From the legal perspective, ending the relationship with a general partner is governed by the management company agreement and the general partner agreement, as well as any other related agreements, such as an employment agreement or the LPA. This legal complexity makes separations difficult and expensive. As a result, the best strategy is to have all parties agree on the separation amicably and have a sense of the terms for the separation before involving legal counsel. The common outcome of a separation is to remove any equity holding of the departing general partner in the management company and to negotiate how to handle any allocated carried interest. It is also important to negotiate any involvement by the departing general partner in ongoing operations, including portfolio support, and what the mutual messaging will be to the different stakeholders, often involving the exact wording.
