We specialise in acting for entrepreneurs, owner managed businesses (OMBs) and investors. We advise in relation to corporate transactions, banking, financing, commercial contracts and on all aspects of running and growing a business in the UK. Our lawyers combine strong technical expertise with a track record in delivering flexible and creative solutions for our clients.
Much of our advice is for early stage companies and startups in the technology and media sectors or for those investing in such entities. We host and sponsor Angel Academe, an award-winning network of angel investors whose members are mainly women, and which primarily invests in UK businesses led by women.
We also work closely with our Real Estate team to advise those investing in or developing commercial property on all of their financing, banking and related security issues.
STARTUP INVESTMENTS
We act for startup companies, as well as for those VCs, angel syndicates and individual angels making investments. We have particular experience of acting for founders: not only in terms of guiding them through the investment process, but also in resolving problems which may have arisen in earlier rounds. Read more about how we help startups.
TECHNOLOGY
We have many years of experience of advising on the legal issues which arise from running a technology business. Our advice may be of a general nature, or you may wish us to draft or comment upon technology agreements. Our aim is always to protect your rights and to allow you to realise the maximum value from your technology assets. Read more about how we advise technology businesses.
BANKING AND FINANCE
Our banking and financing advice is primarily to entrepreneurs, owner managed businesses and funds on the borrower side, though we also advise a number of smaller banks. We also advise on any related security, and in relation to acquisition finance, the leveraged loan market, and development/real estate finance. Read more about how we can advise on banking and finance.
CORPORATE TRANSACTIONS
On the corporate law side, we advise on angel/VC/private equity investments, mergers & acquisitions, re-organisations, shareholder agreements and listings on junior stock markets in the UK (NEX and AIM). Much of our work relates to the technology and media sectors, although we also advise businesses operating in real estate, sport, fashion, travel, publishing and engineering. Read more about our corporate transaction services.
COMMERCIAL AND CONTRACTUAL
We will support you with commercial advice on all aspects of running your business and on your relationships with customers and suppliers, and we can draft all those contracts which you require. In particular, we advise on intellectual property, branding, data protection, agency and distribution arrangements, sponsorship, and franchising. Read more about how our commercial advice may assist you.
SETTING UP YOUR COMPANY OR LLP
We will help you to take the necessary steps to establish your business in the UK, whether you wish to set up a new venture or expand an overseas operation. Our business services teams work closely with other specialists to take care of all your initial and ongoing legal and operational needs, allowing you to focus on selling your products or services. Read more about how we can help you set up your company or LLP.
OUR RECENT WORK
- Advising an angel investor on an investment into a book discovery app (November 2020)
- Drafting a software licence agreement for a catastrophe modelling platform (November 2020)
- Advising a financial data business on a £700k investment from angel investors (November 2020)
- £11m acquisition financing for a UK borrower in connection with the acquisition of a logistics asset in the UK (November 2020)
- Advising on the acquisition of an insurance company based in the US (October 2020)
- Advising the administrators of a UK based audio distribution company on the disposal of certain company assets (October 2020)
- £23m refinance with a high street lender for a Guernsey incorporated limited partnership structure in respect of a portfolio of 200 properties (October 2020);
- Advising the sellers of an edtech startup on the sale of the business (October 2020)
- Drafting and negotiating a licence agreement for the developers of a video game based on a classic board game (October 2020)
- Advising a startup specialising in workload management solutions on the exit of a founder (October 2020)
- Advising a venture capital company on a £1.2m investment into a deep tech startup (September 2020)
- Advising on the adoption of an EMI and unapproved scheme by a start up in the clean energy space (September 2020)
- Advising the founders on the sale of a accountancy business (September 2020)
- Advising a software as a service startup on the subscription terms of its mobile platform for the construction sector (September 2020)
- Advising a digital games company on a reduction of capital (August 2020)
- Advising a smart city as a service technology firm on the terms of a public sector contract for the supply of smart street furniture (August 2020).
- £113m financing of a super prime residential property and aircraft for an offshore structure ultimately owned by a Ultra High Net Worth Family (July 2020)
- Advising a family office on its £45m purchase of an Isle of Man-incorporated SPV, holding a commercial property in Central London (July 2020)
- Advising a supplier on the terms of a public sector contract for the purchase of PPE goods (June 2020)
- Drafting a manufacturing agreement for the production of PPE goods for a supplier (June 2020)
- Drafting licensing terms for a supplier of online content moderation software (June 2020)
- Advising a high profile sportsman on an ongoing basis on various endorsement and sponsorship agreements, including those relating to:
- An agreement with a production company relating to a proposed documentary on the sportsman (July 2020);
- An image rights agreement with a luxury watch brand (September 2020)