What Every Business Owner Needs To Know Before Offering Investors A Stakehold In Your Company
Imagine that you start up a new company that grows and flourishes beyond your wildest dreams, allowing for expansion, franchising and even potentially selling shares to interested investors. While you may be the main person in charge of your company, there are certain legal provisions that protect investors as well as minority owners. Prior to drawing up any contracts or making any agreements to sell shares of your company to prospective buyers, consulting with an expert securities law attorney is a must.
Securities Laws To Protect Buyers And Sellers
Securities law protect investors by requiring company owners to disclose all information that can have an impact on financial health. This is true whether you sell shares of your company in the open market or privately. This area of the law is highly nuanced, and requires any company interested in selling shares to ensure that all Securities and Exchange Commission rules are followed.
What Information Should Be Disclosed To Private Company Share Buyers?
While it may be obvious to you that your company is thriving, potential shareholders will want to see proof, usually in the form of detailed financial statements, declarations, and annual reports. Literally anything that can have an impact on the financial viability of your company should be closed before shares are sold privately so that you are well insulated from the threat of a lawsuit.
Although it is your duty to ensure the continued growth of your company, shareholders want to maintain healthy investment portfolios. With the assistance of a securities law attorney, you can find a way to protect your company's private interests and satiate interested investors' curiosity while working within the law. Your attorney can draft a non-disclosure agreement to accompany the sensitive financial information potential investors want to review so that the inner workings of your business remain confidential.
How To Resolve Disputes With Stakeholders
When you have shareholders invested in your company, their concerns must be heard and addressed prior to making any action that can impact its finances. If you and your shareholders are not able to agree on a particular business move, a dispute may follow. A securities law attorney can help to resolve these kinds of internal disputes amicably so that they do not progress to filing a legal action.
Inform investors as early as possible about your company's major plans so that they have adequate time to voice their concerns. Holding meetings, having conference calls, and exchanging updated financial information as it becomes available is generally one of the most effective ways to keep your shareholders content.