Business Contracts

We work on the areas the exposure to risk is greatest.

• We step in to manage the process of review, negotiation or resolution of problems. You can tap in as and when required.
• Experience extends to a variety of commercial contracts including termination of a contract, partnership agreements, agency arrangements and the specialist agreements used in sectors such as the creative sector.
• We can look at broader issues such as tax and applicability to IR35 consultants and contractors.
• Many of our clients have moved to us from larger firms for better value for money.

Commercial Contract Review

We step in and act as your double check. The performance obligations should be suitable for your side of the business agreement. It is easy with everything else going on to overlook:

• Who is to do what?;
• Where, how and when will the contract be performed?;
• Timescales;
• When will payment be made;
• What happens if payment is late or not made?
• How will disagreement  be dealt with to avoid court?

We find out what your bargaining position is and respond accordingly.  A good contract takes into consideration future obligations and provides for the changing nature of business.

Buyer beware

A basic rule of UK commercial law is buyer beware. Parties to a business agreement are expected to know what they are negotiating and to understand the implications of the contract. We can deal with concerns.

What was the intention of the parties?

When interpreting a particular term or obligation in a business agreement, the starting point is to ask contractual parties what their intention was. The next step is to interpret in accordance with conventional use and to review in the backdrop of the whole business agreement. This requires not only an understanding on rules on legal interpretation, but also commercial knowledge to draft or argue either way – this is where we assist.

Good contracts avoid disputes

Different terms and obligations will have different implications to the parties, depending on the market and intended use within the contract.  We have a strong team here to resolve business disputes and avoid litigation.

In our experience although they may not admit it initially most business people want to avoid going to court as they know how expensive that can be.  In the vast majority of cases by being sharp, pragmatic and realistic we keep our clients out of court.