Success story
Three shareholders with different contributions: a limited company (SL) with clear rules in three weeks
Two shareholders were putting in the money and the third the work: the question was how to share control without anyone losing out.
3 weeksfrom the first meeting to a registered, up-and-running company
Situation
Three professionals wanted to set up a consultancy in Barcelona. Two were contributing the initial capital and the third would work full time without a salary for the first few months. They did not know how to split the shares, what would happen if one of them left or who would decide in the event of a tie.
What was done
The commercial lawyer drafted tailor-made articles of association and a shareholders' agreement (pacto de socios) with a share split tied to milestones, lock-in and exit clauses, a pre-emption right and a tie-break rule. The lawyer also handled the company name, the deposit of the share capital, the public deed (escritura) and registration with the Companies Registry (Registro Mercantil).
Outcome
The company was registered and signed up with the Spanish Tax Agency (Agencia Tributaria) three weeks after the first meeting. A year later, one of the shareholders decided to leave and the exit was completed in fifteen days by applying what had been agreed, with no dispute.