This column outlines the purpose of a shareholders’ agreement for a corporation’s shareholders. Specifically, this column highlights some very common and practical situations in which a shareholders’ agreement proves very useful.

A trust is an independent patrimony created by a settlor and managed by one or several trustees for the benefit of the beneficiaries. The beneficiaries have no right of ownership over the property held in trust, which is instead within the trust’s separate patrimony. There are several types of trusts, but this article will focus on the discretionary family trust.