Harper James is a modern, full-service UK commercial law firm for ambitious businesses, from start-ups and scale-ups to established companies. Advising on the laws of England and Wales, our experienced senior lawyers combine practical commercial judgement with flexible support that adapts as your business develops.
Your legal priorities change as your business moves from idea to investment, from first hires to international expansion, and from growth to exit. Harper James gives you access to coordinated expertise across business law, so you can address immediate matters while keeping sight of the decisions ahead.
Whether you are protecting a new idea, putting contracts and policies in place, handling a dispute or preparing for an acquisition, our lawyers focus on what the issue means for your business. We explain the options, trade-offs, risks, costs and practical next steps in clear language.
Businesses at the earliest stage can find support with:
When your foundations are in place, our lawyers can help with director duties, shareholder agreements, commercial contracts, employment matters, data protection, premises and the policies needed to support responsible growth. Explore guidance for getting started when your business is building its operating structure.
Harper James has more than 80 lawyers, with an average of 17 years' post-qualification experience. Our full-service model brings together corporate, commercial, employment, intellectual property, data protection, disputes, commercial property, construction, financial services regulation and other specialist areas through one firm.
That breadth matters when legal issues connect. A funding round can involve corporate structure, employee incentives, intellectual property, commercial contracts and tax-related considerations. An acquisition may require due diligence across employment, data, property and customer agreements. Our lawyers coordinate around your commercial objectives, rather than treating each issue in isolation.
Every business has different legal needs, which is why Harper James offers three service plans. Engage provides project-based or ad hoc support for a defined matter, without a subscription commitment. Enable is a 12-month subscription for start-ups and smaller businesses seeking ongoing access to legal support. Extend provides managed annual support for businesses with more frequent or complex needs, with dedicated account management and a curated team of experienced lawyers.
The right arrangement depends on the nature, frequency and complexity of your work. You do not need to move through the plans in a fixed sequence. Whether you need a focused contract review, recurring employment advice or an outsourced legal function alongside your in-house team, scope and charging arrangements are agreed around the work required.
Legal advice is most useful when it connects directly to the business decision in front of you. Our lawyers consider your objectives, timing, risk appetite, commercial relationships and budget alongside the legal position, so you can make informed choices with a clear understanding of the trade-offs.
For growing businesses, that can mean preparing for investment, negotiating a SaaS agreement, protecting a trade mark, managing a data protection obligation or responding to a supplier dispute. For established companies, it may mean coordinating a transaction, supporting a board, managing workforce change or strengthening legal capacity during a period of expansion.
Scaling often brings a more complex workforce, new markets, additional funding requirements and greater contractual responsibility. Harper James supports businesses with employment contracts and policies, employee share schemes, business immigration, commercial agreements, licensing, intellectual property, data protection and regulatory matters.
When acquisition, internationalisation or additional funding is on the horizon, our corporate lawyers can work with specialists across the firm to coordinate due diligence, transaction documents, negotiations and implementation. See the support available for scaling up.
Some legal requirements benefit from a defined scope and clear deliverables. Harper James offers fixed-fee and fixed-scope products including:
These products sit alongside broader legal support, giving you a focused way to address a particular requirement while retaining access to wider commercial expertise when your needs develop.
In-house legal teams need the right capacity at the right time. Harper James can provide additional support for defined projects through Engage, or coordinated ongoing assistance through Extend. Your team retains oversight while our lawyers contribute specialist expertise, additional resource and practical input on connected legal matters.
For businesses without an in-house legal function, our service plans provide a relationship that develops with the business. Continuity means your legal advisers build an understanding of your priorities, processes and risk appetite, reducing the need to explain the same context each time a new issue arises.
Harper James is remote-first and technology-enabled, with a head office in Birmingham and regional spaces in Cardiff, Cambridge, London, Manchester, Oxford, Sheffield and Southampton. Face-to-face meetings are available by arrangement, while technology and dedicated business services reduce routine administration and allow lawyers to focus on judgement and client service.
Technology supports our lawyers, it does not replace their responsibility for advice. Harper Assist and other tools help reduce routine work while experienced lawyers remain accountable for understanding your circumstances and applying the law to your commercial objectives.
Since 2014, Harper James has supported more than 8,000 businesses. The firm was founded by Toby Harper and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, SRA number 612099. Harper James is ranked Band 1 for SME-focused Firms UK-wide in the Chambers UK 2026 and 2027 guides, and Band 1 for SME-focused Firms in the Midlands in the 2027 guide.
Our clients include founder-led businesses, regulated organisations, innovation-led companies, international businesses establishing UK operations and larger companies working with in-house legal teams. Their needs vary, but the focus remains consistent: experienced lawyers, clear scope, practical advice and better value from legal spend.
From the big idea to investment, expansion, dispute resolution or exit, Harper James brings senior legal expertise together with flexible ways of working. Our lawyers help you understand the legal position, prioritise the work that matters and take the next practical step with confidence.
Discover more from the Harper James team through our latest insights, or explore how a service plan can fit the way your business operates. With Harper James, your legal support can develop as your business does.