Throughout this blog you will see posts that recommend business people enter into a shareholder agreement when they start a corporation with multiple shareholders. But did you know that unless your shareholder agreement states otherwise, your shareholder agreement may only be valid for 10 years pursuant to Iowa corporate law?

Chapter 490.732 of the Iowa Code seems to indicate exactly that (although I have never seen it applied in a case yet). I think this is something that maybe even some of the most experienced corporate attorneys may not realize. So don’t be surprised. You should review your shareholder agreement. If it is more than 10 years old, it may no longer be valid and a new agreement may be necessary.  If the agreement is less than 10 years old it may be a good idea to revise it so there is language indicating the agreement applies for more than 10 years.