Assignment of Partnership Interest Agreement

November 28, 2022

An assignment of partnership interest agreement occurs when a partner sells their stake in a partnership to a third party. The assignment document records the details of the transfer to the new partner. The new partner will receive the business partnership’s benefits and obligations (including profits and losses) in exchange for compensation to the previous partner.

An assignment of partnership interest agreement is a type of business structure in which two or more people or entities own and operate a business. When one owner sells their stake in the partnership to a third party, an assignment of partnership interest records the transaction to the new partner. The assignment of partnership interest involves two parties: the assignor or the partner transferring their stake and the assignee, the new partner. The document that details the transaction needs to include the following information:

  • Information about the partnership like the name of the business
  • The type of interest being transferred
  • The names and information of both the assignor and the assignee
  • Information about the remaining partners

 

Members of an assignment of partnership interest agreement often need to transfer some or all of their stake to a new partner. Doing so can be a delicate process because it affects the partnership as a whole, not just the seller and the buyer. To make the transaction as transparent as possible and to satisfy potential requirements in the partnership articles, the transfer should be recorded in an assignment of partnership interest agreement. As the document’s name implies, its successful execution transfers a portion of the interest in the partnership from a current partner to a new partner.

The assignment of partnership interest agreement definition is a portion of the common law that is in charge of transferring the rights of an individual or party to another person or party. Moreover, the assignment of partnership interest agreement is often seen in real estate but can occur in other contexts as well. An assignment is just the contractual transfer of benefits that will accrue or have accrued. Obligations don’t transfer with the benefits of an assignment. The assignor will always keep the obligations.

What is an assignment of partnership interest agreement?

The assignment of partnership interest agreement is a legal document establishing the terms under which stake in a partnership is transferred from an assignor to an assignee. In other words, the new partner (assignee) acquired the right to receive benefits from the partnership per stake granted.

The particulars of the assignment of partnership interest agreement respond, in large part, to the type of partnership in question. In some case, the assignment of the partnership agreement under which the partnership is formed doesn’t allow for a transfer of interest to new members or does so only under specific circumstances. It is also worth noting that a partnership carries both rights and responsibilities. A new partner who receives an interest in the partnership assumes all the assignment of partnership interest agreement obligations. Nonetheless, some states place limitations on assignees’ rights that don’t recognize them on equal footing as the founding partners.

An assignment of partnership interest agreement occurs when one party to an existing contract (the “assignor”) hand off the contract’s obligations and benefits to another party (the “assignee”). Ideally, the assignor wants the assignee to step into his shoes and assume all of his contractual obligations and rights. In order to do that, the other party to the contract must be properly notified. Read on to learn how assignments work, including how to keep an assignment option out of your contract.

What is a partnership?

A partnership is a type of business organization where two or more individuals or business entities operate a business with the goal of making a profit. Each partner typically has rights and obligations enforced by a Partnership Agreement including liabilities and rights to profits of the business.

Who are the parties in an assignment of partnership interest agreement?

There are two parties in the assignment of partnership interest agreement: assignor and assignee. The assignor is the business partner who is transferring their rights in the partnership in exchange for compensation. The assignee is a new partner who purchases the previous partner’s interest in the partnership.

Do other partners have a say in who buys the interest in a partnership?

If there is an assignment of partnership interest agreement in place the answer is most likely, yes. An assignment of partnership interest agreement governing the activities of the partnership and conduct of the partners will often place some restrictions on the nature of the interest which may be acquired.

For example, the transferring partner might be limited to transferring only their economic interests and rights which would prevent the recipient of transferred interest from becoming a full partner (with voting rights and managerial input) by assignment alone. Full admission to the partnership would be decided by the remaining partners based on the terms of the assignment of partnership interest agreement.

The category of assignee is something else the partnership might have good reason for restricting. For example, federal tax audit rules introduced in 2018 mean that partnerships will be treated as taxable entities if one or more of the partners is itself a partnership, a trust, or an LLC. To avoid such tax consequences, and preserve individual tax treatment for the partners, the partnership agreement might prohibit assignments of partnership interest may be sold to any such business entity.

How is an assignment of partnership interest under an assignment of partnership interest agreement created?

To create an assignment of partnership interest under an assignment of partnership interest agreement, there should be a drafted document that records the transfer of rights and benefits from one partner to another and the exchange of compensation.

The partnership interest document under the assignment of partnership interest agreement should include:

  • Type of interest: either full partnership interest or limited to the economic rights in distribution
  • Partnership information: partnership name (e.g., Smith and Associates), establishment date, and purpose
  • Assignor details: name, address, and type of party (individual or business entity) of the partner transferring rights and benefits to a new partner
  • Assignee details: name, address, and type of party of the new partner receiving rights and benefits of the assignor
  • Remaining partner details (if applicable): name, address, and type of party of other partners still part of the partnership
  • Consideration details: a description of the price and agreed value to be exchanged for interest in the partnership (e.g., a monetary value or shares in stock)
  • Signing details: witness signatures (if applicable), party signatures, and the signing date

Common sections in assignment of partnership interest agreements

Below is a list of common sections included in assignment of partnership interest agreement. These sections are linked to the below sample agreement for you to explore.

  • Assignment of Partnership Interest
  • Consideration
  • Agreement to be Bound
  • Consent
  • Title
  • Authority
  • Registration of Partnership Interests
  • Representations and Warranties of Assignee
  • Binding Effect
  • Severability
  • Counterparts
  • Governing Law

Security agreement under assignment of partnership interest agreement

A part of contract law that is responsible for financial transactions is a security agreement which is often under the assignment of partnership interest agreement. These are also called a secured transaction and include a grantor that promises collateral to the grantee. In contract law, the security under the assignment of partnership interest agreement doesn’t cover actual real estate or land. Instead, this agreement covers stock, vehicle, livestock, or another type of personal property. In a security agreement under the assignment of partnership interest agreement, in the case where a grantee already has the collateral, the grantor can verbally acquire the transaction.

However, it’s preferred to have a security agreement under the assignment of partnership interest agreement that is written down instead of having a verbal agreement, just in case there’s a disagreement among the parties. Both a security agreement and an assignment may apply to a variety of property rights.

Example of using assignment of partnership interest agreement and security agreements in property rights

As an example, the assignment of partnership interest agreement may cover the promise to use stocks as collateral or to transfer the rights of stock investments. It may also be possible for the agreements to include properties that are less tangible. The assignment of partnership interest agreement may apply to creative rights, such as film production or written works. If it is a case of creative rights, any benefits often include future revenue that may be earned from the distribution or sale of said works.

Assistance from an attorney regarding an assignment of partnership interest agreement

You may want to hire an attorney to help you draft a security agreement, legal assignment, and assignment of partnership interest agreement. There are other services that you might want to use that don’t cost as much but will still help you draft your contracts. The following are ways to save money while drafting a contract:

  • Buy software with a template that creates security agreements and assignments.
  • Buy a generic contract form at the bookstore.
  • Buy a book with advice.
  • Unless your background includes knowing particular legal knowledge about security agreements and assignments, you’ll want to talk to an attorney before you use any contract forms that are self-generated. Both security agreements and assignments are complicated areas of contract law.

Lease under assignment of partnership interest agreement

An agent is someone who is licensed by the state where a property is established to aid in real-estate transactions such as leases, assignments, and property sales. An agent is usually either an attorney, sales agent, or real estate broker. The tenant from the initial lease is the assignor, and he transfers his whole interest to another person. The assignee obtains the lease interest from the assignor or original tenant and will become the new tenant.

Consideration is what the assignor gets from the assignee for transferring the lease interest to the assignee. The consideration is often a certain amount of money. Interests that other people hold are encumbrances, and they can affect the title and possibly the possession and use of the property by the assignee and the assignor.

If the property in question is a residential unit that’s above a commercial property, the lease is considered to be a residential one, even though the property is in a commercial building. The governing law is that of the jurisdiction in which the property is located, no matter what jurisdiction the landlord, assignee, and assignor reside in. The assignee is allowed to receive a copy of the master lease. The assignor can either give the assignee a copy directly or include the copy with the lease assignment.

If the assignor isn’t liable for the assignee’s conduct, the landlord will need to go after the assignee if he or she causes property damage. However, if the assignor has liability for the conduct of the assignee, the landlord may then ask for compensation from both the assignee and assignor should the assignee cause any damage to the property.

How an assignment of partnership interest agreement works

How an assignment of partnership interest agreement plays out depends on many factors, especially the language of the contract. Some contracts may contain a clause prohibiting assignment; other contracts may require the other party to consent to the assignment.

Here’s an example of a basic assignment of partnership interest agreement: Tom contracts with a dairy to deliver a bottle of half-and-half to Tom’s house every day. The dairy assigns Tom’s contract to another dairy, and–provided Tom is notified of the change and continues to get his daily half-and-half–his contract is now with the new dairy.

An assignment of partnership interest agreement doesn’t always relieve the assignor of liability. Some contracts may include a guarantee that, regardless of an assignment, the original parties (or one of them) guarantees performance (that is, that the assignee will fulfill the terms of the contract).

When assignment of partnership interest agreement will not be enforced

An assignment of partnership interest agreement will not be enforced in the following situations. The contract prohibits assignment. Contract language, typically referred to as an anti-assignment clause, can prohibit (and “void”) any assignments. We provide a sample, below.

The assignment of partnership interest agreement materially alters what’s expected under the contract

If the assignment of partnership interest agreement affects the performance due under the contract, decreases the value or return anticipated, or increases the risks for the other party to the contract (the party who is not assigning contractual rights), courts are unlikely to enforce the arrangement. For instance, if Tom’s local, organic dairy assigned the contract to a factory farm dairy, this would be considered a material alteration.

The assignment of partnership interest agreement violates the law or public policy

Some laws limit or prohibit assignments. For example, many states prohibit the assignment of future wages by an employee, and the federal government prohibits the assignment of certain claims against the government. Other assignments, though not prohibited by a statute, may violate public policy. For example, personal injury claims cannot be assigned because doing so may encourage litigation.

Delegation or assignment of partnership interest agreement

In some cases, a party may not wish to assign the contract but only to get somebody else to fulfill its duties. Obviously, not all duties can be delegated–for example, some personal services are usually not delegated because they are so specific in nature. For example, if you hired Ted Nugent to perform at your event, he could not arbitrarily delegate his performing duties to Lady Gaga. To prohibit one party from delegating the responsibilities of the contract, the parties should include specific language to that effect in the agreement. For example, an anti-assignment clause might state, “Neither party shall assign or delegate its rights.”

Steps in the creation of an assignment of partnership interest agreement

There are three steps to follow if you want to assign a contract.

Step 1: Examine the assignment of partnership interest agreement for any limitations or prohibitions. Check for anti-assignment clauses. Sometimes the prohibition is not a separate clause but is included in another provision. Look for language that states, “This agreement may not be assigned.” If you find such language, you may not be able to assign the agreement unless the other party consents.

Step 2: Execute an assignment of partnership interest agreement. If you are not prohibited from assigning the contract, prepare and enter into an assignment of contract: an agreement that transfers the parties’ rights and obligations.

Step 3: Provide notice to the obligor. After you have assigned your contract rights to the assignee, you should provide notice to the other original contracting party (referred to as the obligor). This notice will effectively relieve you of any liability under the contract, unless the contract says differently (for instance, if the contracts says that the assignor guarantees the performance of the assigned contract or the contract prohibits an assignment) or the assignment is prohibited by law.

Anti-assignment clauses

If you’re making a contract and you don’t want assignment to be an option, you need to clearly state that in your agreement. Below are three variations of anti-assignment clauses that can be used in a contract.

Example 1: Consent required for assignment of partnership interest agreement

Assignment. Neither party may assign or delegate its rights or obligations pursuant to this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other. Any assignment or delegation in violation of this section shall be void.

Example 2: Consent not needed for affiliates or new owners

Assignment. Neither party may assign or delegate its rights or obligations pursuant to this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other. However, no consent is required for an assignment that occurs (a) to an entity in which the transferring party owns more than 50% of the assets, or (b) as part of a transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the transferring party to any party. Any assignment or delegation in violation of this section shall be void.

Example 3: Consent not unreasonably withheld

Assignment. Neither party may assign or delegate its rights or obligations pursuant to this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other. Such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. Any assignment or delegation in violation of this section shall be void.

Anti-assignment clauses can also be modified to prohibit only one of the parties from assigning rights. Also, when preparing an anti-assignment clause, keep in mind that you can prevent only “voluntary” assignments; you cannot prevent assignments that are ordered by a court or that are mandatory under law–for example, in a bankruptcy proceeding.

Examples of assignment of partnership interest agreement

Assignment of partnership interest agreements is great tools for contract parties to use when they wish to transfer their commitments to a third party. Here are some examples of contract assignments to help you better understand them:

Anna signs a contract with a local trash company that entitles her to have her trash picked up twice a week. A year later, the trash company transferred her contract to a new trash service provider. This contract assignment effectively makes Anna’s contract now with the new service provider.

Hasina enters a contract with a national phone company for cell phone service. The company goes into bankruptcy and needs to close its doors but decides to transfer all current contracts to another provider who agrees to honor the same rates and level of service. The contract assignment is completed, and Hasina now has a contract with the new phone company as a result.

Assignment of partnership interest agreements in real estate

Assignment of partnership interest agreement is also used in real estate to make money without going the well-known routes of buying and flipping houses. When real estate LLC investors use an assignment of contract, they can make money off properties without ever actually buying them by instead opting to transfer real estate contracts. This process is called real estate wholesaling.

Real estate wholesaling under assignment of partnership interest agreement

Real estate wholesaling consists of locating deals on houses that you don’t plan to buy but instead plan to enter a contract to reassign the house to another buyer and pocket the profit. The process is simple: real estate wholesalers negotiate purchase contracts with sellers. Then, they present these contracts to buyers who pay them an assignment fee for transferring the contract.

This process works because a real estate purchase agreement does not come with the obligation to buy a property. Instead, it sets forth certain purchasing parameters that must be fulfilled by the buyer of the property. In a nutshell, whoever signs the purchase contract has the right to buy the property, but those rights can usually be transferred by means of an assignment of contract.

This means that as long as the buyer who’s involved in the assignment of contract agrees with the purchasing terms, they can legally take over the contract. But how do real estate wholesalers find these properties?

It is easier than you might think. Here are a few examples of ways that wholesalers find cheap houses to turn a profit on:

  • Direct mailers
  • Billboards
  • Place newspaper ads
  • Make posts in online forums
  • Social media posts

The key to finding the perfect home for an assignment of partnership interest agreement is to locate sellers that are looking to get rid of their properties quickly. This might be a family who is looking to relocate for a job opportunity or someone who needs to make repairs on a home but can’t afford it. Either way, the quicker the wholesaler can close the deal, the better.

Once a property is located, wholesalers immediately go to work getting the details ironed out about how the sale will work. Transparency is key when it comes to wholesaling. This means that when a wholesaler intends to use an assignment of contract to transfer the rights to buy to another person, they are always upfront about during the preliminary phases of the sale.

In addition to this practice just being good business, it makes sure the process goes as smoothly as possible later down the line. Wholesalers are clear in their intent and make sure buyers know that the contract could be transferred to another buyer before the closing date arrives.

After their offer is accepted and warranties are determined, wholesalers move to complete a title search. Title searches ensure that sellers have the right to enter into a purchase agreement on the property. They do this by searching for any outstanding tax payments, liens, or other roadblocks that could prevent the sale from going through. Wholesalers also often work with experienced real estate lawyers who ensure that all of the legal paperwork is forthcoming and will stand up in court. Lawyers can also assist in the contract negotiation process if needed but often don’t come in until the final stages. If the title search comes back clear and the real estate lawyer gives the green light, the wholesaler will immediately move to locate an entity to transfer the rights to buy.

One of the most attractive advantages of real estate wholesaling is that very little money is needed to get started. The process of finding a seller, negotiating a price, and performing a title search is an extremely cheap process that almost anyone can do.

On the other hand, it is not always a positive experience. It can be hard for wholesalers to find sellers who will agree to sell their homes for less than the market value. Even when they do, there is always a chance that the transferred buyer will back out of the sale, which leaves wholesalers obligated to either purchase the property themselves or scramble to find a new person to complete an assignment of contract with.

Who handles assignment of contract?

The best person to handle an assignment of partnership interest agreement is an attorney. Since these are detailed legal documents that deal with thousands of dollars, it is never a bad idea to have a professional on your side.

Sample of an assignment of partnership interest agreement

This assignment agreement (this “Assignment Agreement”) is entered into as of [—], 2013, by and between Newcastle Investment Corp., a Maryland corporation (the “Assignor”), and New Media Investment Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Assignee”). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to them in that certain Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of June 28, 2013 (as it may be amended in accordance with its terms, the “Stock Purchase Agreement”), by and among Dow Jones Ventures VII, Inc. (“Seller”), Dow Jones Local Media Group, Inc. (the “Company”), the Assignor, and, solely with respect to its obligations under Sections 7.3, 7.7, 7.13, 7.14, 9.2, 9.3 and 10.2 of the Stock Purchase Agreement, Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

WHEREAS, the Assignor wishes to transfer and assign to the Assignee all of the Assignor’s rights and interests in and to, and obligations under, the Stock Purchase Agreement, and the Assignee wishes to be the assignee and transferee of such rights, interests and obligations;

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 12.11 of the Stock Purchase Agreement, the Assignor may not assign any of its rights, interests or obligations under the Stock Purchase Agreement, directly or indirectly (by operation of Law or otherwise), without the prior written approval of Seller; and

WHEREAS, on September [—], 2013, Seller provided its written approval to the assignment by the Assignor of all of its rights, interests and obligations in the Stock Purchase Agreement to the Assignee.

NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, do hereby agree as follows:

  1. Assignment and Assumption. The Assignor hereby transfers and assigns to the Assignee, and the Assignee hereby acquires from the Assignor all of the Assignor’s rights, and interests in and to the Stock Purchase Agreement, of whatever kind or nature, and the Assignee hereby assumes and agrees to perform all obligations, duties, liabilities and commitments of the Assignor under the Stock Purchase Agreement, of whatever kind or nature.
  2. Retention of Obligations. Notwithstanding anything in this Assignment Agreement to the contrary, the Assignor shall remain obligated, as a principal and not a guarantor, to Seller with respect to all of the Assignor’s obligations, duties, liabilities and commitments under the Stock Purchase Agreement, of whatever kind or nature.
  3. Effectiveness. This Assignment Agreement shall be effective as of the date set first set forth above.
  4. Governing Law; Binding Effect. This Assignment Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware applicable to contracts made and performed in such state without giving effect to the choice of law principles of such state that would require or permit the application of the laws of another jurisdiction.
  5. Counterparts. This Assignment Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, including facsimile counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original copy of this Assignment Agreement, and all of which, when taken together, shall be deemed to constitute one and the same agreement. Delivery of such counterparts by facsimile or electronic mail (in PDF or .tiff format) shall be deemed effective as manual delivery.

References

https://www.rocketlawyer.com/business-and-contracts/business-operations/contract-management/document/assignment-agreement

https://www.contractscounsel.com/b/assignment-of-contract

https://eforms.com/assignment/

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1579684/000119312513435497/d603516dex1031.htm

https://www.upcounsel.com/assignment-agreement-definition#:~:text=The%20assignment%20agreement%20definition%20is%20a%20portion%20of%20the%20common,in%20other%20contexts%20as%20well.

https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/assignment-of-contract-basics-32643.html

https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title50/chapter2.1/section50-73.45/

https://www.lawinsider.com/clause/assignment-of-partnership-interests

https://law.justia.com/codes/indiana/2012/title23/article16/chapter8

https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXV/Chapter109/Section40

https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwid3qm5_M77AhXFDAYAHdCHAKEYABAAGgJ3cw&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESbeD2va9R09-GFddnmxxSa88fkzjuwje7mEvH-KyXlO68Nbaa90Eqy-QERilf7ySpZDCcfxA1VL60uPf2F3D1UIHs3fVe0tW5zYTyGpF1RnMu56nsB0RT5oqcCklDtbGWwcDXyq2vL30PkEwoOuw&sig=AOD64_248HONbK5J6wiDGdS78kDPSqOTcw&q&adurl&ved=2ahUKEwj8yaO5_M77AhWvT6QEHaqsBA0Q0Qx6BAgIEAE

 

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