Whether you are starting, buying, managing or selling a business, and looking for legal advice or representation, our Business & Commercial Law specialists are here to help you. We offer practical legal solutions to individuals, small businesses and SMEs.

Setting up or buying a business is a very exciting process and your start will without doubt impact on the future of your business. That is why it is very important to make the right start. Taking the right legal advice at the start of your business can help you ensure prevention of future problems before they occur, which will help you avoid risks and save money that you would need to spend on fixing the problems.

We offer legal advice and representation in all aspects of Business & Commercial Law including:

• Business Structure: The structure of your business will be vital to its success as you start up and expand. Should you trade in your own name or through a limited company, for example? If you are going into business with others, you need to make sure you get a fair return for your effort, so you might need a shareholders’ agreement or partnership arrangement. Our specialist solicitors can explain all the different options and advise on the best one for your business – partnership, limited company or limited liability partnership. We can also set up the option you choose for you.
• Business Governance: We can assist with shareholders agreements, advice on corporate governance, documenting company administrations such as drafting minutes of meeting, recording ordinary/special resolutions, etc.
• Your Business Premises: When choosing premises for your business, it is important that you fully understand the terms of the lease. Can the landlord increase the rent? If so, by how much and how often? Will you find yourself paying ever-increasing service charges? Will you need planning permission for a change of use? If you choose to run your business from home, what are the restrictions? We can help you with all these questions.
• Business Contracts - Your Rights and Duties: When buying or selling goods and services, it is vital to know your legal rights and duties. Contract terms are not always easy to understand and in many instances contracts do not include all rights and duties. Some terms are implied by the law, even where your contract does not expressly say anything about them. We can advise you on the terms of your existing contracts or review them. We can also prepare all types of legal contracts including contract for the purchase or sale of businesses, franchise agreements, supply agreements, service agreements, distribution agreements, partnership agreements, and other commercial contracts. We’ll make sure that the contract terms and conditions are suitable for your business now and into the future, and ensure that due diligence standards are met.
• Protecting Your Ideas – Intellectual Property: We can help you manage and enforce your intellectual property rights, including Copyright, trademarks and patents. We can help you with registering designs, patents and trademarks. We will also help you with litigation where needed.
• Franchises: If you are looking to buy into a franchise we can help you go through the franchise agreement and franchisor disclosure documents to make sure that you are aware of all of the issues that could make or break your new business. If you are the franchisor, we can advise you on the process and prepare franchise documentation.
• Commercial Disputes & Litigation: We offer dispute resolution services and business litigation covering a wide range of problems including breach of contract, building and property disputes, copyright infringement, partnership disputes and corporations law.
• Workplace and Employment: We can draw up or review employment contracts and workplace agreements as well as assist with disputes and unfair dismissals.
• Taxation and Finance: We can draft and review guarantees, charges and other securities documentation as well as advise in regard to Capital Gains and Land Tax.
• Business Succession and Asset Protection: You need a plan in place to make sure that your business and personal assets are protected. We can work with your business and family to devise a plan that keeps your hard won assets safe through unit, discretionary and family trusts.

Call us on 0203 940 5959 or e-mail us at info@redstonesolicitors.co.uk to arrange a consultation with one of our experienced legal professionals. Our office is based on Downham Road in Hackney, East London. The surrounding areas include Shoreditch, Islington and the City of London.