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Business Legal Services
Enterprise Investment Schemes (EIS) & Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS)
Quick, straightforward support to get your company qualified and raising funds through SEIS and EIS schemes
Whether you’re time pressured or find the whole process daunting, as experts in providing start-ups and investors with legal advice, we will guide you through every step of a fundraise using the SEIS and EIS schemes. We understand that busy entrepreneurs want to focus on moving their business forward, so we’ll do the leg work for you, obtaining advance assurance and ensuring compliance throughout the investment.
Experts in EIS and SEIS schemes
Our team can assist you across all areas of corporate law, including:
Getting your business EIS or SEIS-ready
Our team of corporate lawyers can support you with:
Ensuring your eligibility under the EIS or SEIS schemes
We’ll check the detail, reviewing the necessary documentation so that it’s clear whether you’re eligible under the relevant investment scheme before proceeding.
Obtaining advance assurance from HMRC
Demonstrate to investors your company’s eligibility before the investment proceeds. We’ll liaise with your accountant where necessary, ensuring a robust application to obtain advance assurance from HMRC.
Guidance on the investment process itself
Taking care of the necessary documentation such as your investment agreement and term sheet to make sure that this matches up with your subscription agreement.
Ensuring that you are compliant
For example, making sure that the funds you receive are used for a qualifying purpose, that your company’s structure complies with the rules of your chosen scheme and that your funder also qualifies. We can also hold pre-investment funds in our client account.
Restructuring your company’s legals such as the Articles of Association and any existing shareholders’ agreements
Dovetailing with the EIS and SEIS schemes and satisfy the needs of investors.
Liaising with HMRC on your behalf and completing the documents they need to see at registration.
Helping you with ongoing compliance and reporting requirements to HMRC so that you can get on with running your business.
For investors: Advising on the EIS and SEIS investment rules and the reliefs available
For example, tax relief, exemption from Capital Gains Tax, deferral relief and CGT relief when certain assets are sold and funds re-invested in shares, making sure that this fits in with your investment portfolio.
Why work with legal specialists to qualify under the EIS and SEIS schemes?
Ensure your eligibility
Before proceeding, we’ll conduct the necessary due diligence and acquire the advance assurance to ensure that you qualify under either the EIS or SEIS schemes. With expert knowledge of the complexities of the schemes’ regulations we can swiftly inform you of your eligibility, help rectify any issues or suggest alternative solutions, and ultimately ensure you don’t waste time going through the research yourself.
Complex admin processes taken care of
From the applications to HMRC for advance assurance to the amendments of any existing company documents as well as obtaining tax relief certificates and liaising with your accountant, we’ll take on the admin so that you can concentrate on other key elements of running your business.
Speed and efficiency
We understand that EIS and SEIS investment typically involves fundraising at a critical early stage in your business’ growth, so we know that speed and efficiency is vital. Having supported hundreds of investments, our experienced corporate team will quickly be able to pick up on and address any issues arising over the course of the investment for both businesses and investors so that you can get access to the capital you need as soon as possible.
Achieve ongoing compliance
We’ll keep tabs on your business to make sure that it complies with the EIS and SEIS rules throughout the term of the investment. We’ll ensure you comply with all the necessary legal and regulatory aspects of selling shares under the EIS and SEIS schemes so that you don’t have to worry about any roadblocks to capital.
Strategic investment support that goes beyond EIS and SEIS
Where your company is investigating possible sources of capital in addition to EIS or SEIS, or your company is not eligible, our venture capital solicitors can advise you on other options available to you. We can also help you structure any VC deal that is put in place. Or if you are a high net-worth individual, private equity or VC firm, we can provide legal advice on all aspects of venture capital funding, including preparation of the necessary corporate documents to ensure your interests are protected.
Who we help
We help start-up enterprises and investors considering investment under the EIS and SEIS schemes.
Deciding to pursue EIS or SEIS investment needs careful planning and our seasoned corporate team are able to do just that for our varied range of entrepreneurial clients. We regularly support seed enterprises, start-ups, boards, company directors and investors on the EIS and SEIS schemes. So, whether you are a seed looking to launch, a start-up looking to grow your business, an established company wanting to scale up, or an investor seeking a tax-efficient way to help business and enterprise, our experts offer legal advice and hands-on support to help you reach your commercial goals.
Testimonials
What our clients say
Harper James swiftly solves problems with a minimum of fuss. I strongly recommend them and they are a pleasure to work with.
Jean de Fougerolles
CEO,
Ascension Ventures
Stephen was very helpful, pragmatic and where appropriate, entertaining. We were grateful for the way Stephen advised us in layman’s terms, showing patience to ensure we understood the transaction and were able to move to completion. I value the relationship we have developed with Harper James over the last few years and would recommend them to others.
Jon Arcos
Founder & CEO,
Axis Spine Technologies
We’ve been working with the team for over a year and since day one they've been pragmatic, diligent and above all, committed throughout. They work hard to add value and have been of great benefit to us and our investors.
Goncalo de Vasconcelos
CEO,
Syndicate Room
...efficient, knowledgeable, experienced, communicative, responsive, reliable, pragmatic, informative, thorough, friendly,honest, helpful and she bills correctly - exactly what one wants from one's solicitor!
Dan Greenfield
Co-Founder,
Petagene
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
Harper James swiftly solves problems with a minimum of fuss. I strongly recommend them and they are a pleasure to work with.
Jean de Fougerolles
CEO,
Ascension Ventures
Stephen was very helpful, pragmatic and where appropriate, entertaining. We were grateful for the way Stephen advised us in layman’s terms, showing patience to ensure we understood the transaction and were able to move to completion. I value the relationship we have developed with Harper James over the last few years and would recommend them to others.
Jon Arcos
Founder & CEO,
Axis Spine Technologies
We’ve been working with the team for over a year and since day one they've been pragmatic, diligent and above all, committed throughout. They work hard to add value and have been of great benefit to us and our investors.
Goncalo de Vasconcelos
CEO,
Syndicate Room
...efficient, knowledgeable, experienced, communicative, responsive, reliable, pragmatic, informative, thorough, friendly,honest, helpful and she bills correctly - exactly what one wants from one's solicitor!
Dan Greenfield
Co-Founder,
Petagene
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
Why choose Harper James Solicitors?
Our corporate team is passionate about making legal services for UK start-ups more accessible helping them to move forward, develop, and grow. With experience across varied sectors and rapidly developing technologies (biotech, fintech, deeptech, edtech) we’re poised to bring UK entrepreneurs across the country the legal support required to level up. And because we have a detailed understanding of the challenges you face as an entrepreneur, we’re able to help you at each stage in your business’ growth. Beyond the need for advice on the EIS and SEIS schemes we can continue our relationship as you think about the next steps in your business plans: from hiring and terms of business, to creating commercial contracts and ensuring regulatory compliance. Our integrated team can offer you the support you need at every stage in your business’ lifecycle.
Find out more about the 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 £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.