Business Legal Services
Corporate Law
We get the job done correctly, quickly and effectively, whilst keeping your costs to a minimum
Our corporate solicitors have supported countless founders and business leaders in achieving their ambitions – whether it’s negotiating the best investment deal, successfully buying or selling a business, or navigating corporate governance.
Our aim is to correctly lead your transaction from start to finish, delivering clear, practical advice, timely communication, and transparent, cost-effective pricing through our unique subscription plans.
Your trusted partner in navigating legal complexities
How our corporate solicitors can help
Regardless of the size of your transaction, our corporate solicitors provide practical, effective advice tailored to your budget and timeline.
We focus on evaluating the issues that matter to you and use these to drive your corporate transactions. We can:
Advise you on receiving external investment
We’ll guide you through the investment process, assisting you with your investment structure. We are experienced in pre-seed, seed, venture capital and Series A-C funding rounds.
Support you through the merger and acquisition process
Our team will guide you through the complexities of a merger, acquisition or sale. We’ll work with you to understand what you are hoping to achieve from the deal, helping you answer important questions so your M&A transaction can be executed in time and to budget.
Assist you with your corporate governance
We will work with you to implement the foundations of consistently up-to-date corporate governance and compliance which match your company and meet the interests of all stakeholders.
Create EIS and SEIS schemes
We’ll help you qualify as a target for investors in tax-advantaged schemes. We’ll also advise on the impact this will have on your business and existing shareholdings.
Manage your share capital to maximise capital opportunities
We’ll help you get a clear understanding of how your ownership structure can attract capital to your company. We can smooth your dealings with shareholders and help you provide them with an appropriate package of rights in your company.
Design and implement employee share schemes
Working closely with our employee incentive arrangements team, we can help you unpick the complexities of tax-advantaged investment schemes and employee share plans to help you attract funding and talent.
Draft and amend your key company agreements
Together with our commercial and employment teams, we will draft and review your shareholder agreements, articles of association, SaaS agreements, employment and service contracts. We can also advise on board structure and decision making.
Help prepare or amend your cap table
We’ll draft your cap table, including unique scenario modelling and shareholder resolution tracking to make sure you know where you stand pre/post-investment.
Advise you on company structures
We’ll advise you on the best structure to suit your company’s needs. We can help you set up as a Partnership, Limited company or Limited liability partnership.
We take you into account
Your business, your goals, our legal support
We take pride in shaping our approach to suit each client’s unique needs. Just as no two businesses are alike, the support they require from their lawyers should be just as distinctive. Whatever you need from us, we’ll adapt our expertise to deliver it in the way that works best for you.
We leverage our experience and expertise to support you in the way that suits you best, always staying flexible and ready to adapt.
We cut the legal jargon
We excel at breaking down complex legal points, explaining their impact on your business or goals in a way that’s easy to understand and actionable. Alongside this, we proactively identify potential pitfalls in transactions to prevent future issues that could cost you valuable time and money.
No unexpected costs
You can rely on us to lead your transaction, ensuring it progresses smoothly and gets across the finish line in a timely manner, without unexpected costs outside your budget. By focusing on the issues that matter most to you, we drive your corporate transactions forward with clarity and confidence.
Understanding your business
Great legal service is about more than technical knowledge – it’s about understanding your industry and, above all, building a genuine relationship with you and your business, and with our guidance, your business will have a solid legal foundation, empowering you to grow and operate with certainty.
Who we help
Founders and Entrepreneurs
Securing the right investment deal or acquiring the right business isn’t just a transaction – it’s a game-changer. With the right support, these milestones can set the stage for market leadership, turning opportunities into lasting success.
That’s why business leaders turn to us. We have the expertise to strike the right balance, providing expert advice that aligns and scales with your business strategy.
Testimonials
What our clients say
Our clients have confidence in our services because we offer bespoke solutions rather than generic, one-size-fits-all approaches. For further reassurance that you’re making the right choice, hear directly from our clients about their positive experiences with us.
The support, advice and guidance from Harper James was absolutely vital. Shubhu, Callum and the team there were always on hand to deal with any issues that we needed help with as the deal progressed. This is an exciting new stage in the development of the business.
Sam G Bose
CEO and Founder,
IntelliSense.io
Over the years Harper James have helped us navigate complex legal issues and red tape, providing distilled options and legal consultancy that far exceeds the service levels we’ve previously experienced from more traditional law firms. The team act like our own in-house counsel so, regardless of which lawyer we work with, we feel supported and that they truly have our best interests at heart.
Michael Edwards
Co-Founder,
Inspire Group
When we were in the process of raising funds for our business venture, we were fortunate enough to have the support of Harper James. Their advice and guidance were extremely beneficial to us, and we’ve been impressed by their responsive service.
TJ Herbert
CEO and Founder,
Itchy Fish
Abby got the job done in line with expectations. No dramas! I have used Harper James with several companies and for a range of legal topics. They generally provide good service at a very reasonable price point. They have a good understanding of growing technology companies.
Matthew Dreaper
Co-Founder and CFO,
Helix Technologies
It was delightful working with Stephen and Callum on the fundraise. As an ex-investment banker, I’ve worked with many law firms and the legal process can be quite painful. We wanted to make sure our investors were protected and there were no delays with the raise. The fundraise was executed smoothly and Stephen and Callum were both very helpful. Callum was extremely bright. They both pointed out lots of things that we had missed.
Hana Salussolia
Chief Operating Officer,
Medisonal
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.
Callum has dealt with all in a professional and efficient manner. He's attentive and efficient in all I have asked.
John Bell
Managing Director,
Unique Packaging Solutions
It’s been excellent working with Stephen, he’s made every investment round extremely straight-forward and he understands our needs completely, while explaining the legals without the legal jargon. He’s only a phone call away which keeps us reassured. Previously, we’ve had to go through many hurdles when working with traditional law firms. You don’t get that at Harper James.
Reece Chowdhry
Founder & Partner,
Concept Ventures
Harper James is the right fit for us, I was attracted to the firm by the experience and reputation of their large team of specialist solicitors. And best of all, I have this support at a price point that’s very competitive compared to their competition.
Andrew Worsley
Chairman,
Harbour Healthcare
Matt and Paul understand the brief, and they understand our business. Their attention to detail and joined-up approach is excellent. They’re able to understand exactly what we need and the vision of the group going forward. Growing at this rate presents some risk, so having a legal team that appreciates this and supports us with the legal advice we need to take on every challenge in our mission to scale is key.
Alex Newey
Chairman,
Greosn
Brigitta’s always there, she listens and really understands us. In terms of turning things around quickly, it’s been fantastic. Speed was something that became very critical towards the end of the investment round. Bringing funding together when you've got a number of parties involved, especially keeping them happy, can be a stressful time. Brigitta was really supportive of that. We felt like she always had our best interests protected.
Andre Turville
Founder & CEO,
ARX Alliance
The Enable Plan has been really useful for us. We’re always watching our burn because that early money is important to us as a start-up. We get high quality legal event advice that doesn’t compromise on quality. Also, having access to a distributed team who have previously worked at some very credible firms is great. Having access to that level of experience and expertise, but not having to pay traditional firm prices is excellent.
Andre Turville
Founder & CEO,
ARX Alliance
Ease of use, a familiar legal team supporting my business who understand my business, and provide value for money.
Daniel Lawrence
CEO,
Bots For That Ltd
Harper James is always professional and responsive. We've always felt we had timely feedback, at a high professional standard and at a fair price.
Matthew Carr
Co-Founder & CEO ,
Luffy AI Limited
The team are responsive to my requests for support and the feedback and help that I have received from the legal team has always been well presented and thought through. The quality of support and the flexibility with which it is provided (monthly payments), is perfect for my business.
Peter Denton
Director,
Enso Equestrian
Matt’s been a pleasure to work with – we were looking for a lawyer who would be able to think outside of the box. To Matt’s credit, he understood our needs immediately. Having a legal team on our side who understands and supports us has been great.
Freddie Savundra
Founder,
Meet Parker
The Enable plan was just the right plan for us. It’s economic and we were really pleased with the numbers. As a start-up, it was important for us to seek the right legal advice while keeping costs to a minimum. It’s given us a breadth of high-quality legal knowledge at a great price point – something we just wouldn’t get at a traditional firm.
Freddie Savundra
Founder,
Meet Parker
It’s been great working with Adam. He’s approachable and very friendly. When initially contacting Harper James, I wanted an experienced advisor that knew how to maneuver the acquisition landscape. Adam certainly knew how to do this, and his timing and responsiveness was second to none.
Mohammed Elmasry
CEO,
Tactful AI
Stephen is excellent! He knows us very well. He knows what to look for and he knows what is acceptable and what is not
Sonia George
Associate,
Ascension Ventures
Thank you very much for all your hard work to get the deal across the line. It’s been a pleasure working with you to get an outcome that I’m very happy with. I’m sure it’s one of those deals you are happy to see complete!
Julian Rust-Andrews
Director,
Virocom Limited
I had an excellent experience with Stephen Evans. He was thoughtful, pragmatic and extremely efficient.
Nadia Crandall
Co-founder and Director,
Capshore Partners
Harper James provided a high quality service at a short notice. Their representatives were professional, approachable and quick to understand our company's specific circumstances.
Marius Bausys
Shareholder,
Arcapay Holdings
It was a pleasure working with Tristan, Matt and James. We are very pleased with the quality of advice and your team's in depth knowledge.
Raymond Lam
Executive Director,
Aeramine Limited
Brilliant support and smooth completion of acquisition.
Rajiv Agrawal
Shareholder,
Poise Group
The Corporate Finance and Property team at Harper James are always responsive and take a pragmatic approach when needed.
Leon Foxwell
Lending Director,
Bloomsbury Property Finance Limited
Thank you so much Brigitta. I definitely made the right choice to go with you! Honestly everyone I have worked with at Harper James has been really good
Gabriel Hughes
CEO,
Metageni
I'm very happy with Callum Gilikers work handling the shareholders agreement and articles of association for my company. He understood what I needed to get done and helped advise where I needed help. Great experience.
Dadisai Roberta Mkombachoto
Founder & CEO,
Robert & Roberta Ltd
Your solicitors are experienced, provide timely responses and feedback, and are eager to help. They're also easy to reach out to and consistently offer insightful advice.
Dadisai Roberta Mkombachoto
Founder & CEO,
Robert & Roberta Ltd
Brigitta, Alex, Genevieve, Adam and the wider team always helpful and understanding of borrowers expectations. They are efficient and diligent in all property and corporate finance documentation.
Leon Foxwell
Lending Director,
Bloomsbury Property Finance Limited
Thanks Sam and Nikki. We really appreciate all your help with our EOT transition and patience answering our questions to get to this point. I am sure there might be a few more that are thrown up as we start to communicate with the team, but it's a new chapter and one we are very much looking forward to.
Martin Coyne
Managing Director,
Bond & Coyne
On behalf of Emerald, I wanted to say thank you for your tremendous work on this deal. You have been always available and with the correct legal advice. You are by miles the best lawyer (technically and morally) we have ever worked with.
Arian Zandi
Co-Founder,
Emerald Hospitality Group
Stephen Evans has been the solicitor on most of our investment rounds for the last few years. We've always found him very pragmatic, responsive and easy to work with. He's a great asset to Harper James
Matthew Carr
Co-founder & CEO,
Luffy AI Limited
The switchover process from our previous advisors was incredibly smooth. Brigitta was efficient, fast, and quickly understood our requirements. Her pragmatic approach helped us cut through the legal complexities, and we were able to achieve our goal within the tight timeframe.
Steve Carrod
Co-Founder,
DMPG
We thought we knew our business inside out, but the due diligence process highlighted gaps we hadn’t anticipated. Having your team on hand made a big difference - what felt overwhelming quickly became manageable once we had experts guiding us through the details.
Tom Marianczak
Co-Founder,
DMPG
Choosing Harper James was the best decision we made during this process. At one point, we felt stuck and struggled with providing certain documentation. Brigitta and the team knew how to explain what was needed and suddenly the process became much clearer. The guidance we received helped us avoid unnecessary delays and expenses. It made all the difference.
Steve Carrod
Co-Founder,
DMPG
First class every step of the way. You did exactly what I expected and met my deadline.
Richard William Turbutt
Director,
CorroGuard
For any small business looking for the right law firm to guide you through an acquisition I would highly recommend Harper James. My personal experience was with Matt Shakesheff who looked after my sale and passed me over to their team who looked over my new contract of employment as I was staying with my buyer for a 2 year handover. They delivered on budget and on time.
Richard William Turbutt
Director,
CorroGuard
The support, advice and guidance from Harper James was absolutely vital. Shubhu, Callum and the team there were always on hand to deal with any issues that we needed help with as the deal progressed. This is an exciting new stage in the development of the business.
Sam G Bose
CEO and Founder,
IntelliSense.io
Over the years Harper James have helped us navigate complex legal issues and red tape, providing distilled options and legal consultancy that far exceeds the service levels we’ve previously experienced from more traditional law firms. The team act like our own in-house counsel so, regardless of which lawyer we work with, we feel supported and that they truly have our best interests at heart.
Michael Edwards
Co-Founder,
Inspire Group
When we were in the process of raising funds for our business venture, we were fortunate enough to have the support of Harper James. Their advice and guidance were extremely beneficial to us, and we’ve been impressed by their responsive service.
TJ Herbert
CEO and Founder,
Itchy Fish
Abby got the job done in line with expectations. No dramas! I have used Harper James with several companies and for a range of legal topics. They generally provide good service at a very reasonable price point. They have a good understanding of growing technology companies.
Matthew Dreaper
Co-Founder and CFO,
Helix Technologies
It was delightful working with Stephen and Callum on the fundraise. As an ex-investment banker, I’ve worked with many law firms and the legal process can be quite painful. We wanted to make sure our investors were protected and there were no delays with the raise. The fundraise was executed smoothly and Stephen and Callum were both very helpful. Callum was extremely bright. They both pointed out lots of things that we had missed.
Hana Salussolia
Chief Operating Officer,
Medisonal
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.
Callum has dealt with all in a professional and efficient manner. He's attentive and efficient in all I have asked.
John Bell
Managing Director,
Unique Packaging Solutions
It’s been excellent working with Stephen, he’s made every investment round extremely straight-forward and he understands our needs completely, while explaining the legals without the legal jargon. He’s only a phone call away which keeps us reassured. Previously, we’ve had to go through many hurdles when working with traditional law firms. You don’t get that at Harper James.
Reece Chowdhry
Founder & Partner,
Concept Ventures
Harper James is the right fit for us, I was attracted to the firm by the experience and reputation of their large team of specialist solicitors. And best of all, I have this support at a price point that’s very competitive compared to their competition.
Andrew Worsley
Chairman,
Harbour Healthcare
Matt and Paul understand the brief, and they understand our business. Their attention to detail and joined-up approach is excellent. They’re able to understand exactly what we need and the vision of the group going forward. Growing at this rate presents some risk, so having a legal team that appreciates this and supports us with the legal advice we need to take on every challenge in our mission to scale is key.
Alex Newey
Chairman,
Greosn
Brigitta’s always there, she listens and really understands us. In terms of turning things around quickly, it’s been fantastic. Speed was something that became very critical towards the end of the investment round. Bringing funding together when you've got a number of parties involved, especially keeping them happy, can be a stressful time. Brigitta was really supportive of that. We felt like she always had our best interests protected.
Andre Turville
Founder & CEO,
ARX Alliance
The Enable Plan has been really useful for us. We’re always watching our burn because that early money is important to us as a start-up. We get high quality legal event advice that doesn’t compromise on quality. Also, having access to a distributed team who have previously worked at some very credible firms is great. Having access to that level of experience and expertise, but not having to pay traditional firm prices is excellent.
Andre Turville
Founder & CEO,
ARX Alliance
Ease of use, a familiar legal team supporting my business who understand my business, and provide value for money.
Daniel Lawrence
CEO,
Bots For That Ltd
Harper James is always professional and responsive. We've always felt we had timely feedback, at a high professional standard and at a fair price.
Matthew Carr
Co-Founder & CEO ,
Luffy AI Limited
The team are responsive to my requests for support and the feedback and help that I have received from the legal team has always been well presented and thought through. The quality of support and the flexibility with which it is provided (monthly payments), is perfect for my business.
Peter Denton
Director,
Enso Equestrian
Matt’s been a pleasure to work with – we were looking for a lawyer who would be able to think outside of the box. To Matt’s credit, he understood our needs immediately. Having a legal team on our side who understands and supports us has been great.
Freddie Savundra
Founder,
Meet Parker
The Enable plan was just the right plan for us. It’s economic and we were really pleased with the numbers. As a start-up, it was important for us to seek the right legal advice while keeping costs to a minimum. It’s given us a breadth of high-quality legal knowledge at a great price point – something we just wouldn’t get at a traditional firm.
Freddie Savundra
Founder,
Meet Parker
It’s been great working with Adam. He’s approachable and very friendly. When initially contacting Harper James, I wanted an experienced advisor that knew how to maneuver the acquisition landscape. Adam certainly knew how to do this, and his timing and responsiveness was second to none.
Mohammed Elmasry
CEO,
Tactful AI
Stephen is excellent! He knows us very well. He knows what to look for and he knows what is acceptable and what is not
Sonia George
Associate,
Ascension Ventures
Thank you very much for all your hard work to get the deal across the line. It’s been a pleasure working with you to get an outcome that I’m very happy with. I’m sure it’s one of those deals you are happy to see complete!
Julian Rust-Andrews
Director,
Virocom Limited
I had an excellent experience with Stephen Evans. He was thoughtful, pragmatic and extremely efficient.
Nadia Crandall
Co-founder and Director,
Capshore Partners
Harper James provided a high quality service at a short notice. Their representatives were professional, approachable and quick to understand our company's specific circumstances.
Marius Bausys
Shareholder,
Arcapay Holdings
It was a pleasure working with Tristan, Matt and James. We are very pleased with the quality of advice and your team's in depth knowledge.
Raymond Lam
Executive Director,
Aeramine Limited
Brilliant support and smooth completion of acquisition.
Rajiv Agrawal
Shareholder,
Poise Group
The Corporate Finance and Property team at Harper James are always responsive and take a pragmatic approach when needed.
Leon Foxwell
Lending Director,
Bloomsbury Property Finance Limited
Thank you so much Brigitta. I definitely made the right choice to go with you! Honestly everyone I have worked with at Harper James has been really good
Gabriel Hughes
CEO,
Metageni
I'm very happy with Callum Gilikers work handling the shareholders agreement and articles of association for my company. He understood what I needed to get done and helped advise where I needed help. Great experience.
Dadisai Roberta Mkombachoto
Founder & CEO,
Robert & Roberta Ltd
Your solicitors are experienced, provide timely responses and feedback, and are eager to help. They're also easy to reach out to and consistently offer insightful advice.
Dadisai Roberta Mkombachoto
Founder & CEO,
Robert & Roberta Ltd
Brigitta, Alex, Genevieve, Adam and the wider team always helpful and understanding of borrowers expectations. They are efficient and diligent in all property and corporate finance documentation.
Leon Foxwell
Lending Director,
Bloomsbury Property Finance Limited
Thanks Sam and Nikki. We really appreciate all your help with our EOT transition and patience answering our questions to get to this point. I am sure there might be a few more that are thrown up as we start to communicate with the team, but it's a new chapter and one we are very much looking forward to.
Martin Coyne
Managing Director,
Bond & Coyne
On behalf of Emerald, I wanted to say thank you for your tremendous work on this deal. You have been always available and with the correct legal advice. You are by miles the best lawyer (technically and morally) we have ever worked with.
Arian Zandi
Co-Founder,
Emerald Hospitality Group
Stephen Evans has been the solicitor on most of our investment rounds for the last few years. We've always found him very pragmatic, responsive and easy to work with. He's a great asset to Harper James
Matthew Carr
Co-founder & CEO,
Luffy AI Limited
The switchover process from our previous advisors was incredibly smooth. Brigitta was efficient, fast, and quickly understood our requirements. Her pragmatic approach helped us cut through the legal complexities, and we were able to achieve our goal within the tight timeframe.
Steve Carrod
Co-Founder,
DMPG
We thought we knew our business inside out, but the due diligence process highlighted gaps we hadn’t anticipated. Having your team on hand made a big difference - what felt overwhelming quickly became manageable once we had experts guiding us through the details.
Tom Marianczak
Co-Founder,
DMPG
Choosing Harper James was the best decision we made during this process. At one point, we felt stuck and struggled with providing certain documentation. Brigitta and the team knew how to explain what was needed and suddenly the process became much clearer. The guidance we received helped us avoid unnecessary delays and expenses. It made all the difference.
Steve Carrod
Co-Founder,
DMPG
First class every step of the way. You did exactly what I expected and met my deadline.
Richard William Turbutt
Director,
CorroGuard
For any small business looking for the right law firm to guide you through an acquisition I would highly recommend Harper James. My personal experience was with Matt Shakesheff who looked after my sale and passed me over to their team who looked over my new contract of employment as I was staying with my buyer for a 2 year handover. They delivered on budget and on time.
Richard William Turbutt
Director,
CorroGuard
Meet our team
Why choose our corporate solicitors?
Business law is complex, and let’s face it, lawyers don’t come cheap. Bringing in a corporate lawyer who’s not only a specialist but knows how to get the job done right can help minimise risk, save time, and reduce costs.
Above all else, we can provide you with clear and practical advice for all of your corporate transactions. We worked at some of the top law firms in the UK, as well as provided in-house counsel for large, international firms.
This experience means that our corporate lawyers can spot the signs when there is potential for negotiation and can offer expert advice for when there isn’t. This comes from having acted on different sides of corporate transactions for multiple clients.
We can also leverage the expertise of our colleagues in employee share schemes, intellectual property, employment and commercial property to provide the legal backbone your business needs to succeed.
Find out more about who you’ll be working with:
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 £215 per month, with £145 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 34% discount on our Standard Rates.
