all aboard? : a warning for managing minority shareholders
The recent case of Dold v Murphy shows how important good governance arrangements are where minority shareholders are involved.
governance lawyers
Many technology companies operate in a state of barely controlled chaos. Founders and management are thinly stretched, trying to change the world with limited resources. Cash is tight, there are problems and risks at every turn, and it is often years before stability can be achieved.
As a consequence, the governance of tech companies can be pretty challenging at times. Directors often need to play a more active role than traditional governance courses might recommend, and they need to continually work around the conflicts involved in having founder and investor representatives at the board table. To make things worse, the normal rules about decision making don’t apply in many cases because investors have special approval rights over various board decisions. Joining the board of a high growth tech company is definitely not for the faint hearted.
how we help
We help boards to navigate these difficulties in compliance with their governance documents and company law duties. This includes advising on governance processes for capital raising and m&a transactions, and advising on directors’ duties arising in difficult situations such as where there are disputes with founders or investors or where there are serious solvency concerns.
Of course, we also help companies to get their basic governance documents sorted. You can see our approach to documents such as constitutions and shareholders’ agreements on our templates page.
“Volpara certainly could not have listed without Kindrik Partners’ advice and expertise.”
governance resources
what you need to know about secondary sales in VC backed startups
Founders and investors typically consider secondary sales after a few years because they want some cash out. Here's what to consider.
Takeovers Code updated to exclude small unlisted companies
Small cash-poor companies with over 50 shareholders rejoice. New changes to the Takeovers Code mean that it’s now easier for smaller companies to manage their shareholdings without significant administrative and regulatory burdens.
subscribe to our newsletter and get the latest templates and tips for fast-growing startups in New Zealand
read our case studies
stretchsense
StretchSense creates wearable motion capture sensors. Learn about its series A capital raising round with listed Japanese company Start Today.
lawlab
Learn about lawlab, an Australian specialist conveyancing firm, that has worked with Kindrik Partners on commercial matters.
umajin
Umajin is a mobile app development solution. Learn more about how we advised Umajin along its growth journey, through reorganisations, capital raises, share schemes and complex commercial deals.
