Case results
/
Corporate & Business
Outcome
Founder buyout negotiated
Two co-founders reached deadlock over the future of a profitable design studio. We negotiated a clean buyout, valuation and earn-out included, without a day in court.
01
The challenge
Two co-founders of a design studio with offices in New York and London had each held half the company for eleven years. One wanted to sell to a larger agency, the other to keep building. Their shareholder agreement had no deadlock clause.
Key clients had started to notice the tension, and two senior designers had resigned. Litigation would have taken years and likely destroyed the value both founders were arguing over.
02
Our approach
We acted for the founder who wanted to stay, and treated the buyout as a transaction rather than a dispute.
01. Agree the valuation method
We proposed an independent valuation on an agreed basis, which moved the conversation from who was right to what the business was worth.
02. Bridge the gap with an earn-out
Part of the price was tied to client retention over two years, giving the departing founder upside and our client protection.
03. Paper it quickly
Owen Hartley ran the London side so that both entities transferred on the same day.
“It could have been a lawsuit. Daniel turned it into a deal we both signed.”
Co-founder, design studio
03
The outcome
The buyout closed nine weeks after instruction at a total value of $12M, including the earn-out. Every major client stayed, and our client now owns the studio outright.
$12M
acquisition closed in nine weeks
9 weeks
matter duration
2024
year resolved
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Some details have been changed to protect client confidentiality.
Case facts
$12M
acquisition closed in nine weeks
Practice
Corporate & Business
Year
2024
Court
Negotiated settlement, New York
Duration
9 weeks
Daniel Reyes
Lead attorney · Managing Partner
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Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
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