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EOT & Employee Incentive Schemes

Employee share schemes are a common feature in many leading and ambitious companies who understand that their people are at the heart of their business and are their greatest asset. They are generally used to retain key staff and incentivise them to help grow the business.

The schemes often fall into three distinct categories:
  • HMRC approved tax advantaged schemes such as Enterprise Management Incentive (EMI) options – whereby employees are given options to acquire shares in their company in a tax friendly manner.
  • Non approved schemes including growth shares – again, employees are given shares in their employee company, but those shares only carry entitlement to participate in the growth of the company over a certain threshold.
  • Employment Ownership Trusts – this is the modern ‘John Lewis’ scheme of moving the full company into employee ownership through investment by a trust of which the employees are beneficiaries.

The decision of which category to choose will depend on the company’s long-term ambitions and whether they meet the criteria for the specific scheme. For example, certain businesses, such as law firms, are excluded from setting up an EMI scheme. We can advise clients at the outset as to the advantages and disadvantages, as well as any barriers, of each category to ensure you select the right option to give you the best prospects of success.

The corporate team at Harrison Drury has supported many clients from different sectors looking to retain and/or incentivise staff. Our expert knowledge is complemented by our separate specialists in employment law , and we often work collaboratively as a team for clients to ensure effective compliance with both employment regulations and corporate rules.

A selection of our work on employee schemes include:
  1. Assisting a national energy company on 3 separate EMI option schemes for staff.
  2. Setting up a growth share scheme for a growing food business valued in excess of £10 million.
  3. Advising EMI option holders in a sale of a large manufacturing company.

To speak to our corporate specialists please call us on 01772 258321 or make an enquiry below to see how we can assist you and your business.

Meet our Corporate team

Hayley Goodwin

Partner Corporate
t: 0161 513 7065
m: 07435 939043

Richard Life

Partner Corporate
t: 0161 513 5766
m: 07860 620782

Jack Stephenson

Partner Corporate
t: 01524 544237
m: 07814 705849

Mark Traynor

Partner Corporate
t: 0161 521 5855
m: 07970 632641

Moyen Ahmed

Consultant Solicitor Corporate
m: 07970 908715

Sean Williams

Business Consultant Corporate
m: 07502 532887

Wendy Catterall

Senior Associate Solicitor Corporate
t: 0161 521 3280
m: 07768 370064

Timothy Grover

Senior Associate Solicitor Corporate
t: 01200 401117
m: 07717 077009

Kerry Southworth

Associate Solicitor Corporate
t: 01772 429396
m: 07551 433326

Roshni Valibhai

Associate Solicitor Corporate
t: 0161 250 5297
m: 07502 542028

Ben Foulds

Solicitor Corporate
t: 0161 521 3838

Richard Williams-Bulkeley

Solicitor Corporate
t: 0161 250 6604
m: 07741 119528

Chloe Wishart

Solicitor Corporate
t: 01772 395015
m: 07425254876

Sophie Holt-Rogers

Trainee Solicitor Corporate
t: 01772 258321

Jessica Darley

Apprentice Solicitor Corporate
t: 01772 208535

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