Transaction Legal Documentation (Term Sheet, SHA, SPA, BTA)

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    Transaction Legal Documentation — Term Sheets, SHAs, SPAs, BTAs

    Every transaction leaves a paper trail that will be examined by investors, acquirers, auditors, regulators and — occasionally — judges. Transique’s in-house legal team, led by a Partner having more than 20 years of experience, drafts, reviews, and negotiates the full set of transaction documents: Term sheets, shareholders agreements (SHAs), share purchase agreements (SPAs), business transfer agreements (BTAs), escrow agreements, security documents, side letters, employment and non-compete agreements.
    We work on both sides of the table — for issuers, founders, acquirers, PE funds, strategic buyers and sellers — and across different industries and situations.

    When you need us
    • You are executing a PE / VC / growth-equity fundraising and need end-to-end documentation.
    • You are acquiring or selling a business — asset or share — and need the full suite of transaction documents.
    • You are entering a joint venture and need the shareholder, operational and exit documents structured correctly from day one.
    • You have received a draft term sheet or SPA from a counter-party and need a rigorous mark-up and negotiation plan.
    • You are executing cross-border transactions and need Indian-side documentation coordinated with overseas counsel.
    • You are closing a transaction and need completion mechanics (CPs, closing memorandum, escrow, completion accounts).
    What we deliver
    • Term Sheets — founder-friendly or investor-friendly, calibrated to the situation.
    • Shareholders Agreements — governance, reserved matters, transfer restrictions, ROFO / ROFR / tag-along / drag-along, exit.
    • Share Purchase Agreements — reps, warranties, indemnities, earn-outs, completion mechanics, MAC clauses.
    • Business Transfer Agreements — asset-list, liabilities-assumed, employee-transfer, lease and licence transfers.
    • Ancillary documents — disclosure letters, escrow agreements, side letters, completion certificates, non-compete and non-solicit agreements.
    • Negotiation support — walking through drafts with the counterparty’s lawyers, managing redline cycles, preserving commercial intent.
    Our approach
    • Commercial-to-legal translation. Start with the term sheet / commercial intent; translate into document architecture.
    • First-draft preparation. Full drafts, tailored to the specific transaction.
    • Redline management. Track-changes review with commercial context preserved; issue memorandum for every disputed clause.
    • Lead or support the conversation with counterparty’s lawyers; secure the negotiating priorities set at the outset.
    • Schedules and annexures. Prepare disclosure letter, completion schedules and completion certificates.
    • CP management; completion; post-closing obligations calendar.
    Technical grounding
    • Indian Contract Act , Companies Act , FEMA (for cross-border elements), SEBI regulations (where listed-entity parties are involved), Income Tax Act.
    • Indemnity survival and cap architecture calibrated to sector-specific risk.
    • Earn-out drafting — EBITDA definitions, accounting-policy stability, protective clauses against post-closing manipulation.
    • Exit clauses — QIPO-triggered drag, put-option put-right cascades, dispute-resolution engineering.
    Frequently asked questions

    What is the most commonly disputed clause in Indian M&A SPAs?

    In our experience: (1) the scope and materiality thresholds of the reps and warranties; (2) indemnity caps, baskets, and survival; (3) earn-out mechanics and accounting definitions; and (4) MAC clauses. These generally account for the majority of redline time on a well-negotiated SPA.

     

    Who drafts the SPA in a typical M&A transaction?

    Market practice varies. In auction sell-sides, the seller often circulates a first-draft SPA; in bilateral or buyer-led processes, the buyer mostly circulate first. We act for either side and calibrate the first-draft posture to the client’s negotiating position.

     

    How do SHAs and Articles of Association interact?

    SHA provisions that bind the company typically need to be mirrored in the Articles, given the Supreme Court’s position that inconsistent SHA clauses are not enforceable against the company absent Article reflection. We always insist on the updation of Articles alongside SHA execution to ensure enforceability.

     

    Can you handle disclosure-letter negotiation?

    Yes. The disclosure letter is often where the real negotiation happens — it defines what the seller is warranting, and what is carved out. We draft and negotiate disclosure letters with the same rigour as the underlying SPA.

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