- People
- Expertise
Our expertise
We are a team of more than 500 professionals, with the depth of experience which makes us genuine experts in our fields. Together, gunnercooke’s people have strength across just about every corporate discipline and sector. We provide legal, commercial and strategic advice that delivers real value to the clients we work with, which span from multinational enterprises through to unicorns and non-for-profit organisations. Our breadth of expertise covers some of the most interesting and important emerging disciplines, from ESG and charity law, to blockchain and competition.
Search by practice areaDispute ResolutionDispute Resolution OverviewMeet the Dispute Resolution TeamIntellectual Property DisputesFinancial Services & FinTech OverviewProceeds of CrimeEmployment TribunalTax InvestigationProperty Dispute ResolutionInsolvency DisputesMediationCivil Fraud & Asset TracingHealth & SafetyBusiness Crime & InvestigationsLitigation & ArbitrationInternational Arbitration - International
International Offices
gunnercooke has 12 offices globally including the UK, Scotland, US, Germany and CEE, with further plans for growth in the coming years. These offices enhance the existing in-house capability of our dedicated international teams and dual-qualified experts that cover China and Hong Kong, Spain, France, Italy, Brazil and Portugal. Our team has experience working across 101 different countries, speaking 30 languages and are dual-qualified in 15 jurisdictions. Our expertise means we can offer large teams to carry out complex cross-border matters for major international clients.
- Our story
Our story
gunnercooke is the fastest growing corporate law firm in the UK, now making its mark globally. We comprise a rapidly growing number of experts spanning legal and other disciplines. Clients benefit from flexible options on fees to suit their needs, access to a wider network of senior experts throughout the relationship, and legal advice which is complemented by an understanding of the commercial aspects of running a business.
- Reading Room
- News & Insights
What does the EMI share scheme really mean?
May 30, 2022
For UK start-ups, these are the most flexible, suitable, and beneficial employee share schemes. You grant options to your employees. And they can receive and exercise share
options free of:
- Income Tax and
- National Insurance
And when they sell their shares, an employee pays potentially only 10% in tax on the difference between:
- The set share price at which they received the options and
- The actual market value of the shares
What are the features?
- You issue options for employees to buy shares, not shares themselves.
- Generous £250K limit of options per employee and £3m for the company.
- Your company must be independent with gross assets of less than £30m and less than 250 employees. It also excludes certain sectors such as financial services or property development.
- Allows your company to set conditions based on time, profit or sales targets or anticipating an early exit.
- Different conditions can apply to target key employees.
- The class of shares is highly flexible.
What support can gunnercooke offer?
Amongst others we can help you decide if your company qualifies, how you might issue shares to your employees, where required we can work with you and your accountants and of course draft all legal documentation.
To speak with us regarding EMI schemes or any other form of employee share scheme, please contact Simon Williams ([email protected]) or Alex Connah ([email protected])
