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Sectors
Manufacturing & Engineering Solicitors
Manufacturing and engineering law
We understand the vast and vital contribution manufacturing and engineering businesses make towards the British economy. Our solicitors partner with clients within these sectors to ensure their interests are protected and their commercial ambitions are achieved.
Our manufacturing and engineering lawyers have an in-depth understanding of these sectors and the needs of businesses. They will take the time to understand what success means to you and determine a strategy to achieve it, collaborating across our commercial law departments to ensure you receive practical, dynamic advice and representation.
We can assist you in all aspects of law related to manufacturing and engineering including drafting, reviewing and/or negotiating commercial contracts, finance and investment, IP protection and infringements, manufacturing and engineering disputes, buying and selling a manufacturing or engineering-based business, commercial property, employment law matters, manufacturing or engineering joint ventures, partnerships or other collaborations, data protection, business immigration sponsor licences, and outsourcing.
As manufacturing and engineering dispute resolution lawyers, we are alive to the fact that often commercial relationships need to be preserved to ensure a project is completed regardless of any dispute. Therefore, we are skilled at achieving resolutions through alternative dispute resolution methods such as negotiation, mediation, and arbitration.
Our offices are in Sheffield, Birmingham, Cambridge, Manchester and London if you require a face-to-face meeting, but we typically work remotely to keep our overheads low which enables us to offer our innovative pricing packages.
Our services to manufacturing & engineering businesses cover
What our manufacturing lawyers do
Our manufacturing and engineering lawyers have the experience, industry knowledge, and commercial acumen required to provide smart, pragmatic legal advice and representation.
Whether you are a start-up or a multi-national corporate, our team can provide you with a complete service in all aspects of commercial, regulatory, commercial property, and dispute resolution for any manufacturing and engineering organisation or projects.
Our team understands that those operating in the manufacturing and engineering sectors are faced with innumerable challenges including squeezed margins, attracting and retaining talent, investment and finance, regulatory compliance, and of course Brexit. We are unique in our ability to deliver cost-effective, quality service to our clients because:
- We specialise in all sectors of commercial law, and our specialist teams will collaborate to ensure you receive expert advice on all your legal matters.
- Our business model allows clients to pay a small monthly amount to us via direct debit, which, in turn, helps them manage cash flow – a critical advantage for most manufacturing and engineering businesses.
When it comes to regulatory compliance, our lawyers are up-to-date with domestic and international laws and conventions that apply to the manufacturing and engineering sector and will proactively advise you on any changes required to ensure your organisation fully complies with its duties and responsibilities. And if a breach occurs, we will be quickly on-hand to recover evidence and investigate the matter and ensure you have a vigorous defence available.
Legal advice for manufacturing and engineering businesses
Our manufacturing and engineering solicitors can advise on a broad range of legal matters varying from simple commercial property agreements to complex international joint ventures. In particular, we can advise you on:
- Industrial products
- Advanced manufacturing
- Food and drink/agribusiness
- Metals
- Chemicals
- Automotive and transport
Testimonials
What our clients say
Harper James provides my small growing business with a scalable, reliable, team-oriented approach to legal advice. Whenever we face a problem, I know that Harper James are there to provide helpful and cost-effective advice, to scope out the options, make clear the costs and risks, and give me the information I need to make decisions.
Bryn Richards
CEO,
Aeristech
As a University spin-out getting the right team of lawyers to support our emerging business was fundamental and the team are always available to provide us with the invaluable guidance and support we require.
David Hodgson
CEO,
Amalyst
The team provide great support throughout the funding process, providing straightforward and clear guidance on the issues to be addressed at each stage. The team was always at hand to make sure that that we understood what needed to be done to reach a successful outcome.
Chris Evans
CEO,
Kobus Services
Twipes really felt as though we were being treated personally, rather than just customers: that is the great Harper James Experience.
Alborz Bozorgi
Co-Founder,
Twipes
Our solicitor Sarah helped us complete a complicated contract with a large multinational ensuring our interests were protected, but got the contract signed in very tight timescales. Sarah was very easy to work with and quickly understood what was important to us and how to effectively present this to our customer.
Mark Webber
MD,
Tinsley Bridge
Mike Key is the only solicitor we use for disputes… Quite simply number one!
Simon Nelson
Director,
Nelson Plant Hire
My colleagues and I have found them to be adept at dealing with the variety of challenges facing early stage companies. They are a trusted source for sound, sensible advice and practical deal management.
Jill Shaw
CEO,
Anvil Semiconductors
Harper James have been fantastic. They always provide quality advice with quick turnarounds and, every time, we're pleasantly surprised when the invoice comes in!
Mark Nicholson
CEO,
Vivacity Labs
Factual, quick responses every time I emailed.
Louise Stevens
Competence Development Manager,
SMT Network
Quite frankly I was stunned at the low cost of the service given the value it provided us.
Dr Matthew Carr
CEO,
Luffy.ai
Harper James never fail to impress with the speed and efficiency of their service, no matter the query. The team are friendly, knowledgeable and always on hand.
Karis Walker
Project Managing Officer,
Thyssenkrupp
Having the Extend plan with Harper James gives us constant access to leading legal experts across the areas of law we need to keep growing our business. I’m convinced no one delivers better service or beatable value.
Paul Hutton
CEO,
Cranfield Aerospace Solutions
Reliable but straightforward legal advice and support. Delivered at a very cost effective price point.
Matthew Dreaper
Director,
Keit Spectrometers
The lawyers and their support team at Harper James are so accessible, down to earth and easy to deal with. They provide practical advice in a user-friendly format and we have the comfort of knowing there isn't a stopwatch ticking in the background racking up a huge bill.
Joanne Crichton
Finance Manager,
Brick Hunter
10/10 Reactive and willing to listen. Ready to adapt to our needs.
Andrea Pisoni
CEO,
Rheality Ltd
Harper James has been the ideal law firm for Paragraf because of the flexibility that’s built into the extend subscription package. With HJ, I have all the legal expertise and answers I need at the end of an email. We have ambitious plans to fulfil, pushing our product lines overseas and bringing graphene electronics to the masses. There’s no better partner to help us get there than Harper James.
Cathy Cranton
Financial Director,
Paragraf
As an extend client with Harper James I like the assurance of having a legal services provider which is there as and when the business needs it.
Will Richardson
CEO,
Wayland Additive
I was searching for affordable legal support, and the subscription service allowed me to access legal support when I didn’t think it would be possible. This way I didn’t have to rely on Google! And it’s really important that businesses get the right advice at the start, so they don’t fall short at a later date
Peter Morris
Founder and Director,
Lockabox
How engaged, knowledgeable and personal HJ lawyers are. They offer pragmatic and practical advise with a quick turnaround.
Barbara Opala
General Counsel,
Norton Motorcycle Co.
Initial discussions and drafting have been excellent. Very good service and very clear competent advice.
Gerad Boyce
Managing Director & Co-Founder ,
Hive Composites Limited
Excellent response times and quality of responses. Our main contact Sarah Gunton has aligned perfectly with our expectations and way of working.
Lee Church
Bid Director,
Oldham Engineering Ltd
Julia Ellis reacted very quickly to our urgent request despite having a busy schedule already. Within 1-2 weeks we had a bespoke agreement to send to our client which has helped us to secure a great deal for the business. We’re happy with the subscription plan we have access to at Harper James and look forward to continuing to work with you.
Charlie Whyman
Managing Director,
Coopatex
Lindsay has acted as our in-house legal counsel for around a decade, helping us in complex international licences and contracts involving IP. Lindsay is the person you want to have at your side as you negotiate a deal, helping you to understand the long-term value points for all parties and providing insight into the other party's positioning that helps to balance the give and take in a negotiation.
Eric Newell
Head of Global Business Development,
Aeristech Ltd
We needed some urgent commercial property advice at the end of 2024 and instructed Harper James to assist. Sam Paxton acted on our behalf and was thankfully able to provide the advice we needed as a priority. Sam was always on hand to turn documents around urgently and/or to discuss any last minute queries. She is a credit to the team and we can highly recommend.
Rupert Winter-Moore
Director,
Zebra Machinery
Sarah was great, turned around the request within the promised timeline and gave considered feedback as part of the issues list we requested.
Kim Petzel
Head of Legal,
Char.gy Limited
Fairly relaxed, which I value. Julia has been excellent.
Nicholas James Devlin
Director,
Fabric Building Physics Ltd
Harper James provides my small growing business with a scalable, reliable, team-oriented approach to legal advice. Whenever we face a problem, I know that Harper James are there to provide helpful and cost-effective advice, to scope out the options, make clear the costs and risks, and give me the information I need to make decisions.
Bryn Richards
CEO,
Aeristech
As a University spin-out getting the right team of lawyers to support our emerging business was fundamental and the team are always available to provide us with the invaluable guidance and support we require.
David Hodgson
CEO,
Amalyst
The team provide great support throughout the funding process, providing straightforward and clear guidance on the issues to be addressed at each stage. The team was always at hand to make sure that that we understood what needed to be done to reach a successful outcome.
Chris Evans
CEO,
Kobus Services
Twipes really felt as though we were being treated personally, rather than just customers: that is the great Harper James Experience.
Alborz Bozorgi
Co-Founder,
Twipes
Our solicitor Sarah helped us complete a complicated contract with a large multinational ensuring our interests were protected, but got the contract signed in very tight timescales. Sarah was very easy to work with and quickly understood what was important to us and how to effectively present this to our customer.
Mark Webber
MD,
Tinsley Bridge
Mike Key is the only solicitor we use for disputes… Quite simply number one!
Simon Nelson
Director,
Nelson Plant Hire
My colleagues and I have found them to be adept at dealing with the variety of challenges facing early stage companies. They are a trusted source for sound, sensible advice and practical deal management.
Jill Shaw
CEO,
Anvil Semiconductors
Harper James have been fantastic. They always provide quality advice with quick turnarounds and, every time, we're pleasantly surprised when the invoice comes in!
Mark Nicholson
CEO,
Vivacity Labs
Factual, quick responses every time I emailed.
Louise Stevens
Competence Development Manager,
SMT Network
Quite frankly I was stunned at the low cost of the service given the value it provided us.
Dr Matthew Carr
CEO,
Luffy.ai
Harper James never fail to impress with the speed and efficiency of their service, no matter the query. The team are friendly, knowledgeable and always on hand.
Karis Walker
Project Managing Officer,
Thyssenkrupp
Having the Extend plan with Harper James gives us constant access to leading legal experts across the areas of law we need to keep growing our business. I’m convinced no one delivers better service or beatable value.
Paul Hutton
CEO,
Cranfield Aerospace Solutions
Reliable but straightforward legal advice and support. Delivered at a very cost effective price point.
Matthew Dreaper
Director,
Keit Spectrometers
The lawyers and their support team at Harper James are so accessible, down to earth and easy to deal with. They provide practical advice in a user-friendly format and we have the comfort of knowing there isn't a stopwatch ticking in the background racking up a huge bill.
Joanne Crichton
Finance Manager,
Brick Hunter
10/10 Reactive and willing to listen. Ready to adapt to our needs.
Andrea Pisoni
CEO,
Rheality Ltd
Harper James has been the ideal law firm for Paragraf because of the flexibility that’s built into the extend subscription package. With HJ, I have all the legal expertise and answers I need at the end of an email. We have ambitious plans to fulfil, pushing our product lines overseas and bringing graphene electronics to the masses. There’s no better partner to help us get there than Harper James.
Cathy Cranton
Financial Director,
Paragraf
As an extend client with Harper James I like the assurance of having a legal services provider which is there as and when the business needs it.
Will Richardson
CEO,
Wayland Additive
I was searching for affordable legal support, and the subscription service allowed me to access legal support when I didn’t think it would be possible. This way I didn’t have to rely on Google! And it’s really important that businesses get the right advice at the start, so they don’t fall short at a later date
Peter Morris
Founder and Director,
Lockabox
How engaged, knowledgeable and personal HJ lawyers are. They offer pragmatic and practical advise with a quick turnaround.
Barbara Opala
General Counsel,
Norton Motorcycle Co.
Initial discussions and drafting have been excellent. Very good service and very clear competent advice.
Gerad Boyce
Managing Director & Co-Founder ,
Hive Composites Limited
Excellent response times and quality of responses. Our main contact Sarah Gunton has aligned perfectly with our expectations and way of working.
Lee Church
Bid Director,
Oldham Engineering Ltd
Julia Ellis reacted very quickly to our urgent request despite having a busy schedule already. Within 1-2 weeks we had a bespoke agreement to send to our client which has helped us to secure a great deal for the business. We’re happy with the subscription plan we have access to at Harper James and look forward to continuing to work with you.
Charlie Whyman
Managing Director,
Coopatex
Lindsay has acted as our in-house legal counsel for around a decade, helping us in complex international licences and contracts involving IP. Lindsay is the person you want to have at your side as you negotiate a deal, helping you to understand the long-term value points for all parties and providing insight into the other party's positioning that helps to balance the give and take in a negotiation.
Eric Newell
Head of Global Business Development,
Aeristech Ltd
We needed some urgent commercial property advice at the end of 2024 and instructed Harper James to assist. Sam Paxton acted on our behalf and was thankfully able to provide the advice we needed as a priority. Sam was always on hand to turn documents around urgently and/or to discuss any last minute queries. She is a credit to the team and we can highly recommend.
Rupert Winter-Moore
Director,
Zebra Machinery
Sarah was great, turned around the request within the promised timeline and gave considered feedback as part of the issues list we requested.
Kim Petzel
Head of Legal,
Char.gy Limited
Fairly relaxed, which I value. Julia has been excellent.
Nicholas James Devlin
Director,
Fabric Building Physics Ltd
Manufacturing solicitors with sector expertise
Our solicitors have all been recruited from top 100 law firms or international businesses and come with a wealth of experience and expertise in all areas of the manufacturing and engineering sector. Because our firm is 100% focused on business law, our team spans several legal practice areas, so whatever legal advice you need, we have a commercial solicitor with manufacturing and engineering experience to deal with it quickly and cost-effectively.
Previous experience with manufacturing and engineering companies include:
- Various agreements for an international advanced fluids and electromechanical engineering client, including drafting supply agreements and reviewing and amending NDAs.
- Advising a steel and metals client, specialising in CNC milling and turning and sheet metal fabrication and engineering, on product liability claims, contracts for company chairman and preparing standard terms of supply and purchase.
- Assisting an international automotive technology client in closing transactions of their investment rounds, advising on IP infringement, referral agreement Cooperation agreement, company documents regarding allocation and issue of options, as well as assisting with employment tribunal proceedings.
- Advising an automotive interior manufacturer on amending powers of attorney, lease renewal of commercial property and dilapidations settlements, and preparing documents for change of directors.
- Advising a leading private mint on range of issues including their B2B agreements, their interactions with governments, national banks and their third party sub-contractors.
- Representing successful defendants (a company and an individual) in a claim against them for £200,000 relating to conversion of industrial machinery.
- Acting for manufacturers of steel castings and forgings in relation to claims and intimated claims about the quality and fitness for purpose of those products; defending and passing on claims.
- Acting for several large UK car dealers, advising on disputes with customers and manufacturers and providing training to dealer principals on handling customer issues and dealing with claims.
- Acting for a large motor dealer against a government department in proceedings in the High Court in England and before the European Court of Justice relating to the potential recovery of £millions of VAT for them and other dealers.
- All types of commercial property transactions throughout the industry.
Pricing and service plans
Legal support designed
to fit your business needs
Our three transparent service plans are designed to give you the widest possible access to high-quality legal advice, whatever the size and nature of your business:
Engage
Flexible access to senior solicitors at highly competitive rates
An alternative to our subscription plans, offering access to full service legal expertise on a project-by-project basis.
Enable
Purpose built legal support for start-ups and smaller businesses
Monthly subscription plan for £219 per month, with £149 monthly credit and access to all legal services at 50% discount on our Standard Rates.
Extend
Comprehensive legal partnership for established businesses
Fully account managed and scalable annual subscription plan with support from a curated team of partners and senior solicitors, with up to 36% discount on our Standard Rates.