Business Legal Services
IT & Commercial Technology Law
Maximise the effectiveness of technology across your business, as a provider or end user, with commercially astute legal advice from our specialist commercial technology and IT solicitors.
Whether you’re updating company-wide software, developing a video game, or undertaking ground breaking research, we’ll take the complexity out of the related legal matters so you can get back to business. We’ll help you protect your IP rights, manage your contractual relationships, safeguard sensitive information, support innovative product development, and at all times, keep you compliant.
Commercial technology services
Legal support for technology and IT businesses
Our solicitors can support your business in all legal matters relating to technology and IT, including:
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.
Protect your interests with sound advice from commercial technology solicitors
We recognise that development in commercial technology and IT is rapid, so circumstances and projects can change quickly. Our IT solicitors possess the expertise and resources to anticipate and react to your needs and can offer you cost-effective advice on a variety of issues, including:
SaaS agreements
We can provide you with a comprehensive legal review of the terms of the agreement, conducting thorough due diligence of the provider to ensure you’re protected and getting the very best out of the relationship.
Cloud services agreements
We’ll carefully negotiate and draft your agreement, detailing service levels, obligations, and your right to terminate, also making sure you comply with the platform providers’ requirements while minimising risk to your business.
Software licensing and end user licensing
We’ll carefully draft your license agreements so that you successfully prevent abuses of your software, keep control over its use, limit your liabilities and, put terms in place that will protect your business and suit your future plans.
Procurement
Whatever software, hardware or systems you need to introduce to your business, we can review any boilerplate agreements you’ve been presented with by your supplier and make sure that the necessary adaptations are made to terms so that you get exactly what you require.
Technological research and development and collaboration agreements
We can produce an agreement that clearly defines each party’s obligations, limitations, and ownership so that roles are clearly defined, helping you avoid costly disputes later on.
Protecting and commercialising your intellectual property
Our intellectual property specialists will provide a clear route to protect your IP, and where appropriate, uncover the right opportunities to commercialise assets to benefit your business.
Ecommerce and Distance selling regulations
Whether it’s via phone, mail or online transactions, we’ll ensure you comply with The Consumer Rights Act and have the right terms and conditions in place to protect you.
Cyber security
By assessing potential risk to your business, we’ll help you put the right cyber resilience protocols in place, build incident response plans, and make sure you comply with the relevant legislation.
Data protection
Our specialists will ensure your processes align with current data protection law and GDPR, with comprehensive audits, staff training, and data breach prevention and management.
Outsourcing
We’ll ensure that any established outsourcing agreements are carefully reviewed and adapted and that any early stage negotiations with a new provider are fit for purpose, while also considering exit provisions, such as the right to step in, should the supplier be unable to perform.
Video game and app development
From development agreements, to intellectual property considerations, distribution agreements, and regulatory compliance, we can support you at every stage in video game or app development, so that you protect your assets, safely distribute your product, and abide by current regulations.
Fintech
We’ll guide you through the regulatory minefield that you’ll have to navigate as part of the Fintech sector, helping you manage risk effectively, taking a wider view of your business so that we can also support you with the accompanying data protection, intellectual property, and contractual considerations as you scale.
Why work with a specialist commercial tech and IT solicitor?
Protect your innovation
If you’re in the business of developing a product or service that is not yet seen elsewhere or will undoubtedly see commercial competition, it’s worth investing heavily in its protection. Our IP specialists will be able to advise you on the best course of action when it comes to protecting your assets, and beyond that, will also advise you on the best way to commercialise your technology, taking your business to that next level.
Get exactly what you need from providers
Relying on third party providers means putting an element of your business in their hands. Whether that’s IT systems, data storage, or working with developers, you need to ascertain obligations and levels of responsibility to protect your business. Our commercial technology experts will give you peace of mind, knowing that they have your best interests and objectives in mind throughout all commercial negotiations.
Minimise risk
Through careful consideration of your current processes, risk assessment, and application of legislation, we can ensure that you comply with regulations in your sector. From refining your data storage procedures, to limiting your liability as part of commercial negotiations, and helping you protect innovative products – our aim is to reduce the risk of sanctions that could disrupt your business.
Stay compliant
The last thing you want slowing you down is having to decipher your obligations when it comes to regulatory and legislative compliance. We have the experience to make sure you comply with the regulations that apply to your business, so that you can spend more time successfully managing it.
Legal support commercialising new technologies with carefully drafted contracts
We can also help with the drafting and reviewing of all commercial contracts required for your tech business to progress:
- IT contracts and agreements
- Distribution agreements and reseller agreements
- Enterprise agreements
- Sub-contracting agreements
- Affiliate agreements
- Professional service agreements including transformations, installations, and migrations
- Managed service agreements including break/fix and service desk agreements
- Confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements
- Escrow agreements
- Heads of terms/memoranda of understanding
- Privacy policies
- Software and hardware development agreements
- Terms of business
- Website audits, hosting, development, and terms agreements
Who we help: Fast-growing technology companies
We work with software companies, video game developers, ISPs, fintech, biotech companies, and leading international tech businesses. Our team of commercial technology lawyers are expert legal advisers to growing technology companies and have particular experience in the fields of IT, telecommunications, energy and utilities, and e-commerce, with a large number of our clients operating in these sectors.
Testimonials
What our clients say
Why choose Harper James Solicitors?
Our commercial technology lawyers’ expertise spans several legal practice areas, so whatever legal advice you need, we have a solicitor with experience advising technology businesses, able to deal with your needs quickly and cost-effectively.
We advise on protecting and commercialising technology innovations and taking action against online and offline infringements around the world. And we specialise in supporting start-ups and scale-ups. Our aim is to partner with ambitious businesses that would normally find legal support inaccessible and provide them with the legal guidance they need to advance. Our integrated services also mean that you won’t just have the technology team to guide you. With our unique subscription pricing model, you’ll also be able to access our other legal services when you need them.
Find out more about the commercial technology team here:
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.
