Under California law, a “general release” of claims releases the parties from all mutual obligations and all known claims. The language of § 1542 notably states that a general release does not extend to unknown or suspected claims. This means that if one party violated an agreement, but the other party does not find out about the violation until after the agreement has been dissolved, the injured party can still bring a claim and file a lawsuit.

A buy-sell agreement, buy-out agreement or a business prenup, is typically a contract that specifies how a partner’s share of an enterprise will be reassigned if he or she happens to pass away or dispense themselves from the company. Buy-sell agreements are commonly used for closed corporations and partnerships but may be used for other types of companies as well.