Founders' Agreement UK
Co-founder conflict is the #1 reason start-ups implode
Ensure yours explodes instead
Your shares, IP & growth, done right
Professional co-founders, investors and customers expect a professional legal setup: robust, simple, and compliant.
Co-Founder growth
Founders' agreement
A robust founders' agreement covers the 5 Rs. It’s your best defence against co-founder disputes.
Rights
Director/shareholder rights
Manage ownership
Manage control
Manage IP
Founder rights
Clarify what rights each founder holds at board and shareholder level.
We help you:
– Define voting powers, rights to dividends and profit
– Cover director status and responsibilities
– Align rights with shareholding and leaver provisions
– Clarify who contributes IP and on what terms, and who owns the IP created by the business
Reward
Vesting, salaries, fees, dividends
Agree mix of remuneration
Vesting & reverse vesting
Avoid money disputes
Founder reward
Align equity and income with founder contribution and performance
We help you:
– Draft equity structures and vesting schedules
– Agree on salaries, service fees, and dividend rights
– Plan for profit-sharing and exit scenarios
Roles
Set clear founder roles
Clarify who does what, and how
Draft role-based agreements
Keep leadership accountable
Founder roles
Whether you're acting as CEO, CTO or Head of Growth, your role should be defined legally.
We set this out clearly to avoid overlap, disputes, and ambiguity.
We help you:
– Appoint and confirm founder roles
– Draft or support service contracts
– Ensure day-to-day duties are covered legally and commercially
Responsibilities
Conduct, duties, contribution
Agree minimum contribution and effort
Set standards for meetings, admin & conduct
Protect the company’s reputation
Founder responsibilities
We make sure all founders commit fairly to the growth of the business, including time, behaviour, and admin responsibilities.
We help you:
– Define contribution expectations
– Set rules for company conduct, communications & brand reputation
– Establish routines for meetings and decision-making
– Clarify legal and regulatory compliance duties
Restrictions
Non-compete, exit controls
Prevent unauthorised competition
Set boundaries for founders leaving
Prevent damaging actions
Founder restrictions
We help you define what founders can’t do, so that the business is protected.
For example, competing with the business, or poaching clients and team members.
We help you:
– Draft anti-compete and non-solicit terms
– Stay protected against disparagement from leavers
– Align restrictions with business risk and stage
Shareholders' agreement
Structure, investment, corporate shareholders
For more complex corporate arrangements or established businesses, a Shareholders' Agreement may be more appropriate.
You’re bringing in investors, advisors or non-founder shareholders
You have multiple share classes or funding plans, or corporate shareholders
You want a comprehensive legal framework beyond the founders’ relationship
Shareholders' agreement
We help you:
– Draft or upgrade your Shareholders’ Agreement to match your structure
– Set rules for exits, fundraising, voting and share transfers
– Align all parties with a clear, future-proof legal foundation
Co-Founder
Case studies
Investment in start-up
Investment by family office manager
Represented an investor who took a stake in an events business involving F1, HNWIs & networking
Minority protections
Transfer provisions
Simple, fair terms
Fast, safe investment
The brief
This investor wanted a simple, straightforward agreement to cover his investment in the new company.
His objective was to make a fast, safe investment with key protections while still giving the founders flexibility to run the company freely.
The priority was to make sure legals didn't get in the way of doing the deal, keeping up the business' momentum and protecting the relationships and dynamics involved.
The solution:
We put together a short but robust shareholders' agreement that protected the investor but wasn't overbearing for the business.
Collaborative JV
Co-founder agreement for a collaborative JV
Helped two influencer entrepreneurs with their new collaboration: a platform and community
Balanced commercial terms
Flexibility baked in
Clear rights
Collaborative, flexible agreement
The brief
The co-founders wanted to join forces to offer their audiences a new membership/community solution.
The objective was to ensure that the right legal foundations were in place: robust but flexible, to enable the start-up to evolve naturally.
The priority was to ensure that the relationship remained collaborative.
The solution:
We designed a short and simple founders' agreement that baked in flexibility and provisions that support collaboration.
We also created their Terms of Service and took care of data/privacy compliance.
New wearable & app
Small stake offered to growth advisor
Represented a tech founder who brought on a partner to drive growth
Vesting tied to performance milestones
Services agreement with commission element
Growth-focused commercial terms
Growth-focused rewards
The brief
Founder of a tech business wanted to bring in a partner to take her business to the next level.
The solution:
We put together a short but robust shareholders' agreement and linked services agreements that rewarded the partner based on performance.
Luxury design venture
Co-founder agreement for a collaborative JV
Helped an architect to bring on a partner for a new venture that complemented an existing business
Market-standard protections for both parties
Comprehensive intellectual property clauses
Clear roles and responsibilities defined
Short, robust, clear
The brief
Architect set up new venture with co-founder and wanted to ensure both parties were aligned, incentivised and protected.
The solution:
We designed a short and simple founders' agreement that enabled co-operation and growth.
Pricing
Get things agreed
Top seller
Founders' Agreement
Protect your co-founder relationship
Info
Rights, roles, responsibilities, restrictions, remuneration
Protects your relationship and rights as co-founders
Covers share transfers and exits
Vesting, reverse vesting
Designed for UX
Versions
Tailored*
Light: £990+
Medium: £1,485+
Complex: enquire
Templates**
Simple: £495
*Indicative/starting prices
**Templates: purchase or via membership
Top seller
Shareholders' Agreement
Protect your rights, relationships & investment
Info
Rights, roles, responsibilities, restrictions, remuneration
Protects your relationship and rights as shareholders
Covers share transfers and exits
Investor and minority protections
Vesting, reverse vesting
Enterprise-grade
Versions
Tailored*
Light: £1,237.50+
Medium: £1,980+
Complex: enquire
Extras
*Indicative/starting prices
Need help?
Whether you're dividing equity, formalising roles, or safeguarding your business from founder fallout, we can help.
At New Legal, we combine deep legal expertise with real-world business experience to give you clear, founder-friendly agreements and tailored advice to protect what matters most.
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*T&Cs apply. N3WWW LTD (trading as New Legal), is a limited company registered in England & Wales (no. 13889459), registered office Suite 169, 23 King Street, Cambridge, CB1 1AH. New is a legal consultancy, not a law firm, and is not authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. English law only. Sponsorship, promotions and credits apply to selected products, services and tiers only – T&Cs and eligibility apply. Subject to availability. Images are indicative only to protect client confidentiality where applicable. Services are provided subject to our Terms of Service & privacy policy available here: https://new-legal.com/legal