Corporate & Commercial Law

Corporate & Commercial Solicitors

The majority of company owners aspire to sell up when the time is right, but knowing when is the right time and managing the process can be daunting. Often it will be the culmination of a life’s work, so it is important that you have lawyers who are not only fluent in the law, but who also understand your business and your industry. 

Sills & Betteridge has one of the leading corporate departments in the East Midlands. Our experience advising businesses from diverse industries and sectors means that we are able to give not only excellent advice on the letter of the law, but also practical advice which is tailored to your business.

If you are a company owner looking to sell up, a key concern will be how you can continue to effectively operate your business whilst trying to wade through the mountains of questions raised by a potential buyer. Confidentiality is a central issue. We pride ourselves on the service we give our clients, project managing the transaction through the exchange of information, ensuring compliance with GDPR, and negotiating terms of sale which protect you from claims in the future.

Similarly, if your company is growing and you are looking at acquiring another business, you will need to be alert to the seller’s aspirations, but there will also be opportunities in the terms that you are able to negotiate. Our team of experienced lawyers will focus on those aspects of the deal which are fundamental to you and your business. 

All too often other corporate lawyers lose sight of what is important and fail to appreciate the subtleties of business in a particular sector. We are committed to understanding your business and your priorities and to ensuring a smooth transaction. Our expertise with both large and small enterprises, from owner-managed businesses to listed companies, means that we can tailor our legal advice to your specific needs and offer you the most appropriate, efficient and cost-effective solutions. We offer advice on commercial law to clients at a local, national, and international level.

Whilst company sales and purchases represent a substantial part of our day to day work, equally important is regulating the effective operation of a business from early on in its life.  If you are in business with others, particularly if you are in business with family, it is essential that you are clear about your aspirations from day one. It is frequently the case that the default position under company law does not deal with, or in some cases runs contrary to, the intentions of the shareholders of a company. That is why you need a shareholders agreement. Shareholders who are in dispute about how a company should be run or when to sell up can see the business itself paralysed with no decisions being made. At its worst, the business will fail entirely and personal relationships, often with family members, can be left irreparably damaged. These issues can be easily avoided by agreeing a shareholders agreement before any disagreements arise.

Matters we can help you with include:

  • asset sales and acquisitions
  • banking and finance
  • charities, clubs and associations
  • company reconstructions and insolvency
  • company re-organisations
  • incorporations and business start-ups
  • joint venture arrangements
  • partnership agreements
  • share sales and acquisitions
  • shareholders agreements
  • directors duties

We can also provide a range of corporate support services:

To find out more please contact us via the conact form on this page.

Click Here to download a PDF of some of our recent deals.

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