INTERNAL GROUP CONTRACT Copyright © 2001 StarPolish LLC This form agreement is provided for educational purposes only, to enhance your understanding of StarPolish’s Analysis of an Internal Group Contract.

 

INTERNAL GROUP CONTRACT

 

 

Agreement Between:     John

                                                Paul

Ringo

George

 

1.         This contract serves to legally bind the above individuals (the “original members”) into a partnership, with intention to incorporate at a later date. The nature of the partnership is a musical group.

 

2.                  NAME AND LIKENESS: The name of the partnership will be Band Name. In the event of some split between the original members, the name Band Name and its likenesses (including but not limited to logos) may continue to be used only by a group comprised of John and at least one other of the original members.

 

3.                  PERCENTAGES: The profits made from the partnership are to be split evenly between the original members. Of course, this does not include profits due to individuals from non-group revenue streams such as songwriting, publishing, etc.

 

4.                  CONTROL: Except where specifically noted otherwise in this contract, partnership business decision will be made by group vote with each original member having equal votes and the majority rules. The group manager will break all deadlocks.

 

5.                  FIRING: Partnership members may be fired only after a group vote. In firing decisions John will have 2 votes, every other original member will have 1 vote, and the majority rules. The group manager will break deadlocks.

 

6.                  HIRING: New partnership members may be hired only after a group vote. In hiring decisions, each original member will have equal votes and the majority rules. The group manager will break deadlocks. New partnership members will not be considered original members—their rights in and benefits from the partnership will be decided at the time of hiring. An addendum to this contract that outlines those rights and benefits must be written at the time of hiring.

 

7.                  CONTRIBUTIONS: Financial contributions to the partnership will be required of partnership members only after a unanimous vote is reached on both having the contribution and defining its specific amount.

 

8.                   INCURRING EXPENSES: Partnership financial spending must be approved by a group vote, with each original member having an equal vote and the majority rules. The group manager will break deadlocks.

 

9.                  AMMENDING THE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT: The terms of the partnership deal as outlined in this contract may be amended only by a group vote, with each original member having an equal vote and the majority rules. The group manager will break deadlocks.

 

10.              QUITTING: Any partnership member is free to quit the partnership at will.

 

11.              DEATH OR DISABILTY: In the event that a group member dies, he or she will be treated as if he or she quit the partnership. In the event that a group member becomes disabled and is therefore unable to fulfill their role in the group, he or she will be treated as if he or she was fired from the partnership.

 

12.              EX-PARTNERS: After a partner quits or is fired from the partnership, he or she is entitled to their continuing percentage (as outlined in this contract) of revenue generated from activities of the partnership in which he or she participated prior to leaving. He or she is entitled to 0% of revenue generated from activities of the partnership after his or her leaving.

 

Buy-outs/Pay-outs:

 

Unless specified otherwise in this contract, if a partner quits or is fired from the partnership he or she surrenders all rights to and benefits derived from the intangible assets of the partnership (including but not limited to the name and likenesses of the partnership, recording contracts, television shows, etc.).

 

If a partner quits the partnership, he or she surrenders all rights to and benefits derived from the hard assets of the partnership. These hard assets include but are not limited to sound equipment, instruments, and cash.

 

If a partner is fired from the partnership, he or she is entitled to his or her percentage of the current value of the hard assets of the partnership. These hard assets include but are not limited to sound equipment, instruments, and cash. The current value of these hard assets will be paid out by the partnership to the ex-member in lump sum at the time of firing, unless paying in lump sum would put the partnership in financial distress-- in which case, the partnership will pay out the current value of the tangible assets over the course of a reasonable period of time with interest on the unpaid balance included. This “reasonable period” will be determined at the time of the firing by balancing the needs of the fired member with the requirement that the partnership not fall into financial distress at any period in time due to the schedule of the pay-outs.

 

 

 

 

 

INTERNAL GROUP CONTRACT AGREED TO AND SIGNED:

 

 

 

____________________________                            ____________________________

John                             Date                                         Paul                              Date

 

 

 

____________________________                            ____________________________

Ringo                           Date                                         George                         Date

 

 

 

____________________________

WITNESS: Brian    Date

 

 

 

 

CONFLICT WAIVER AGREED TO AND SIGNED:

 

This contract was prepared by our manager acting solely as a scribe and not negotiating any clause for any individual member or for the group as a whole. He has openly explained all the issues covered in this contract to us and we understand them in full. He has let us decide amongst ourselves how we choose to resolve them. He has fully explained the inherent conflict of interest in having a representative of the group such as himself draw up the partnership agreement, and we agreed to go ahead with the preparation of this contract using him as scribe and understanding that this will be a legally binding internal contract agreement.

 

 

 

____________________________                            ____________________________

John                                         Date                             Paul                                          Date

 

 

 

____________________________                            ____________________________

Ringo                                       Date                             George                                     Date

 

 

 

____________________________

WITNESS: Derek               Date