What is a drag along sale?

A drag-along right is a provision or clause in an agreement that enables a majority shareholder to force a minority shareholder to join in the sale of a company. The majority owner doing the dragging must give the minority shareholder the same price, terms, and conditions as any other seller.

What is a drag sale?

In a sale, the drag along agrees to sell the entirety of the stock they own. In a structured merger, the minority shareholder agrees to vote in favor of the merger. Drag along rights are often written in a term sheet, which outlines the terms by which a venture capitalist or investor invests in a company.

Who benefits from drag along rights?

In the event of a sale of a controlling interest by the shareholder(s) holding a specified majority of shares, a drag-along right enables the selling majority shareholder to procure an exit by forcing the remaining minority shareholders to similarly sell their shares to a bona fide third party purchaser on broadly the ...

What is the difference between tag along and drag along rights?

Tag-along or co-sale rights are essentially the opposite of drag-along rights. Whereas tag-along rights give minority shareholders negotiating rights in the event of a sale, drag-along rights force the minority shareholders to accept whatever deal is negotiated by majority shareholders.

WHAT ARE LLC drag along rights?

A standard clause in many LLC agreements, a drag-along provision gives a majority member wanting to sell to an unrelated third party all or a substantial percentage of its membership interests in the company the right to force the other members to also sell all or a portion of their membership interests to the third ...

Tag-Along and Drag-Along Rights

What is the purpose of drag along right?

A drag along provision allows the majority shareholder(s) to require the minority shareholder(s) to sell their shares. The aim of drag along rights is to provide liquidity, flexibility and an easy exit route for a majority shareholder.

How common are drag along rights?

The type of majority required to invoke a drag along depends on the agreed threshold. Generally, this will range from about a 51% to about 90% majority, subject to the agreement between the shareholders.

Are drag-along rights enforceable?

Drag-along rights are enforceable if the drag-along provision is drafted properly and contained within a valid and enforceable contract, and if the transaction is executed according to the terms of the provision.

Can you have both drag-along and tag along?

Drag-along rights and Tag-along rights are clauses commonly included into shareholder agreements. These are often recommended to be inserted, alongside reserve matters, rights of first refusal, rights of first offer, put and get options, non-dilution clauses.

Can you have both drag-along and tag-along rights?

While the decision to drag or tag can vary from company to company, some basic principles apply to both types of rights. For example, co-owners generally need to give notice before dragging or tagging. If a majority owner doesn't give notice of the sale to his co-owners, then his dragging or tagging attempt could fail.

Can a minority shareholder sell their shares?

Minority shareholders can still sell their stock in the future to make a profit if the investment is healthy, and can still reap the dividends that the business awards. These benefits do not go away because of the status of the shareholder.

What is a shotgun deal?

Related Content. A shotgun clause is a mechanism of last resort where shareholders cannot settle a dispute by discussion and negotiation. It results in a forced sale of shares. Under the clause, one party, P1, offers either to buy the shares of the other party, P2, or to sell P1's own shares to P2 at a specified price.

How do tag along rights work?

Tag along clauses are often sought by investors, so that a key shareholder (such as a founder) can't sell its shares unless it finds a buyer willing to buy shares from all shareholders with tag along rights. Often, that means finding a buyer willing to buy the entire company.

What does dragging along mean?

transitive to pull something or someone along with difficulty, for example because they are heavy. drag something down/along/through something: She dragged her suitcase down the path.

What is drag-along VC?

​Definition​ Drag-along agreements (or the drag-along provision) require certain minority shareholders to comply with a transaction approved by a specified majority percentage of shareholders. * In the context of venture capital term sheets, VCs are often majority shareholders while founders are minority shareholders.

How do you enforce drag-along rights?

The first remedy that majority owners can take is to request minority owners to grant an irrevocable proxy. If given, this allows majority owners to act on behalf of minority owners in any vote or action required to effect the sale. It includes signing documents on behalf of the minority owners.

What does tag along mean?

: to follow another's lead especially in going from one place to another.

What is anti-dilution clause?

Anti-dilution provisions are clauses built into convertible preferred stocks to help shield investors from their investment potentially losing value. Dilution can occur when the percentage of an owner's stake in a company decreases because of an increase in the total number of shares outstanding.

How does a liquidation preference work?

A liquidation preference is a clause in a contract that dictates the payout order in case of a corporate liquidation. Typically, the company's investors or preferred stockholders get their money back first, ahead of other kinds of stockholders or debtholders, in the event that the company must be liquidated.

What is a deed of adherence?

The Deed of Adherence is used in circumstances where a new party becomes a shareholder in a company, either by acquiring shares from an existing shareholder or by subscribing for new shares in the company, and there is already in place a Shareholders' Agreement between the existing shareholders.

Can a shareholder give up his shares?

In general, shareholders can only be forced to give up or sell shares if the articles of association or some contractual agreement include this requirement. In practice, private companies often have suitable articles or contracts so that the remaining owner-managers retain control if an individual leaves the company.

Can a majority shareholder force minority to sell?

If we can't come to an agreement, there's no simple way to compel the minority shareholder to sell. In general, the majority shareholder will need to address the minority's reasons for refusing to sell, convincing the minority to accept a fair value for their shares.

What is a co sale?

Co-sale rights give investors the right to join in a transaction when the founders sell their stock to a third-party. Co-sale rights, also called tag-along rights, allow investors to sell their shares on the same terms as the founders.

How do you use tag along?

What's another word for tag along?

Similar words for tag along:

accompany (verb) connect (verb) follow (verb) lag behind, follow (verb)