- Boston
01205 351114 - Bourne
01778 218001 - Grantham
01476 591550 - Horncastle
01507 522456 - Lincoln
01522 541181 - London
02078 715755 - Newark
01636 673731 - Sleaford
01529 411500 - Spalding
01775 725664 - Stamford
01780 764145
Corporate Solicitors
Chattertons corporate law solicitors provides specialist legal advice to UK businesses, and to overseas investors looking to invest in the UK. Whether you are planning to start a business, invest in an existing business, need help restructuring or with any other aspect of commercial law, we have the experience and expertise you need to achieve your goals while protecting your legal and financial interests.
Our clients come to us because of our strong reputation for providing corporate support that is not only specifically tailored to each client, but which helps clients forge new business connections and identify new opportunities.
Our corporate law solicitors work day in, day out in the commercial world; they understand the markets, the trends, and the pitfalls. And it is this expertise, in addition to legal knowledge, that brings real advantages for our clients.
With decades of experience across our corporate law team, including at leading City law firms, we have the knowledge and skills to ensure you can achieve your commercial objectives smoothly and cost-effectively, protecting both your short-term and long-term interests.
For commercially-minded legal advise for your business, please get in touch with out corporate law solicitors in Grantham or Lincoln by contacting your local Chattertons office or completing our online enquiry form.
Our corporate law services in Lincolnshire
We cover a broad range of corporate law services for a variety of businesses in Lincolnshire and across East England.
Our corporate law expertise includes:
- Buyouts
- Company takeovers
- Corporate finance
- Corporate insolvency
- International Investment Agreements
- Joint ventures
- Mergers, acquisitions and disposals
- Private equity and management
- Restructuring
Our commercial lawyers work with businesses of different shapes and sizes, from small start-ups to multinational PLCs. And we work across all industries and sectors, from professional services, to construction, to retail.
Our focus is in providing corporate advice and support that gets clients to where they want to be; whether that is up and running as a brand new business, in a better financial position thanks to an injection of funding, or under new ownership.
Being a large law firm, we can offer a number of related business services including:
- Employment law
- Property law
- Business immigration
- Business dispute resolution.
By offering this comprehensive business law services, we can provide our corporate clients with a seamless approach to their business and its affairs; one that takes account of a company’s individual characteristics, its personnel, and its way of working. Our business solicitors get to know this – quickly. And because we invest time in getting to understand your organisation as well as you do, you get the best advice on your deal or strategic step.
the uk legal 500
Chattertons Corporate & Commercial team is recommended in the Legal 500 and ranked as a Tier 3 firm within the East Midlands.
WHAT THE LEGAL 500 SAYS ABOUT US?
Often working in conjunction with the firm’s commercial property and employment teams, the ‘pragmatic and business-oriented’ practice at Chattertons is a key contact for agricultural businesses. ’Consummate professional’ Anna Horrell leads the team from Stamford and her caseload encompasses commercial contracts, corporate structuring, and restructuring, as well as M&A. In Lincoln, Stuart Newell advises on constitutional documents, joint ventures, as well as shareholders agreements, and is ‘a very thorough and detailed operator.’
Testimonials
‘Anna Horrell was a consummate professional through the whole of our recent restructuring transactions. She kept us informed and reassured at every significant juncture.'
‘Anna Horrell heads the department and has to be one of the most commercially minded individuals I have come across in the legal sector. I have always been very impressed by her. ’
Clients often ask us...
Should I set up as a sole trader or a limited company?
This really depends on the nature and scale of your business. A sole trader and a limited company are different legal entities, so it is important to choose the right one. The main difference between the two is that a person operating as a sole trader is the business, whereas a director in a limited company has a degree of separation from it. A director in a limited company is, in some but not all situations, protected from personal liability in the event of something going wrong.
There can also be tax advantages of setting up as a limited company, as opposed to a sole trader. But there are also strict requirements when it comes to filing financial and other information, some of which will be accessible to the public. And, while a sole trader owns everything generated by their business, a company director does not - which means that more formal procedures need to be set up for paying a director’s salary.
Our corporate solicitors will be able to advise you on the options, help you make the right decision, and set up your business to operate on the best legal and commercial basis.
How can I make sure that the commercial arrangements I have got in place are the best ones for my business?
Many commercial arrangements are negotiated on start-up and simply continue with very few variations over the years. Our corporate solicitors advocate a different approach. Getting the best agreement in place at the outset is of course important, and it pays to understand your bargaining position and what your business needs. But it is also important to keep terms under regular review.
As corporate solicitors, we understand not just the legal obligations that businesses have but also the commercial scope for agreeing better terms with customers, suppliers, distributors, and contractors. And we work with our clients to audit their commercial agreements, spot where change is needed, and help negotiate more favourable arrangements.
I am worried that our business may not be legally compliant. What should I do?
Speak to one of our commercial solicitors. We have wide-ranging experience in helping businesses comply with the regulatory regimes that apply to them. Our team will review your existing documents and practices, and work with you to ensure that you are doing all you should, in the way that you should be doing it.
We also keep clients updated as relevant areas of corporate law change.
Do you advise directors?
Yes. In collaboration with Chattertons’ Wealth Management division, we advise directors on their business and on their own financial interests and wealth protection.
Should I protect the intellectual property in my business?
A great business concept, a product, a name, or logo can all be valuable assets and you should take steps to protect them, as you would your business premises, equipment, and personnel.
Talk to one of our corporate solicitors. We will advise on the best ways of looking after your intellectual property through trademarks, patents, or registered designs, and on the applicability of automatic protection through copyright, and design right.
We also represent clients who believe that their intellectual property rights have been breached, as well as those alleged to have breached the rights of someone else.
I am going into business with my brother. He says there is no need for a partnership agreement. Is he right?
No. Irrespective of how close your relationship is now, going into business with a family member, or a friend, has the potential to change things - sometimes for the better, but sometimes for the worse. Our corporate solicitors will help put in place the right agreement for your business. Typical terms should cover how the two of you are to make business decisions, how you are to be paid, and what should happen if things do not work out.
By having an agreement in place at the very beginning, you will be getting off on the right footing, creating certainty, and ultimately standing your business in good stead to succeed.
CONTACT OUR CORPORATE LAW SOLICITORS IN LINCOLN & GRANTHAM
If you would like to talk to one of our specialist corporate law solicitors in Grantham or Lincoln, please contact your local Chattertons office or complete our online enquiry form.