Shareholders can attend shareholders’ meetings, vote to remove directors, and exercise certain auditing rights. However, minority shareholders may have limited influence and face the risk of oppression by majority shareholders, which can lead to majority owners abusing their power for personal gain. 

Minority shareholder oppression occurs when majority shareholders engage in conduct that is burdensome, harsh, wrongful, or unfair to minority shareholders. This can include actions that deviate from the corporation’s purpose, violate fair dealing standards, or harm the interests of minority shareholders. 

A buyout is a resolution to a partnership or shareholder dispute where one or more parties purchase the others’ shares in the business. Buyouts should address existing buy-sell agreements, ownership positions, liability minimization, representations and warranties, and valuation.