Executive Service Agreement (UK) by Seedsummit
The Seedsummit Executive Service Agreement is a comprehensive service agreement between a company registered in England and Wales and a senior executive. The agreement details the rights and obligations of parties, covering key terms such as job and duties, remuneration, holiday entitlement, termination, confidentiality, and intellectual property, providing the company with protections such as non-solicitation and non-compete provisions.
Seedsummit Notice:
The content and documents on the website have been prepared for informational purposes only and are not legal advice. Transmission of the information is not intended to create, and receipt does not constitute an attorney-client relationship. Audience should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel. The information contained herein is provided only as general information which may or may not reflect the most current legal developments. This information is not provided in the course of an attorney-client relationship and nor intended to constitute legal advice or to substitute for obtaining legal advice from an attorney licensed in your region.
SERVICE AGREEMENT
DATED [effective date]
(1) [company name] and (2) [executive name]
THIS AGREEMENT is made [effective date].
BETWEEN
1 [company name], a company incorporated in England (company number [company number]) whose registered office is at [registered office] (the "Company"); and
2 [executive name], of [executive address] (the “Executive").
The Board have approved the terms of this Agreement under which the Executive is to be employed.
INTERPRETATION
In this Agreement the following words and expressions have the following meanings unless inconsistent with the context:
"Applicable IPRS": any Intellectual Property Rights in any Materials or Inventions, other than any Employment IPRs or Employment Inventions, which have been discovered made or created by the Executive and may affect or relate to, or be capable of being used or adapted for use in connection with, the business of the Company or any Group Company;
"Articles": means the articles of association of the Company and any Group Company;
"Board": means the board of directors from time to time of the Company and includes any committee of the board of directors duly appointed by it;
"Companies Acts": means the Companies Act 1985, the Companies Act 1989 and the Companies Act 2006;
"Employment": means the Executive's employment under this Agreement;
"Employment Inventions": means any Invention which: a) is made wholly or partially by the Executive at any time during the course of their normal duties pursuant to their employment with the Company; b) arises out of any duties (other than normal duties) which are specifically assigned to the Executive; or c) arises out of any special obligation on the Executive to further the interests of the Company pursuant to clause 16.1, in each case whether or not during working hours or using Company premises or resources;
"Employment IPRs": means Intellectual Property Rights in any Materials created by the Executive in the course of their employment with the Company (whether or not during working hours or using Company premises or resources);
"ERA": means the Employment Rights Act 1996;
This is a preview. The full template is free on GitLaw.
5.0 out of 5 on Google
Read reviewsAs seen in
About this template
What is this template?
This is a comprehensive employment contract for senior leaders that functions as a section 1 written statement under the ERA. It contains specific provisions for statutory director duties under the Companies Act 2006 and a power of attorney for the company to execute intellectual property documents. It is not a standard fixed-term consultancy agreement or a simple junior-level employment letter.
When should you use it?
Use this document when appointing a statutory director or a C-suite executive to a UK company where the role involves significant R&D or access to trade secrets. If the individual is a temporary external consultant rather than a permanent employee, use a Consultancy Agreement instead.
What's inside
| Clause | Name | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | PROBATION PERIOD | Specifies a trial period during which either party may terminate the employment by providing a shorter notice period defined in Clause 3.1. |
| 4.1 | DURATION | Sets the commencement date and requires a specific number of months' notice in writing for termination by either party. |
| 7.1 | REMUNERATION | Obliges the Company to pay a basic salary in equal monthly instalments in arrears on the last working day of each month. |
| 11.1 | INCAPACITY | Entitles the Executive to basic salary for a maximum period of absence defined in Clause 11.1 during any rolling 12-month period. |
| 14 | CONFIDENTIALITY | Prohibits the Executive from disclosing trade secrets or customer contact details both during and indefinitely after the term of employment. |
| 16 | INVENTIONS AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS | Assigns all Intellectual Property Rights in Employment Inventions to the Company and waives moral rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988. |
| 18.1 | TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT | Permits the Company to dismiss the Executive without notice for gross misconduct, bankruptcy, or loss of UK work eligibility. |
| 21 | POST TERMINATION OBLIGATIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE | Imposes non-compete and non-solicitation restrictions for specific periods of months following the termination of the employment relationship. |
Who it's for
- a company incorporated in England hiring a director who must comply with Sections 171-177 of the Companies Act 2006
- an employer requiring a present assignment of future intellectual property rights and waiver of moral rights from a senior hire
- a UK firm implementing garden leave and post-termination non-compete restrictions against a departing executive
- an organization needing a contract that qualifies as a section 1 written statement under the Employment Rights Act 1996
How long it runs and how it's signed
Law it's drafted under
England & Wales note
This version is drafted for England & Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland differ on some points — for example notice periods and tribunal procedure. Tell GitLaw where you hire and it adjusts the draft.
Frequently asked questions
A template isn't binding on its own - like any contract, it becomes binding once it's properly completed and signed. Templates in our curated library are professionally drafted for US or UK law; review any template before you sign it.
Yes. Chat with GitLaw to edit any section, or make changes directly in the editor.
Yes, read about team plans here.
Describe what you need in the chat and GitLaw will draft it for you.
Templates in our curated library are professionally drafted for US or UK law. The wider library comes from the GitLaw community and public sources - a solid starting point, but check any template fits your situation before you rely on it.
Mostly US and UK law. Some templates use general commercial terms that work across jurisdictions, and many note which law they're written for.
It depends on the situation. Templates work well for routine business agreements. For anything involving significant money, complex IP, employment, or areas you're unsure about, it's worth getting professional advice before you sign. GitLaw provides templates and tools, not legal advice.
Open any template in GitLaw and describe the change you want in the chat — 'make clause 4 mutual' or 'add a 30-day notice period', for example. GitLaw drafts the revised language and shows it as a suggested edit. You accept, reject, or keep editing from there.
Yes. Upload a Word, PDF, or Markdown file and GitLaw will open it in the editor. You can review, edit, or chat with GitLaw about it the same way you would with any template from the library.
Trusted by 5,000+ businesses
From template to signed, in one place
Every template opens in an editor with an AI agent alongside it.
Open
Pick a template and open it. Nothing to download, and no credit card to start.
Free to open
Edit with AI
Describe your situation in chat and the agent adapts the wording, clause by clause.
Tracked changes you can review
Send and sign
Share it for negotiation, then collect signatures without leaving GitLaw.
eSign included
Built for your legal work,
with practicing lawyers
Trained on 5,500+ clauses and specialist areas of law. Built with a standards committee of independent lawyers.
As seen in
Ready to get started?
No sales calls, no credit card. Just chat with GitLaw.
GitLaw provides templates and tools, not legal advice. Templates are a starting point, not a substitute for advice on your situation - for anything significant, speak to a qualified lawyer.