Tanya Shillingford

Tanya advises on domestic and cross-border disposals, acquisitions, and group reorganisations, guiding clients through deal structuring, due diligence, and the negotiation of transaction documents.

• Acted for a recruitment business on its acquisition of a specialist IT/digital marketing recruitment firm, to include exercise of options prior to completion.
• Acted for a UK-based Python development and hosting platform on its sale to a US-based data science platform.
• Acted for the owners of a start-up workforce consultancy on its setup and subsequent sale to a private equity firm.

Tanya advises on joint ventures and shareholders’ agreements, setting out ownership rights and protections, decision-making powers, and exit arrangements.

• Advised a tech start-up on a complex shareholders’ agreement between multiple founders.
• Advised a software company on the revised terms of the shareholders’ agreement between the founders.
• Advised a healthcare company on terms of arrangements between the founders.

Tanya has specialist experience in advising on LLP structures and LLP agreements (including profit-share mechanisms (including for law firms and professional services companies), as well as transactions involving LLPs.

• Advised a professional services firm on structuring as an LLP as well as governance and incentive arrangements.
• Advised a law firm on its acquisition of another law firm LLP.
• Advised on a new LLP agreement for an IT development company including setting out the decision-making powers and minority protection.

Tanya advises on structures and articles of association for FICs, which are a tax-efficient corporate structure used in wealth planning to pass capital growth from parents to children and grandchildren.

• Advised a family on the establishment of a FIC with growth shares for adult and minor children, including shares held on trust for minor children.
• Advised a family on the establishment of a FIC with growth shares for minor children.
• Advised a family on the establishment of a FIC for the parents and their adult children.

Tanya advises on the structuring and establishment of EOTs, guiding owners through the sale process, governance, and rules of the trust company.

• Advised the owner on the sale of a specialist logistics company to a newly formed EOT, including the design of the governance structure and seller protections.
• Advising the board of an existing employee-owned business on potential routes to exit the EOT structure.

Tanya assists clients with the drafting and negotiation of a wide variety of commercial contracts, including master services/framework agreements, agency and distribution agreements, and complex collaboration agreements.

• Advised a software company on the negotiation of a master services agreement with a key customer.
• Advised a trade association on its membership rules and constitution.
• Advised a client on the negotiation of a complex collaboration agreement.

Tanya advises charities and not-for-profit organisations, providing advice on constitutions/articles of association, directors’/trustees’ duties, corporate governance issues, and Charity Commission guidelines.

• Advises a charity on its articles of association, trustee issues, and grant contracts.
• Advised a trade association on its merger with another association and aspects of corporate governance.
• Advised a not-for-profit organisation on aspects of corporate governance and constitutional matters.

Tanya advises charities and not-for-profit organisations, providing advice on constitutions/articles of association, directors’/trustees’ duties, corporate governance issues, and Charity Commission guidelines.

• Advises a charity on its articles of association, trustee issues, and grant contracts.
• Advised a trade association on its merger with another association, and aspects of corporate governance.
• Advised a not-for-profit organisation on aspects of corporate governance, and constitutional matters.
• Advised a charity for over 30 years on commercial contracts relating to its fundraising activities.
• Appointed as a trustee of a charity to provide corporate governance, and related matters experience.

Tanya advises companies in the media sector on M&A and commercial contracts.

• Advised an e-book publisher on the buy-out of a minority shareholder.
• Advised on the sale of a digital book publisher.
• Advised a UK TV production company on the acquisition of programme rights following the unwinding of sale-and-leaseback structures.
• Advised a not-for-profit organisation in the media sector on commercial contracts and constitutional matters.
• Advised a media entity on a complex collaboration agreement.

Tanya advises law firms and other professional services firms on LLP structures and agreements, as well as transactions involving LLPs.

• Advised a professional services firm on structuring as an LLP, as well as governance and incentive arrangements.
• Advised a law firm on its acquisition of another law firm LLP.
• Advised on a new LLP agreement for an IT development company including setting out the decision-making powers and minority protections.
• Advised a strategic communications consultancy on its establishment as an LLP and its LLP agreement.
• Advised on the sale of a law firm to another law firm and on new arrangements for the partners.

Tanya regularly advises start-ups and entrepreneurs in the tech sector on set-up and shareholders’ agreements, investment, businesses growth, commercial contracts, and exits.

• Acted for a UK-based Python development and hosting platform on its sale to a US-based data science platform.
• Acted for the owners of a start-up workforce consultancy on its set-up and subsequent sale to a private equity firm.
• Advised a tech start-up on a complex shareholders’ agreement between multiple founders.
• Advised a software company on the revised terms of its shareholders’ agreement between the founders.
• Advised on a new LLP agreement for an IT development company, including the setting out of decision-making powers and minority protections.
• Advised a software company on the negotiation of a master services agreement with a key customer.