Founder, Ownership & Control Matters
Morgan Business Counsel advises founders, shareholders, and leadership teams on ownership, governance, and control at critical inflection points in the life of a business. This work often begins at formation or early restructuring, where entity choice, equity allocation, and governance decisions have long-term implications for control, financing, and exit.
As companies grow, take on capital, or prepare for transition, questions of control often become as consequential as economics. Governance structures, voting rights, protective provisions, and decision-making frameworks established at these stages can determine not only who benefits from future value, but who directs it. Our work focuses on helping clients make intentional ownership decisions that preserve influence, align incentives, and support long-term objectives.
Representative Founder & Ownership Experience
Advising a U.S.-based cement manufacturing company in connection with a substantial strategic investment by a major French industrial conglomerate, including complex negotiations to preserve founder control while accommodating financing, governance, and long-term corporate objectives.
Advising a multi-billion-dollar U.S. financial services and wealth management platform on multiple practice acquisitions, including the structuring of restrictive covenants, earn-out arrangements, and post-closing control mechanics affecting founder principals.
Advising a founder-led specialty consumer products company in connection with a strategic equity investment by a global consumer goods company, including negotiation of governance rights, protective provisions, and control-related terms.
Advising founders and leadership teams on ownership restructurings and control arrangements arising out of growth financings, strategic investments, and partial liquidity events.
Our Founder & Ownership Work Typically Involves
We advise on ownership structure, governance design, voting rights, and control dynamics as businesses grow, take on capital, or prepare for transition. This includes founder and shareholder agreements, board and consent mechanics, alignment of economic and control rights, and planning for liquidity, succession, or partial exits. Our role is to help clients make intentional ownership decisions that support long-term value, stability, and optionality.
How We Work
Founder and ownership matters are approached with senior legal judgment and careful attention to long-term consequences. We work closely with clients to assess tradeoffs, anticipate downstream effects, and design structures that align control, economics, and future goals. Engagements are intentionally scoped and grounded in alignment around objectives, timing, and approach.