Acquisitions Lawyers for Missouri

For informational purposes, NOT legal advice: In some service businesses, where there is not hard property asset value but the company is making money, an agreement called "earnout" allows the seller to continue working as part of the compensation. For example, a consulting company may have ongoing business that is dependent on the seller being involved, due to familiarity and personal loyalty. These agreements differ from seller financing in that the seller's employment is subject to continued business volume, therefore the buyer has some assurance that the seller (and their friends, co-workers, relatives,etc.) do NOT try to divert the existing customer revenue stream to a different business with similar services. Yes, some sellers cleverly attempt to sell their business and then set up a competitor in their kids, spouse or relative name to recapture the revenue and tiptoe over the non-compete seller clause In these situations the buyer may offer a Earnout to protect their interest and insure the revenue keeps coming in while the new owners learn the detalls and customer base. Other situations where "Earnout" may be preferable include business sales where the subject business is a subcontractor or heavily dependent on one or a small few number of clients, which makes the business revenue stream highly subject to rapid change. Buyers should be careful not to pay for a company AND then also do a "earnout" since that would be paying twice.

First, I highly recommend you get legal representation in connection with your purchase agreement. Second, I'm not a Texas lawyer, but generally an asset purchase agreement will not need to be notarized.

Great question—and smart move getting ahead of this. When you're placing a substantial amount of money into escrow, the agreement becomes critical to protect your investment and ensure all parties are aligned on how the funds will be handled. Here are the key provisions that should be included in a well-drafted Escrow Agreement: Parties to the Agreement Clearly identify the buyer, seller (or contracting parties), and the escrow agent, including their contact details and roles. Purpose of the Escrow Define why the funds are being held—whether it’s for a business acquisition, service milestone, asset transfer, etc. Escrowed Funds or Assets Specify the amount or nature of what is being held in escrow, including how it should be handled (e.g., deposited into an interest-bearing account). Conditions for Release Detail exactly when and how the escrow agent is authorized to release the funds—e.g., upon delivery of services, closing of a deal, receipt of signed documents, etc. Instructions & Disbursement Process Outline how release instructions are communicated, who must approve them, and what form they should take (e.g., written, signed by both parties). Duties & Liabilities of the Escrow Agent Define the escrow agent’s responsibilities, their standard of care, and a liability limitation clause to avoid disputes over unintentional delays or errors. Fees & Expenses Clarify who pays the escrow fees and how those fees will be structured—fixed, hourly, or percentage-based. Dispute Resolution Clause Include a provision on how disputes will be handled if there’s a disagreement about release conditions (e.g., mediation, arbitration, or court jurisdiction). Termination & Expiration Explain when the agreement ends—whether upon release of funds, mutual agreement, or lapse of a set time period—and what happens to the funds if unresolved. Governing Law Identify which state's laws will apply to the agreement, particularly if parties are in different jurisdictions. If you'd like, I can help draft or review your escrow agreement to ensure these provisions are solid and customized to your deal. Happy to help you safeguard your investment and give you peace of mind at every stage.

It depends. If you want to use an asset purchase agreement to purchase just the assets of the company instead of the entire company, then an asset purchase agreement is the way to go as you could avoid taking on the company's existing debts. However, if you plan to buy the business as a whole I would expect you will inherit the debts as well unless you draft a release from the former owners.

There are two ways to buy a company. 1. Asset purchase (you purchase the assets of the company directly) 2. Equity (stock) purchase. You purchase the equity of the company. Eauity purchases are far less expensive (legal fees). But in either case, you must hold back 10-20% of the purchase price in trust for a year to make sure the accounting records are in fact accurate, the receivables actually exist, and there are no undisclosed liabilities (tax, employee lawsuits, etc.)