Business Legal Services
Corporate Law
Experienced corporate legal support for transactions, investment, restructuring and governance
Our corporate lawyers equip founders and senior leaders with the legal framework, commercial insight and steady guidance needed to deliver complex corporate transactions.
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 7,000 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
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.
Corporate Legal Advice
Your business, your goals, our legal support
Growth brings opportunity, but also complexity. More stakeholders. More scrutiny. Bigger risk if something is missed.
With experienced corporate lawyers leading the process, we manage the technical detail and risk so you can focus on the commercial outcome.
When you’re looking to raise investment and require legal advice on investor terms and control while keeping the deal commercially viable – whether it’s a pre-seed deal or a Series C round and beyond.
When you want to acquire a business and you need to conduct legal due diligence, negotiate share or asset purchase agreements and manage risk through to completion.
When your governance needs to evolve and you want to put in place shareholder agreements, articles and board processes that stand up to investor and regulatory scrutiny.
When you are preparing to exit and you want to get your house in order, handle negotiations and support you through the sale process with minimal disruption.
When you need to restructure or scale internationally and you want to create or simplify group structures, manage share reorganisations and align governance with growth plans.
When you are introducing or reviewing an employee share scheme, we will help you get everything structured and documented correctly.
Corporate matters can often feel intense but we bring clarity by keeping the process controlled and commercially focused.
- Share an outline of your plans
Tell us what you are looking to achieve, whether that’s raising capital, acquiring a target or preparing for sale. Share any draft documents and your proposed timetable. - We’ll identify the most suitable approach
Let’s review your options, identify pressure points and explain where terms, risk allocation or governance may need attention. - We oversee the full lifecycle of the transaction through to completion
From drafting and negotiations through to completion, we manage the legal workstream and keep you aligned with your wider commercial objectives.
Experts in corporate law
Supporting your growth journey
We’re here to help you build a legally robust business that stands up to board, investor and buyer scrutiny. If you need focused support in a particular area, you can find more detail on some of our specific services below.
Why choose our corporate lawyers?
Meet our team
We have worked at some of the top law firms in the UK, as well as in-house counsel providing support for large, international firms.
Our experience means that our corporate lawyers can spot when there is potential for negotiation and can offer expert advice when there isn’t. This comes from having acted on different sides of corporate transactions for multiple clients.
When appropriate, we also know when it’s right to leverage the expertise of our wider team to achieve the best possible outcome, whether that’s because property is an important part of a transaction’s due diligence, you want to implement share plans to retain key talent, or are managing the transfer of employees in a complex restructure.
Find out more about who you will be working with:
Understanding corporate law
Common questions
Here are a few examples of questions we’re commonly asked by clients. If you are unsure how these issues apply to your situation, our corporate lawyers are on hand to help you understand your options.
What role does due diligence plan in a corporate transaction?
When done properly due diligence should assess risk allocation, change of control provisions, intellectual property ownership, regulatory exposure and any liabilities that could dilute deal value. The objective is not just to identify issues, but to understand their commercial impact and negotiate protection where appropriate.
What are the key legal risks when selling a business?
In a business sale, risk often sits in warranties, indemnities and deferred consideration mechanisms. The scope of disclosures, financial thresholds and time limits can significantly affect your post completion exposure, so these areas require careful negotiation.
How can we make sure we don’t give away too much control during fundraising?
Control isn’t just about how many shares you issue. It’s shaped by voting rights, board seats and investor veto powers. During a funding round, you should carefully negotiate reserved matters, anti-dilution rights and any special share classes to avoid limiting your day-to-day decision-making. It is also important to consider how these terms affect future investment or exit plans. Clear legal advice helps you spot where control may shift in less obvious ways.
What should we consider before agreeing to exclusivity?
Exclusivity can demonstrate commitment and help focus both parties on getting a deal done. Be aware that it will limit your ability to engage with other buyers, which may reduce leverage. It should be carefully timed and structured to maintain momentum while protecting value.
What governance changes are required as a business scales?
As businesses grow, informal arrangements often need to be formalised. This can include updated articles, a shareholders’ agreement, clearer board processes and documented decision making frameworks that stand up to investor and regulatory scrutiny.
Testimonials
What our clients say
Our clients value straight answers, commercial judgement and lawyers who keep momentum in high-stakes transactions.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
I have worked with Harper James solicitors on a range of commercial and corporate finance assignments for our businesses over the last 10 years. We have benefitted from access to skilled lawyers with plenty of valuable experience who are well tuned in to how early-stage growing companies operate and what is important to businesses like ours.
Matthew Draper
Chief Financial Officer,
Oxford Space Systems
Thorough, insightful and practical, glad I've got Jas and Wajiha on my team. I got the support and guidance I needed, when I needed it, without fuss or time wasting!
Shaun Robertson
CEO,
MiDx Ltd
Fast and efficient communication. Easy to communicate instructions and timely turnarounds. Good value for money alongside good communication with explanation of path taken.
Daniel Lawrence
MD and Co-Founder,
Bots For That
Always very happy with the service from Harper James. Timely advice we can rely on!
Andrew Jermy
Director,
Inflecto Systems Limited
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
I have worked with Harper James solicitors on a range of commercial and corporate finance assignments for our businesses over the last 10 years. We have benefitted from access to skilled lawyers with plenty of valuable experience who are well tuned in to how early-stage growing companies operate and what is important to businesses like ours.
Matthew Draper
Chief Financial Officer,
Oxford Space Systems
Thorough, insightful and practical, glad I've got Jas and Wajiha on my team. I got the support and guidance I needed, when I needed it, without fuss or time wasting!
Shaun Robertson
CEO,
MiDx Ltd
Fast and efficient communication. Easy to communicate instructions and timely turnarounds. Good value for money alongside good communication with explanation of path taken.
Daniel Lawrence
MD and Co-Founder,
Bots For That
Always very happy with the service from Harper James. Timely advice we can rely on!
Andrew Jermy
Director,
Inflecto Systems Limited
