Business & Commercial Law Solicitors — England & Wales
Every business dispute, transaction, and structural decision has legal consequences. A commercial solicitor identifies them before they become problems — and resolves them when they do.
Commercial law covers the full range of legal issues that arise in running and growing a business — contract disputes, debt recovery, shareholder and partnership disputes, commercial property, intellectual property, mergers and acquisitions, employment law for employers, and the documentation that underpins every commercial relationship. A solicitor with commercial expertise will advise on the legal risk in transactions, enforce the rights your contracts give you, and resolve disputes at the lowest cost and in the shortest time possible.
Services
Business and commercial law — the matters we advise on.
Choose your area below for specific legal advice on your commercial matter — the issues involved, the options available, and what a solicitor will do to protect your position.
Contract Disputes
Breach of contract, disputed performance, interpretation disputes, and enforcement of contractual rights.
Learn more →Debt Recovery
Recovering unpaid invoices and commercial debts — letter before action through to county court and enforcement.
Learn more →Shareholder Disputes
Unfair prejudice petitions, deadlock between shareholders, and disputes over the company's direction and value.
Learn more →Commercial Leases
Negotiating, reviewing, and terminating commercial leases — dilapidations, break clauses, and lease renewals.
Learn more →Partnership Disputes
Disputes between partners — dissolution, profit-sharing, fiduciary duties, and LLP member disputes.
Learn more →Intellectual Property
Trade mark registration and infringement, copyright, passing off, and confidential information disputes.
Learn more →Business Sale & Purchase
Asset and share sales, due diligence, warranties and indemnities, and post-completion claims.
Learn more →Company Formation
Setting up the right structure — limited company, LLP, articles of association, and shareholders' agreements.
Learn more →Employment Advice for Employers
Contracts, disciplinary procedures, settlement agreements, and defence of employment tribunal claims.
Learn more →Terms & Conditions Drafting
Bespoke T&Cs that protect the business — payment terms, limitation of liability, and dispute resolution.
Learn more →Business Licences & Permits
Obtaining and defending licences — premises licences, food business, HMO, SRA and FCA authorisation.
Learn more →Why Commercial Legal Advice Matters
The commercial risks that solicitors resolve — before and after they become disputes.
Contracts that actually protect you
A contract that does not clearly allocate risk, exclude liability, or specify what happens on breach is a contract that favours the other party in a dispute. A commercial solicitor will draft or review contracts to ensure the payment terms, delivery obligations, termination rights, liability caps, and dispute resolution mechanisms work in your favour — before the relationship begins, not after it has broken down.
Recovering money owed to the business
Unpaid invoices and commercial debts are the most common commercial legal dispute. A solicitor will issue a letter before action (required by the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims), issue county court proceedings for undisputed debts, and enforce judgment by attachment of earnings, third-party debt order, charging order, or bailiff. Speed of action and procedural compliance are the difference between recovering the debt and writing it off.
Shareholder and director disputes
Disputes between shareholders — over the direction of the business, the distribution of profits, the valuation of shares, or the conduct of a co-director — are among the most damaging disputes a business can face. A solicitor will identify the legal options — unfair prejudice petition, derivative claim, or negotiated buyout — and move quickly to protect the client's position before the business suffers irreversible damage.
Protecting intellectual property
A business's trade marks, brands, designs, and confidential information are commercial assets — and losing them to a competitor through infringement or misappropriation is a commercial loss. A solicitor will register and enforce trade marks, pursue copyright infringement claims, issue injunctions to prevent passing off, and pursue breach of confidence claims where a former employee or partner has misused proprietary information.
Business transactions — buying and selling
Buying or selling a business carries significant legal risk on both sides — warranty and indemnity claims, undisclosed liabilities, restrictive covenants, and TUPE obligations all require careful management. A solicitor will manage the due diligence process, negotiate the terms of the sale agreement, and ensure that representations and warranties are drafted to protect the buyer — or, on the seller's side, limited to reduce post-completion exposure.
Employment — the employer's side
Employers face claims in the Employment Tribunal for unfair dismissal, discrimination, whistleblowing, and holiday pay — regardless of whether the dismissal or the treatment was procedurally flawed or deliberate. A solicitor will advise on the correct dismissal procedure, draft a settlement agreement that provides a clean break, and defend the business in tribunal proceedings where a claim is made — ensuring that any tactical settlement is made from a position of strength, not weakness.