An Employee Share Options Plan (ESOP) is an incentive system whereby companies offer employees shares or rights to buy shares in the company. These rights are usually provided with certain attached conditions which must be met, such as minimum employment periods and/or minimum KPIs. An experienced lawyer can do a high level review of the ESOP to ensure that your important legal protections are covered.

Broadly, ESSs (Employee Share Schemes) directly issue employees shares, while ESOPs give employees the opportunity to acquire shares in their own company through a share option plan.

However, there are several nuanced differences between these two schemes. There are also tax and concession benefits you’ll need to be aware of, particularly in light of 2015 reforms.

You can read more about the differences between ESOP and ESS here.

Our team is happy to chat you through the differences and help you decide which option is best for your business.

As part of our ESOP Review Package, our expert lawyers will conduct a high level review of your ESOP agreement. This involves a phone consultation with one of our lawyers who will talk you through the key points of your agreement and ensure you’re legally protected.

Please note: This is a time-based, “Consult Only” package. This package does not include a comprehensive review of the documents, any formal written advice, or negotiations for any changes to the documents.

Our fixed-fee packages for ESOP Reviews start at $700 + GST. This includes a review of your ESOP Agreement and phone consults with our expert lawyers.