Become an Employee Owned Company

Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs) are a form of employee ownership structure where a trust holds a significant stake in a company on behalf of its employees. This ownership model aims to promote employee engagement, align incentives, and facilitate succession planning.

From start to finish, we guide you through every step of setting up and owning your employee-owned company. We ensure everything aligns with your business objectives and complies with legal and tax requirements. Our services include understanding your key goals, advising on trust deeds and articles of association, and working with tax and corporate finance advisors to make your transition to EOT ownership seamless.

Key Contact: Gareth O’Hara

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Key Contact: Christie Nelson

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How We Can Help

As specialists in Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs), we offer expert guidance to help you achieve a tax-effective and suitable exit strategy for your business. Our services include:

Valuation Liaison: Working with accountants or valuation advisors to determine the market value of shares and advising on purchase price calculations.
Shareholder Communication: Facilitating communication with existing shareholders, including those not selling to the EOT.
Employee Engagement: Explaining the EOT structure to employees and maximising the benefits of employee ownership.
Funding Strategy: Assisting you in deciding how the sale will be funded, whether through profits or alternative funding arrangements.
Trustee Selection: Advising on trustee choices and establishing a corporate trustee if needed.
Management Structure Advice: Advising on changes to the company’s management structure in light of EOT ownership.
Documentation Drafting: Drafting share transfer documents and agreements, including Share Purchase Agreements, disclosure letters, and funding agreements.
Post-Completion Schemes: Advising on and implementing post-completion employee share schemes and equity incentive arrangements.

We can help any UK-based company considering selling to their employees or a third party. Partner with us to ensure a smooth transition to employee ownership and unlock the full potential of your business.

Considerations

There are various considerations that should be taken into account when looking to move to an Employee Owned Company:

Share Purchase Agreement
Valuation and Funding
Deferred Consideration
Management Team
Shareholder Arrangements

Our team will guide you through each step, ensuring a smooth transition to employee ownership that aligns with your goals and values.

FOR LIFE - PROTECTING YOUR FUTURE - WILL DISPUTES

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On 0121 233 4333 or request a callback

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Why Choose Us

Our corporate lawyers, with 150 years of combined experience, are recognised market leaders, offering specialised guidance. As a premier firm with global connections, we deliver tailored, top-tier advice to maximise value for both domestic and cross-border companies.

We prioritise understanding your business and market dynamics, providing forward-thinking advice and building enduring relationships as your trusted advisors throughout your business journey.

Guided by Dedicated Solicitors: Our approach ensures you have access to a dedicated solicitor who focuses on your specific needs.
Recognised High-Standards: We are acknowledged for our commitment to excellence by Legal 500.
Authorised and Accredited: With Lexcel accreditation and authorisation from the Solicitors Regulation Authority, we uphold stringent quality and ethical standards.
Tailored Service: We leverage our profound understanding of corporate law to deliver personalised solutions that address your unique challenges.
Seasoned Team: Our team of experienced solicitors is esteemed both regionally and nationally, offering unmatched expertise.
Global Insights: Through our international associations in 40 countries, we provide global perspectives and expertise to enhance our local services.

Let us help you navigate your corporate legal needs with expertise and dedication, ensuring you achieve your business goals.

Our Recent Cases

Successfully guided the Trustees of J.S. Wright & Co. Holdings Limited on the sale of the company to the J.S. Wright & Co. Employee Share Ownership Trust, securing an employee-owned future.
Successfully advised the Trustees of the Care Through the Millennium Employee Ownership Trust on the sale of shares in Extel Limited, promoting employee ownership within the company.
Successfully guided the Trustees on the sale of the Hockley Mint group to the Hockley Mint Employee Share Ownership Trust, facilitating a successful transition to employee ownership.

FOR BUSINESS - CORPORATE COMMERCIAL & BANKING - CORPORATE

Testimonials

I have had the pleasure of working with Christie during our transformation to an EOT, nothing has been too much trouble and her attention to detail has been exceptional. The deal involved a significant restructuring and this was handled with great professionalism and dedication.

Client feedback

I had the pleasure of working with Kiran at Wilkes and was thoroughly impressed by her expertise and professionalism. The technical advice I received for a corporate restructure was clear and insightful, and helped me navigate the matter with confidence. Kiran was dedicated, communicated well and delivered on documentation and advice in a timely manner. I felt well supported and guided and I highly recommend Kiran and Wilkes for anyone seeking reliable, expert legal representation.

Chris Vogtherr, Query Capital

Having taken the decision to put our business up for sale, we were recommended to use The Wilkes Partnership LLP as our legal advisers. Their professionalism and attention to detail alongside their knowledge and understanding of our industry was critical in being able to complete on the sale in early February 2023. There were issues that needed to be dealt with along the way but these were attended to speedily and efficiently by the Wilkes team, with input from ourselves as required. Always quick to respond, it was a pleasure working with the Corporate team at Wilkes, in particular Gareth O’Hara, Christie Nelson and Katherine Proctor, who all made significant contributions to the successful sale of our business.

Client – Anonymous

We greatly appreciated Rick and the team’s pragmatic and proactive approach – helping us navigate both the process and overcome some tricky technical issues. We look forward to working with them again on our future corporate acquisitions and view them as very much part of our team.

David Walley – CEO Mobile Promotions

Thank you to Rick Smyth and the Corporate team for a great service through this transaction (as was the same with the ICB transaction last month). They were all super helpful at all times and are a pleasure to work with.

Mark Winter, Managing Director, MW Business Consultancy Ltd.

Having decided to put our business up for sale, we were recommended to use The Wilkes Partnership LLP as our legal advisers. Their professionalism and attention to detail alongside their knowledge and understanding of our industry was critical in being able to complete one sale in early February 2023. There were issues that needed to be dealt with along the way but these were attended to speedily and efficiently by the Wilkes team, with input from ourselves as required. Always quick to respond, it was a pleasure working with the Corporate team at Wilkes, in particular Gareth O’Hara, Christie Nelson and Katherine Proctor, who all made significant contributions to the successful sale of our business.

Richard Stevens, Director of Allen Newport Limited

We have worked with Lucy Freeman and the Wilkes corporate team on multiple transactions and have always enjoyed the process. Their expertise and dedication were instrumental in our recent investment into Wolf Eyewear, enabling it to acquire White Optics Limited. We have always benefited greatly from Lucy and her team’s pragmatic, flexible and commercial approach. We couldn’t have asked for a more effective and supportive collaboration and will continue to use their services in the future.