What is a lockup agreement?
James Olson
Updated on April 06, 2026
A lock-up agreement is a contractual provision preventing insiders of a company from selling their shares for a specified period of time.
What happens if you don’t sign a lock-up agreement?
A lock-up agreement prohibits company insiders, such as employees and venture capitalists, from selling their shares for a set period of time. Keep in mind that if you don’t sign the lock-up agreement, the company may not be very helpful if you decide to sell your stock.
How long is a lock-up period?
90 to 180 days
An IPO lock-up is period of days, typically 90 to 180 days, after an IPO during which time shares cannot be sold by company insiders. Lock-up periods typically apply to insiders such as a company’s founders, owners, managers, and employees but may also include early investors such as venture capitalists.
What is a lock up fee?
The Lock-Up Fee shall be paid by wire transfer of immediately available funds to an account designated by Holder on the date this Agreement is executed, and shall be deemed fully earned upon receipt. …
What is stock lock up expiration?
An initial public offering (IPO) lock-up period is a caveat outlining a period of time after a company has gone public when major shareholders are prohibited from selling their shares. Lock-up periods usually last between 90 to 180 days. Once the lock-up period ends, most trading restrictions are removed.
Is there any locking period for IPO?
The lock-in period in an IPO begins from the date of allotment in the proposed public issue of shares and the end date is taken as three years from the date of allotment. The entire pre-issue capital held by all others also remains locked in for a period of one year from the date of allotment in the IPO.
Do you have to have a lock up agreement?
In other cases, the agreement will have a staggered lock-up structure in which different classes of insiders are locked out for different periods of time. Although federal law does not require companies to employ lock-up periods, they may nevertheless be required under states’ blue sky laws.
When do insiders get locked out of an agreement?
Sometimes, all insiders will be “locked out” for the same period of time. In other cases, the agreement will have a staggered lock-up structure in which different classes of insiders are locked out for different periods of time.
What happens at the end of a lock out agreement?
In addition, while the seller is, of course, bound not to entertain higher offers during the lock-out period, there is no agreement to sell to the buyer at the end of the lock out agreement. The seller could just allow the period to lapse, refuse to sign the contract, and then proceed to sell at a higher price to a subsequent buyer.
What happens to digital HKCO shares during lock up?
Ownership. During the Lock-Up Period, Digital HKco’s Shareholder shall retain all rights of ownership in all Lock-Up Shares except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, the Share Exchange Agreement, or the Voting Agreement as defined therein. 3. Company and Transfer Agent; Legends.