How We Can Help
How Can We Help Your Start-up or Established Business?
We believe that businesses (both small and large) need legal advice in corporate and fundraising transactions that is both highly skilled and draws upon a deep pool of experience based on similar transactions and circumstances. This may not be immediately evident when starting out in business, as there are many offerings that say they can provide you with all of the “standard” documents you need to start or continue a business at a very low price.
Specialist Advice
Over the years, we have acted for many clients who have lived to regret their decision to simply use off the shelf documents to establish their business or to bring in a major investor.
For example, when there is a desire by a new strategic investor to control the business, or a major disagreement between founding shareholders, it will often be found that a “standard” constitution, shareholders agreement or other funding agreement does not provide the necessary detail to resolve the problems that can arise.
Sometimes these businesses fail or end upon in expensive and protracted litigation because the framework under which they have been established does not adequately cover the issue.
It is very important to also take into account the complexities of the regulatory environment in which the business operates and fundraising transactions occur.
For example, many start-up and early stage businesses do not realise that the things they are doing may be affected by laws regulating financial services and investments or that the regulation which applies to their company when raising capital may be affected by how many shareholders or other investors they have.
Tailored Advice
We provide you with tailored advice and documents which take into account your particular circumstances both now and for the future. Whilst it is not always possible to forsee every circumstance that may arise in the future, our work for clients is designed as far as possible to stand the test of time and allow future issues and transactions to proceed more smoothly than they otherwise might have.
Traditionally, this type of legal advice has only been available through the experienced partners and teams of lawyers at a larger national or international law firm. However, advances in technology mean that a smaller firm, with the right skills and depth of practical experience, can provide the legal advice you need whilst being aligned more closely on price and working with you to deliver the practical outcomes you need in the timeframes required.
Independent
We are independent and so it is less likely that you will find your lawyers have a conflict that means you need to change lawyers due to a conflict with another client of the firm. If you have experienced this in the past, you will know how disruptive it can be and we would welcome a conversation with you.
With a small number of senior lawyers leading our firm, we can generally partner with you over the longer term and be there when you need us, even if some time has elapsed since the last work we did for you. We are also prepared to discuss retainer arrangements for ongoing general advice, in the right circumstances.