Business Legal Services
Agency Agreements
Get your products and services into new markets or territories with the legal protection of a professionally drafted agency agreement.
Intelligent and focused business expansion is the key to success in challenging marketing conditions. Agents are one means of getting your product into new markets without the overhead of a new office or retail presence. Develop an agency strategy for your business, lead by our expert commercial solicitors.
Experts in commercial law
In addition to drafting, negotiating and reviewing agency agreements, our team can assist you across all areas of commercial law, including:
Expand your business with an expertly drafted agency agreement
Our team of commercial contract solicitors can support you as an agent or supplier with:
Advice on agency agreements and the right route for your business, whether that’s an exclusive agreement, a sole agency agreement or a non-exclusive agreement.
Defining the parameters of your agency agreements ensuring they detail the rights and obligations of both parties.
Advice on Commercial Agents Regulations 1993 and UK and EU competition law so you are aware of how the regulations and law apply to your business model and your agreements.
Reviewing and redrafting existing agency agreements to ensure that they remain fit for purpose and consistent with your strategy.
Drafting your agency agreements to ensure your business is legally protected.
Advice on exiting the agreement.
Dispute resolution services if there is a dispute over the terms of the agreement.
Essentials of agency agreements
Agency agreements are regulated by the Commercial Agents Regulations 1993 and competition law, so they need to be tightly drafted to avoid legal pitfalls. Working with you to understand your business goals, we’ll help you answer the following questions when drafting your agreement to ensure you get the best possible commercial benefits:
- Is the territory in your agency agreement clearly defined? And which jurisdictions are covered by the Regulations (or by equivalent regulations)?
- Is the agency agreement legally binding and do the contents fall foul of Commercial Agent Regulations or competition law?
- What will be the duration of the agency agreement?
- What are the requirements regarding payments to the agent?
- Are the terms of the agreement clear or could terms be implied under common law?
- What is the mechanism for ending the agreement?
- If there is a dispute with an agent does the agreement cover how the dispute will be resolved?
- Can the terms of the agency agreement be varied by the parties? If so, how?
How an agency agreement will help your business develop
Expand your business with legal protection in place
With the right legal support and agency agreement in place, your third-party agents can help get your product into new markets to increase your economies of scale and market reach.
Create new revenue streams
Generate additional revenue with an agency agreement to move into new territories. With a carefully drafted agreement in place your business could quickly and economically develop.
No need to increase overheads
Access new markets without the cost of hiring new staff and without hours of your time spent searching for the right team. With an agent in place there’s no need to significantly increase your overheads but you retain control of your business and its expansion.
Who we help: From bold start-ups to high growth SMEs
We support a wide range of ambitious entrepreneurial clients and growing businesses keen to expand their offering and explore cost-effective solutions to do so. We aim to make legal support more accessible for start-ups and scale-ups, ensuring that you’re able to work with experienced solicitors to move your business forward. This is all made possible by our legal subscription plans, with which you can access legal support from as little as £159 per hour and continue to regularly work with the Harper James team across a range of business legal services.
Finding the right legal partner
Why work with Harper James
Choose a legal partner you can trust: we’ll help protect your goals, your business and your people so you can move forward with confidence and focus on growing your business.
Affordable, transparent and predictable pricing
Clear itemised invoices, subscription plans with up to 50% discount, and fixed fee products help you plan and manage legal spend – with no nasty surprises.
Proven track record and measurable results
We’ve supported over 8,000 businesses since 2014, with an ‘Excellent’ rating on Trustpilot and a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 60+ from monthly client surveys.
Straight-talking, responsive advice
We’re here to make things easier, not add complexity. That means fast response times, practical expert legal advice delivered in plain English, and dedicated client service and account management support.
Risk and compliance assured
We’re an SRA regulated firm, but more importantly, we build quality, data, and compliance best practice into everything we do.
Appointing a legal partner is a big decision. That’s why we’re open about our values, culture and model, so you can see what makes us tick. And because a productive partnership starts with understanding, we always begin with a conversation – listening to your goals, pressures and plans, then tailoring our support to fit.
Testimonials
What our clients say
Why choose Harper James Solicitors?
We can assist with the expansion and increased profitability of your business through carefully drawn up agreements. Our commercial solicitors have a wealth of experience and business acumen in successful commercial strategy and in identifying your potential business expansion routes, whether that’s through an agency agreement, a sale and distribution agreement, or otherwise. Working with your business we’ll ensure it is legally protected with the right agreements are in place.
Our solicitors have worked at partner level in top 100 firms or in house at major international businesses, and have considerable experience supporting businesses across each stage in their growth. Find out more about the commercial team here:
Top ranked SME focused firm
"Harper James is a one-stop shop for anything legal. It has excellent breadth, with experience on a large number of deals and multiple departments for different legal areas."
Chambers and Partners 2026
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 £239 per month, with £159 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 33% discount on our Standard Rates.
