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.
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?
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.
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.
