Companies incorporated in India & England are governed by the Companies Act as well as their own constitutional documents (i.e. the memorandum / articles of association). As a company grows or when corporate restructuring occurs changes may be required which should only be undertaken by lawyers specialising in company law. Ultimately this will save the company money in the long run. Connect with us today to discuss your requirements.
Companies are separate legal entities from its directors and shareholders. Companies can sue or be sued by their directors and/or shareholders. In some cases companies are the only possible claimants in relation to directors’ or shareholders’ wrongdoing. The key document which sets out the balance of power within a company is its Articles of Association. These act as a binding contract between the company and its shareholders. Subject to any overriding company law the Articles determine who within a company exercises which powers on its behalf.
Directors generally have day to day control of the company under the Articles, making decisions such as whether or not to enter into any contract; raise finance or take any other steps in relation to the management of the company. However, shareholders have the ultimate power as they can, by majority vote, dismiss a director and appoint a new director to the board.
Most shareholders’ disputes arise over decision-making issues between majority and minority shareholders. Minority shareholders can feel excluded by the majority shareholder’s but the law protects them and enables them to make claims for being ‘unfairly prejudiced’ by majority shareholders. Other disputes arise when there is a breach of a shareholders’ agreement by certain shareholders requiring redress of the wrong committed on behalf of the company. Our team offers comprehensive in-depth advice to individual directors or shareholders or collectively to companies, in all matters of boardroom and shareholders’ disputes. We offer a comprehensive service from arranging negotiations to advising and representing you through court proceedings
Every insolvency situation is different. At Merlyn Law Firm we have the experience to know how to handle applications relating to both personal and corporate insolvency. We also work very closely with and for a number of highly specialised Insolvency Practitioners.
Our highly experienced team advises creditors at all stages of the insolvency process, from early difficulties with potentially insolvent clients paying debts through to formal insolvency proceedings. Insolvency is a complex issue requiring knowledge of the regulations and law, and sound commercial judgement. You need an expert and experienced guide to lead you through what might otherwise be perilous territory.
We can also advice and assist individuals and companies where Insolvency Proceedings have been threatened inappropriately.
Our company commercial lawyers have, over the years, drafted countless shareholder agreements for a huge variety of companies. It goes without saying, regularising the position between shareholders early is critical if disputes and disruption to the company is to be avoided. Our specialist commercial team have fine tuned the process and will ensure you consider the issues that are often ignored such as early shareholder exit, dispute resolution, voting rights (if any) and so on.