Sonja Geldermans

More and more companies aim to contribute to social purposes, in addition to making a profit, in areas such as healthcare, education, energy, and climate: the 'social' enterprises. The Dutch government has been working for several years on a legal framework for these companies. The core of this framework is that a company may add "BVm" to its trade name if it meets certain legal requirements. This should contribute to the recognition and identification of social enterprises.

In an earlier blog, I wrote about the importance of customization when drafting a shareholders' agreement. Often, the difference with the articles of association of a company is also discussed. In this blog, I outline some important differences between the articles of association and a shareholders' agreement.

Shareholders regularly approach us with a request to draft or review a shareholders' agreement. A shareholders' agreement contains specific arrangements regarding the collaboration. There is no standard document available for drafting a shareholders' agreement. The specific wishes and needs of the shareholders form the basis of the arrangements in the shareholders' agreement. Below, I discuss four important topics that can be included in a shareholders' agreement.