Business Contract Lawyers help companies to establish the paperwork they need to build a successful business by minimising risk and protecting their interests should things go wrong.
It is absolutely vital to have written agreements in place to both exploit the benefit of your commercial arrangements and to protect your business if a dispute arises.
This page offers some useful advice on:
Why commercial agreements are important
What makes a bad commercial agreement?
Types of commercial agreements
How Lanyon Bowdler can help
Written commercial agreements are not just important, they are absolutely crucial!
The main purpose of written agreements is to provide a clear framework to govern a particular commercial transaction or relationship - whether that is with your customers and suppliers, co-partners, co-shareholders or your funders.
A written agreement can also be used to allocate any risks from the trading relationship of the parties to a particular contract. A party to whom a specific risk is allocated by the contract may seek protection against it by insurance.
A well-drafted contract will seek to minimise the risks falling on you and direct as many of them as possible on to the other party to the contract. That said, a well-drafted contract will not be excessively one-sided to avoid being commercially damaging to your trading relationships and reputation.
Vague or uncertain agreements may not be a contract at all. Even if it is a legally binding contract, any uncertainty may lead to disputes and potentially costly litigation.
Uncertainty within a contract commonly arises for two reasons.
Firstly, disputes may arise if the law on a particular subject is unclear. A well-drafted contract will seek to avoid this legal uncertainty by including express provisions to minimise the scope of application of uncertain legal rules.
Secondly, disputes may arise if the language of the contract is unclear. The contract should be drafted in clear terms to avoid disputes, especially because a contract term which is unclear may be construed against the party relying on it.
As you might expect, there are a huge range of commercial agreement types, but some of the more common ones our legal specialists advise on include:
Commercial Agreements
Supply contracts
Website terms and conditions
Computer and IT contracts
Trading documentation, including standard terms and conditions for sale or purchase
Distribution and agency agreements
Franchise agreements
Services and outsourcing agreements
Confidentiality agreements
Bespoke commercial agreements
Joint venture agreements
Data protection
Licences, assignments, development agreements and service agreements
Copyright and other intellectual property issues
Public procurement
Partnerships
Limited Liability Partnerships
Partnership agreements and dissolutions
Banking and Security
Banking and finance documents, guarantees and other security documentation.
Company terms and conditions act as a contract between the business and it’s customers. It is a fundamental document that provides the first line of protection against disputes, and should cover issues relating to copyright, conditions of use, limitation of liability, terms of delivery, the refund policy and more. Terms and conditions contracts should be highly specific to your business and up to date with the legislation referenced within them. Our Business Contract Lawyers will take the time to understand your business and the environment in which you operate, so ensure that your terms and conditions document is clear, practical and effective should things go wrong.
Our Commercial Contract Law team can draw up new terms and conditions or review and amend existing Ts and Cs for businesses throughout Shropshire, Herefordshire, Mid Wales and North Wales.
Our commercial law specialists are leaders in their field, and can advise on all aspects of company and partnership law, including domestic and international supply of goods and services.
As a firm, Lanyon Bowdler prides itself on being able to provide speedy, practical and accurate advice, while ensuring it is commercially realistic for your business. We have:
An understanding of business practices and of the practical implications of the law for those practices
A knowledge of the substantive law
A keen understanding of the business needs of our clients
We support businesses of all sizes in all sectors with their commercial contracts.
Whether you’re a small new business or a larger established company, we can provide robust legal advice that’s commercially focused – allowing you to concentrate on achieving your business objectives without worrying about legal issues.
We offer a range of pricing options to suit the needs of your business whatever stage of the lifecycle you are at, so talk to our commercial lawyers today.
The Legal 500 has for many years recommended Lanyon Bowdler for corporate and commercial services in the West Midlands and is recognised by the 2024 edition as a Tier Three firm and states: 'Underpinned by strong cross-office collaboration, Lanyon Bowdler’s ‘knowledge, advice, and expertise’ makes them a key port of call for a host of corporate clients.'
Some client testimonials:
‘The service provided by Lanyon Bowdler is excellent. Their team are knowledgeable and friendly, and produce work in a timely manner.’
‘Creative, responsive, knowledgeable, experienced, and a great help in negotiations. Focused on the big picture rather than getting bogged down in legal nuances.’
‘London firm quality in a regional practice.’
You can click on the links to the left of this page for more information about the team, and you might like to sign up for our free quarterly newsletter.
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Give us a call or complete our online enquiry form, to see how our Business Lawyers can help. We have offices in Shrewsbury, Bromyard, Conwy, Hereford, Ludlow, Oswestry and Telford, so are able to act for clients all over Shropshire, Herefordshire, Mid and North Wales and across the Midlands.
We have one of the most well recognised teams of business lawyers in Shropshire, Herefordshire, Mid and North Wales, Birmingham and the Midlands. We offer a wide range of pricing options including fixed fees and service level guarantees.
As a leading national law firm, we regularly act for clients all over the UK on all manner of commercial contract law issues. We can represent you wherever you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
For more information about how we can advise you on all areas of commercial law, speak to our experts today.
Please contact us by phone or use the online enquiry form and a member of the team will get back to you.