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Business Legal Services
Service Agreements
Create certainty and protect your business with a bespoke services agreement.
Whether you are a service provider or recipient, create the foundations for a long-term and fruitful commercial arrangement by putting in place a fully comprehensive market standard service agreement with clear terms and adequate protections.
Experts in commercial law
In addition to drafting, negotiating and reviewing service agreements, our team can assist you across all areas of commercial law, including:
Ensuring your service provider arrangements deliver protection and reassurance
Our team of commercial solicitors can support you with:
Advice about the issues which require consideration in service provider arrangements.
Changes in the law which may affect your service provider arrangements.
Cross-border service agreements and advice on how to document the terms correctly in all relevant jurisdictions to ensure enforceability.
Drafting a service agreement ensuring that all key and market standard terms are included clearly and correctly.
Dispute resolution in the event of a disagreement between the parties.
Insurance requirements in connection with the service agreement.
IP to provide clarity on any relevant IP ownership.
Legal wording so that you fully understand the service agreement’s terms and your resulting obligations.
Limitation of liability under the terms of the service agreement.
Market practice to ensure that your service provider arrangements are competitive.
Remuneration terms set out in the service agreement.
Restrictive covenants and their enforceability protecting your business, customer-base and personnel.
Negotiations of the terms of the service agreement, including limitations of liability and restrictive covenants.
Regulatory and statutory issues which may be specific to your business sector or the services being provided.
Tax issues which may potentially arise in certain situations, such as with IR35.
TUPE and the possibility of it arising under your service agreement.
Drafting and negotiating a robust service agreement
A comprehensive service agreement covers a myriad of issues and terms which may not have been initially discussed, or even considered, by the parties. Statute and common law, not to mention regulatory compliance requirements, may also affect a party’s position. Taking legal advice on your arrangements and putting in place a well-drafted service agreement at the start of your commercial relationship is more likely to result in a long-term, successful business relationship for both parties, creating certainty and reassurance for the future.
We will work with you to ensure that all key terms of the arrangement are clearly documented and agreed:
- Has the scope of the services been clearly and fully set out? What is the position if the services provided are not adequate? Who decides what constitutes ‘adequate’?
- What are each party’s obligations? Does either party have an obligation to provide any equipment?
- Can the services or terms of the service agreement be amended in any way and if so, how?
- How will payment be made and when? What is the position if payment is late?
- What are your options if a dispute arises?
- For what period will the services be provided? Is this an ongoing relationship or a specific project?
- How can the arrangements be terminated? What are the notice provisions? Can the service agreement be terminated without notice in certain situations?
- Does the service agreement include adequate protections from the poaching or solicitation of your staff or customers? Are these protections enforceable?
- Have pertinent confidentiality terms been included?
- Does either party have an obligation to take out a particular type of insurance? Are there minimum cover requirements?
- Has ownership of any IP been clearly established?
- Who bears liability under the service agreement? Is liability to be limited in anyway?
- Could TUPE arise if there is a change of service provider or if the arrangement ends in a certain way?
- Could data protection issues apply?
- What statutory and regulatory obligations apply?
- Are any warranties or indemnities to be provided?
- Do the boilerplate provisions make sense and complement the other provisions of the service agreement?
- Can the service provider sub-contract the services to a third party?
What are the benefits of a carefully drafted service agreement?
Build business relationships
Entering into successful commercial relationships with other businesses can open doors and lead to further contacts.
Ensure certainty in your service provider arrangements
Putting in place a written service agreement enables all terms to be discussed and agreed at the outset so that each party fully understands the terms of their ongoing relationship.
Reduce the risk of dispute
Having a written document to hand can prevent disputes from arising in the first place or may help to resolve disputes amicably if a sensible and practical dispute resolution procedure is included.
Create efficient workflows, saving time and money
Appointing a service provider with expertise in a particular area ensures that your business can focus on doing what it does best without having to train or recruit specialist individuals or acquire specialist equipment.
Protect your business
A well-drafted service agreement will include restrictive covenants, confidentiality provisions, limitation of liability wording and processes for a breach of terms, all of which help to protect your business and your customer-base.
Who we help: UK businesses throughout their lifecycle
With clients ranging from start-ups through to multi-national businesses, we advise many companies throughout their lifecycle across the full spectrum of sectors.
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
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
For us, the support of Harper James Solicitors has been a gift. The collaboration we have had has been of tremendous importance. The service has been superb value for money.
Iraklis Bourantas
COO,
Novoville
As soon as I contacted them, and explained the support I required, they were responsive, on the case and quickly got a grasp of what I required.
John Heard
Founder,
Wild Cycles
It's been a breath of fresh air to work with Harper James Solicitors. It's like having my own in-house counsel, but at a fraction of the cost. It's an invaluable service for any small business.
Jo Evershed
CEO,
Cauldron Science
The feedback and communication is always helpful and clear. Our contact Stephen Pearne has been really helpful in providing feedback on service provider contracts and agreements that we have needed.
Laura Vanstone
Business Change Manager,
Borderfree Trade Ltd
Knowing that we have Harper James to help us through complex situations and difficult negotiations is very reassuring. Sarah knows our business inside out and we can rely on her to provide clear and timely commercial advice.
And on the odd occasion that we’ve needed help through a dispute, Ian Carson has always stepped in and dealt with the situation before it gets out of hand.
Nick Thompson
CEO,
One Beyond
Really happy- would especially single out the work of David Sant who is an exceptional and pragmatic lawyer.
Aela Callan
Co-founder,
Head Set Studio Limited
The team at Harper James has got to know our business over 3 years and is super responsive, adaptable and versatile to our needs. The lawyers are helpful and just really nice people who we’ve come to trust.
Aela Callan
Co-founder,
Head Set Studio 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
A very positive experience where Kevin really dug in to the detail of our commercial offer and ensured it was documented robustly in the contract
Jonathan Pearce
Chief Commercial Officer,
Lacuna Space Ltd
Everyone we have been lucky enough to work with from Harper James has been utterly professional, extremely responsive and provided solutions and peace of mind - thank you. Sarah and Ruairi especially have been a joy!
Deborah Hunter
Director,
Hunter Ops
I've had great experience in dealing with HJ, unlike any I've experienced in the past. There was care and attention in the drafting stage working out my exact requirements, not just legally but understanding how the business worked to advise further.
Tushar Joshi
CEO,
Festival Pro Ltd
I'll sum it up in three words: Expertise, versatility and experience
Sarah Enuwhure
Account Manager,
Curva Digital 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
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
For us, the support of Harper James Solicitors has been a gift. The collaboration we have had has been of tremendous importance. The service has been superb value for money.
Iraklis Bourantas
COO,
Novoville
As soon as I contacted them, and explained the support I required, they were responsive, on the case and quickly got a grasp of what I required.
John Heard
Founder,
Wild Cycles
It's been a breath of fresh air to work with Harper James Solicitors. It's like having my own in-house counsel, but at a fraction of the cost. It's an invaluable service for any small business.
Jo Evershed
CEO,
Cauldron Science
The feedback and communication is always helpful and clear. Our contact Stephen Pearne has been really helpful in providing feedback on service provider contracts and agreements that we have needed.
Laura Vanstone
Business Change Manager,
Borderfree Trade Ltd
Knowing that we have Harper James to help us through complex situations and difficult negotiations is very reassuring. Sarah knows our business inside out and we can rely on her to provide clear and timely commercial advice.
And on the odd occasion that we’ve needed help through a dispute, Ian Carson has always stepped in and dealt with the situation before it gets out of hand.
Nick Thompson
CEO,
One Beyond
Really happy- would especially single out the work of David Sant who is an exceptional and pragmatic lawyer.
Aela Callan
Co-founder,
Head Set Studio Limited
The team at Harper James has got to know our business over 3 years and is super responsive, adaptable and versatile to our needs. The lawyers are helpful and just really nice people who we’ve come to trust.
Aela Callan
Co-founder,
Head Set Studio 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
A very positive experience where Kevin really dug in to the detail of our commercial offer and ensured it was documented robustly in the contract
Jonathan Pearce
Chief Commercial Officer,
Lacuna Space Ltd
Everyone we have been lucky enough to work with from Harper James has been utterly professional, extremely responsive and provided solutions and peace of mind - thank you. Sarah and Ruairi especially have been a joy!
Deborah Hunter
Director,
Hunter Ops
I've had great experience in dealing with HJ, unlike any I've experienced in the past. There was care and attention in the drafting stage working out my exact requirements, not just legally but understanding how the business worked to advise further.
Tushar Joshi
CEO,
Festival Pro Ltd
I'll sum it up in three words: Expertise, versatility and experience
Sarah Enuwhure
Account Manager,
Curva Digital Ltd
Why choose Harper James Solicitors?
Having all worked at partner level in top 100 firms or in-house at major international businesses, our commercial team is able to advise and support you with all of your service provider arrangements.
Thanks to our technical expertise and market knowledge you can rest assured that your service provider arrangements are competitive, legally enforceable and offer robust protection for your business.
Combining a wealth of experience in various sectors together with a full understanding of our clients’ businesses, our commercial solicitors can go the extra mile in providing you with bespoke advice and solutions.
Pricing plans
Legal support designed
to fit your business needs
Our three transparent pricing packages are designed to give you the widest possible access to high-quality legal advice, whatever the size and nature of your business:
City
Straightforward access to senior solicitors at a competitive rate.
An affordable solution for businesses needing one-off legal support. Receive ‘City’ partner-level expertise at a fraction of ‘City’ prices.
Enterprise
Have legal peace of mind for £215 per month with additional support from £145 per hour.
A monthly subscription legal support package specifically designed for start-ups and smaller businesses.
On-Demand
Providing you with priority access to a dedicated panel of highly experienced solicitors.
Fully account managed quarterly subscription service for businesses with more complex legal needs.