareholder shall waive the claim or defenses in
such action that (i) money damages are adequate to compensate the aggrieved
party for such breach, and (ii) there is an adequate remedy at law available to the
aggrieved party, and shall not urge in any such action or proceeding the claim or
defense that such remedy at law exists. Corporation shall have, in addition to
any and all remedies at law, the right, without posting of bond or other security, to
an injunction, both temporary and permanent, specific performance and/or other
equitable relief to prevent the violation of any obligation under Section 6 . Selling
Shareholder agrees that the remedies of Corporation for breach of this Section 6
shall be cumulative, and seeking or obtaining injunctive or other equitable relief
shall not preclude the making of a claim for damages or other relief. The parties
to this Agreement also agree that Corporation shall be entitled to such damages
as Corporation can show it has sustained by reason of such breach. In any
action brought to enforce the covenants set forth in Section 6 , or to recover
damages for breach thereof, the prevailing party shall be entitled to recover
reasonable attorneys' fees and other expenses of litigation, together with such
other and further relief as may be proper.
7. Severability
The invalidity of any portion of this Agreement will not and shall not be deemed to
affect the validity of any other provision. If any provision of this Agreement is held to be
invalid, the parties agree that the remaining provisions shall be deemed to be in full
force and effect as if they had been executed by both parties subsequent to the
expungement of the invalid provision.
8. No Waiver
The failure of either party to this Agreement to insist upon the performance of any
of the terms and conditions of this Agreement, or the waiver of any breach of any of the
terms and conditions of this Agreement, shall not be construed as subsequently waiving
any such terms and conditions, but the same shall continue and remain in full force and
effect as if no such forbearance or waiver had occurred.
9. Governing Law
This Agreement shall be governed by, construed, and enforced in accordance
with the laws of the State of ______________.
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10. Notices
Any notice provided for or concerning this Agreement shall be in writing and shall
be deemed sufficiently given when sent by certified or registered mail if sent to the
respective address of each party as set forth at the beginning of this Agreement.
11. Attorney’s Fees
In the event that any lawsuit is filed in relation to this Agreement, the
unsuccessful party in the action shall pay to the successful party, in addition to all the
sums that either party may be called on to pay, a reasonable sum for the successful
party's attorney fees.
12. Mandatory Arbitration
Any dispute under this Agreement shall be required to be resolved by binding
arbitration of the parties hereto. If the parties cannot agree on an arbitrator, each party
shall select one arbitrator and both arbitrators shall then select a third. The third
arbitrator so selected shall arbitrate said dispute. The arbitration shall be governed by
the rules of the American Arbitration Association then in force and effect.
13. Entire Agreement
This Agreement shall constitute the entire agreement between the parties and
any prior understanding or representation of any kind preceding the date of this
Agreement shall not be binding upon either party except to the extent incorporated in
this Agreement.
14. Modification of Agreement
Any modification of this Agreement or additional obligation assumed by either
party in connection with this Agreement shall be binding only if placed in writing and
signed by each party or an authorized representative of each party.
15. Assignment of Rights
The rights of each party under this Agreement are personal to that party and may
not be assigned or transferred to any other person, firm, corporation, or other entity
without the prior, express, and written consent of the other party.
16. In this Agreement, any reference to a party includes that party's heirs, executors,
administrators, successors and assigns, singular includes plural and masculine includes
feminine.
WITNESS our signatures as of the day and date first above stated.
_________________________________
(Name of Corporation)
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By: ____________________________ _______________________________
___________________________ (P rinted Name of First Shareholder)
(P rinted Name & Office in Corporation) _______________________
___________________________ (Signature of First Shareholder)
(Signature of Officer)
____________________________
(P rinted Name of Second Shareholder )
____________________________
(Signature of Second Shareholder)
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