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Motivate and Retain Talent: Support for ESOP Setup

An Employee Stock Option Plan (ESOP) is a powerful tool for startups to attract, motivate, and retain top talent. By offering employees a stake in the company, ESOPs align team incentives with business goals, all while preserving liquidity. We provide tailored legal support to set up and manage ESOPs that are compliant, scalable, and strategically aligned with your company's growth.

Our unique approach

Implementing an ESOP requires careful legal structuring and alignment with your company’s strategy. Our expertise ensures your ESOP is robust, fair, and designed to drive long-term employee engagement while meeting investor expectations.


Here’s how we can support:

  • Tailored ESOP Plans: We design ESOP plans that define participant eligibility, pool size, vesting schedules, and transfer restrictions, aligned with your business needs and growth goals.

  • Core Documentation: We prepare the essential documents, including the ESOP plan and allocation agreements, ensuring clarity and enforceability.

  • Vesting Schedules and Retention Mechanisms: We establish vesting schedules, including cliffs and quarterly vesting, to retain talent and align employee incentives with company success.

  • Shareholder and Board Approvals: We assist with securing the necessary approvals for conditional share capital or share pool increases, ensuring compliance with Swiss corporate law.

  • Tax and Social Security Guidance: We address the tax implications of ESOPs for both employers and employees, ensuring compliance while maximizing benefits. If needed, we assist with the filing and approval of a tax-ruling.

  • Exit-Ready ESOPs: We structure ESOPs to ensure employees benefit monetarily during potential exits while safeguarding the company’s interests.

  • Compliance with Shareholder Agreements: We ensure ESOP participants adhere to shareholder agreements, including buy-back rights and transfer restrictions.

  • Ongoing Support: We provide ongoing legal advice to manage and update ESOPs as your company grows or prepares for new funding rounds.


Our comprehensive approach ensures your ESOP is legally sound, scalable, and a key driver of talent retention and motivation.

What we deliver

  • Customized ESOP aligned with your strategy

  • Draft and review of plan and allocation letters

  • Guidance on shareholder and board approvals

  • ESOP pool management

  • Guidance on size of pool and distribution curve

The Team

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Founding Partner (Legal) & CEO

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Senior Associate (Legal)

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Associate (Legal)

Want to learn how Alfred can unlock your business potential?

Book a complimentary intro call with us. We’d love to discuss your needs and how we can assist you.

Flexible Packages

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The Alfred Advantage

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Made by Founders

Alfred is run by successful startup founders. That’s how we are uniquely equipped to see eye-to-eye with entrepreneurs. We know the problems and we find the solutions with you.

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Legal & Business

Our long experience in the startup world has shown us: A symbiosis of legal and business knowledge delivered from a single source brings startups more effective and pragmatic solutions.

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Always Actionable

We know you have no time to theorize. You need actionable solutions now. We do research, so you don’t have to and quickly point you toward impactful adjustments.