Single Trigger Acceleration

Single Trigger Acceleration is a vesting provision under which some or all unvested equity accelerates upon a single specified event, most commonly a change in control, without requiring a termination of employment. In M&A negotiations, Single Trigger Acceleration can affect retention planning and purchase price allocation, and Single Trigger Acceleration terms are often debated relative to double-trigger acceleration as a more buyer-friendly alternative.

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Ryan Roberts Startup Lawyer
Ryan Roberts is a startup lawyer with more than two decades of experience advising on venture financings and M&A transactions totaling more than $1 billion. He is the author of the Amazon bestselling startup law book Acceleration.