Charltons provides high impact advice to angel and strategic investors, venture capital / private equity funds and investment banks providing finance to start-up, early stage and growing companies.

We can coordinate due diligence on investee companies, advise on structuring investments, and negotiate and draft terms sheets, confidentiality agreements, subscription agreements, shareholder agreements, constitutional documents, intellectual property agreements, service contracts and other transactions documents. Charltons provide smart and practical advice to clients, such as negotiating information and supervisory rights, operational vetoes and board representation for investors, non-compete undertakings and equity lock-ups from founders, and anti-dilution and other protections on “down” rounds.

Our lawyers provide an insightful and highly personalised service, giving focused and effective advice. We advise at every stage of the investment cycle, from start-up funding through “Series A” and subsequent preferred investor rounds, pre-IPO investments and listings. We assist private equity funds on their ongoing management of investments, including add-on acquisitions and management incentive schemes. With our extensive experience of M&A and IPO transactions, we can advise on appropriate investment structures to facilitate subsequent liquidity events, such as a trade sale or IPO. We can also assist in pre-IPO planning and structuring (including due diligence, Hong Kong Stock Exchange compliant pre-IPO investments, and group reorganisations).

We also assist private equity funds in fund structuring and initial fund raising, so have a deep understanding of the dynamics, structures and objectives of private equity funds / venture capital funds and other financing organisations.