# Trust Deed, Partnership Agreement, SPA — key corporate documents > Documents that run an international structure beyond incorporation files: trust deeds, partnership agreements and SPAs — why family offices rely on them. Author: Мария Плотникова — юрист, Family Office (https://wiki.private.law/authors/plotnikova) Last modified: 2026-06-04T06:10:00.000Z Canonical: https://wiki.private.law/en/corporate-documents Topics: structures Jurisdictions: global Functional tags: corp-docs, trust, custom-consultation Semantic tags: corp-docs, trust, custom-consultation --- Lawyer, Family Office --- ## Concept When servicing an international structure, situations regularly arise that require not a standard set of corporate registration documents but more sophisticated corporate instruments: a trust deed for wealth planning, a partnership agreement between two or more parties in a joint venture, or a share purchase agreement (SPA) for an investor's entry or exit. These documents are governed by general common law principles and can be prepared for jurisdictions where private.law operates — the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Dominica, Gibraltar. This article reviews the most common types of corporate documents, their purpose, and our role in their preparation. Basic-level templates have been created by our firm and are used as a starting point; adaptation to a specific transaction is always individual. ## Trust Deed A Trust Deed is a document that establishes a trust: a legal structure in which one party (settlor) transfers assets to another party (trustee) for management in the interest of third parties (beneficiaries). Used in wealth planning for: - Protecting family capital from succession risks - Structuring inheritance for multiple generations - Managing assets on behalf of children or relatives with limited capacity - Concealing ultimate beneficiaries for compliance purposes (with UBO disclosure where applicable) Jurisdictions where we operate:Hong Kong, Gibraltar, United Kingdom, Commonwealth of Dominica. > 💡 We have a ready-made Trust Deed template in three variants: discretionary, fixed-interest, charitable. The template has been tested in multiple jurisdictions and is adapted to specific transactions with a timeline of 2–3 weeks. ## Partnership Agreement A Partnership Agreement governs the relationship between two or more parties conducting joint business. The document defines: - Ownership structure and profit distribution - Decision-making mechanism (single sign-off, majority, super-majority on which matters) - Terms for partner entry and exit (drag-along, tag-along, ROFR) - Vesting conditions for founder shares - Dispute resolution provisions and arbitration jurisdiction Applied for: - Joint Ventures between two companies - Investment partnerships for specific deals - Family business structures with multiple generations - Professional partnerships (law firms, consulting, funds) Jurisdictions:United Kingdom, Hong Kong. > 💡 The Partnership Agreement template is available in English and Russian, with UK-law versions and HK-law versions. Adaptation to specific conditions — 1–2 weeks. ## Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) An SPA is a share purchase agreement. Used for: - Investor entry into a company (Seed, Series A, Bridge round) - Exit of founders or early investors - M&A transactions (acquisition) - Intra-family share transfers The document governs: - Transaction price and its determination mechanism (fixed, earn-out, escrow) - Representations and warranties — what the seller guarantees to the buyer - Conditions precedent — what must occur before closing - Indemnities — compensation for breach of reps - Non-compete and non-solicitation for the seller after exit Jurisdictions:United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Delaware. > 💡 We have an SPA template for common law jurisdictions, tested in dozens of transactions, including investor entries in IT companies and family-business successions. ## Other documents we prepare - Power of Attorney(general or special) — for representation of a company or individual at a bank, registrar, tax authority - Director's Resolution— resolution by a sole director on a specific matter - Shareholders' Agreement— extended version of a Partnership Agreement for a corporate structure with multiple shareholders - Loan Agreement— loan agreement between related and unrelated parties - Service Agreement— service agreement between a company and a contractor/director - Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)— confidentiality agreement ## Document preparation stages 1. Initial discussion— transaction structure, objectives, key terms. 1–2 days. 2. First draft preparation— based on our template with adaptation to the specific case. 1–2 weeks for a standard document, 3–4 weeks for complex. 3. Client review— usually 1–2 iterations. 4. If a counterparty is involved— negotiations between lawyers on specific points. 5. Signing— in person, via DocuSign, or with notarial certification depending on document type and jurisdiction. ## Cost Depends on document type, transaction complexity, and number of iterations: - Standard document(Power of Attorney, Director's Resolution, NDA) — €500–€1,500 - Medium-complexity document(Trust Deed, Partnership Agreement, Loan Agreement) — €3,000–€8,000 - Complex transaction(SPA with rep&warranties, M&A documentation) — €10,000–€50,000 depending on deal size > 💡 Our template base significantly reduces cost and timeframe — if your transaction is structurally similar to one we have already done, customization takes 30–50% of the time. ## Related services - 🇭🇰 Hong Kong company— for corporate transaction wrapper - 📋 Document apostille— for use of documents in other jurisdictions - 🍓 SPV— structure for a separate investment transaction - 📈 Side Letter— for special terms in an investment round --- ## Factual claims - Lawyer, Family Office - This article reviews the most common types of corporate documents, their purpose, and our role in their preparation. - Jurisdictions:United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Delaware.