Whether you’re securing investment to accelerate growth, preparing for your next funding round or investing in a promising business, we’ll help you structure the deal, understand its implications and agree terms that reflect your commercial priorities.
Speak to our venture capital lawyers
Finding the right legal partner
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.
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.
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.
That means fast response times, practical expert legal advice delivered in plain English, and dedicated client service and account management support.
We’re an SRA regulated firm, but more importantly, we build quality, data, and compliance best practice into everything we do.
What can we help with?
Whether you’re raising capital for your business or investing in another company, we can provide practical legal support in a range of situations, including:
When you need to raise venture capital to fund expansion, product development or entry into new markets, and want to structure an investment that supports your business plans.
When you’re negotiating a term sheet with potential investors and need to agree valuation, share ownership, investor rights and other key terms before committing to the deal.
When you’re preparing for a Series A, Series B or later funding round and need to manage changes to your capital structure, existing shareholder rights and arrangements with incoming investors.
When you’re investing in a growing business and need to carry out legal due diligence, assess potential risks and negotiate appropriate investment protections.
When investor requirements could affect how your business operates and you need to understand the implications of board representation, consent rights, founder obligations or restrictions on future decisions.
When you’re finalising a venture capital investment and need investment agreements, shareholders’ agreements, articles of association and other documents to reflect the terms you’ve negotiated.
Whether you’re preparing to raise investment or considering an opportunity to invest, we’ll help you understand the legal issues, prioritise the decisions that matter and work through the transaction with a clear approach. Here’s what you can expect:
1. Tell us about your funding or investment plans
Share details of your business or proposed investment, the funding stage and any existing term sheets or transaction documents. We’ll discuss your objectives and immediate priorities, whether you’re raising capital or investing.
2. Understand your options
We’ll assess the proposed structure and terms from your perspective as a business or investor, explain the legal and commercial implications and identify any issues that need attention before you proceed.
3. Negotiate and finalise the investment
We’ll help you negotiate terms that support your objectives, prepare or review the legal documents and coordinate the requirements for completing the transaction.
Discuss your next steps with a venture capital lawyer
Supporting your wider legal needs
Venture capital transactions can raise a range of legal issues for businesses and investors, from shareholder rights and corporate governance to employee incentives, intellectual property and future exits. Our venture capital lawyers can advise on these connected matters, helping you protect your interests as the business grows and your plans develop.
Our venture capital lawyers have experience advising both growing businesses and investors on funding rounds, investment agreements and shareholder arrangements. Having worked on transactions from both sides, we understand what investors typically look for, the pressures business owners face when raising capital and how the terms agreed today can affect future growth.
That experience helps us anticipate sticking points, balance competing priorities and focus negotiations on the issues that matter most. Whether you’re considering valuation, dilution, investor rights or future exit arrangements, we’ll explain the implications of different terms and help you make informed decisions that support your commercial objectives.
We also understand that raising venture capital often comes at a time when business owners have plenty of other priorities. We’ll make the legal side easier to manage by explaining complex terms in plain English, highlighting decisions that need your attention and keeping the process focused. For investors, that same practical approach means clear advice on the risks, protections and opportunities that could affect the value and future direction of an investment.
Director of Legal Strategy and Operations & Head of Corporate
Adam is Director of Legal Strategy and Operations & Head of Corporate, responsible for the legal services aspects of Harper James.
Partner - Corporate
Jas is a corporate partner at Harper James Solicitors, advising on corporate governance, mergers & acquisitions, venture capital & investments.
Partner - Corporate
Brigitta is an experienced corporate solicitor. She specialises in company/business acquisitions and sales, equity fundraising, share reorganisations, management buy-outs, corporate governance and EMI share schemes.
Partner - Corporate
With over 30 years of experience in corporate law, he has advised businesses from high growth start-ups to FTSE 100 (and international equivalent) in their M&A strategy, execution, fundraisings and joint ventures.
Solicitor - Corporate
Wajiha Haris is a corporate solicitor at Harper James, having studied at the University of Sheffield. She has a focus on corporate law.
Senior Solicitor - Corporate
Shubhu specialises in early-stage fund raisings, shareholder arrangements and M&A. Prior to joining Harper James she worked at Mills & Reeve and before that at Addleshaw Goddard and Slaughter and May.
Partner - Corporate
Jenni graduated from University College London before training and qualifying with Blake Morgan in 2013. She then spent over ten years working at top 50 law firms, initially Blake Morgan and then Gateley Legal.
Pricing and service plans
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:
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.
Purpose built legal support for start-ups and smaller businesses
Monthly subscription plan for £259 per month, with £174 monthly credit and access to all legal services at 50% discount on our Standard Rates.
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.
Learn more about our service plans
Understanding venture capital
Venture capital terms can influence how a company is run, how future funding is raised and how returns are distributed. Here are some of the key legal considerations for businesses and investors.
Beyond the valuation and amount being invested, founders should consider how the deal affects share ownership, board composition, decision making and future fundraising. Investor consent rights, restrictions on share transfers and founder obligations can all have lasting implications. The appropriate balance will depend on the company’s circumstances, funding needs and growth plans.
Investors may negotiate rights to appoint directors, receive financial information or approve certain significant business decisions. The investment may also dilute existing shareholdings and change the balance of voting power. These arrangements are usually documented in the investment agreement, shareholders’ agreement and articles of association, which need to work together.
A liquidation preference can give certain investors priority when proceeds are distributed following a sale, winding up or another specified event. The financial outcome depends on the preference’s wording, including whether it is participating or non-participating and how it interacts with other share classes. Founders and investors should understand how different exit values could affect the amount each shareholder receives.
Where part of the purchase price is payable after completion, the SPA should clearly explain how payments are calculated, when they become due and what happens if the parties disagree. Earn outs may also need provisions covering how the business is managed, access to financial information and the treatment of exceptional costs or transactions. These terms are especially important where the seller remains involved in the business.
A further funding round may trigger pre-emption rights, consent requirements or other protections under existing investment documents and the company’s articles. New investors may also seek rights that differ from those held by existing shareholders. The company will need to consider how the proposed terms interact with its current arrangements and whether amendments or shareholder approvals are required.
Testimonials
Our clients value straight answers, commercial judgement and lawyers who keep momentum in high stakes situations.
Harper James provide a cost effective, responsive and versatile service and provide us with access to legal teams that are experienced, commercially focused and well-resourced. Most importantly they are extremely familiar with the SME market and know the venture capital sector well.
Roger Woods Owner and Director, MidVen
We use Harper James because they understand the venture capital sector we operate in, know our business inside out and are always on hand to assist us in any way we need.
Doug Scott CEO, Potential
What attracted me to Harper James was the pricing model they have in place. It means we get access to top legal professionals at prices we can afford. In our most recent funding round, the support we received was vital.
Mikhil Raja CEO, SonicJobs
Harper James have been incredibly professional and responsive. They immediately understood the challenges we have. Not only those of any small business, but those relating to building a piece of complex tech, and they have been able to help us navigate that from a legal perspective.
Alastair MacGregor Founder, Do IT
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
Jas did an excellent job in pulling together what was a complex deal, not least because it involved co-ordinating parties in America, the UK and at the British Business Bank. But her perseverance and willingness to get the job done for us shone through and we were very impressed by the standard of service we received.
Peter Gerwe Investor, Storyfirst
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 team at Harper James have demonstrated time and again that they have a deep understanding of the issues facing entrepreneurial businesses and their funding.
Charles Smith Director, Interpac Limited
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
The team provide great support throughout the funding process, providing straightforward and clear guidance on the issues to be addressed at each stage. The team was always at hand to make sure that that we understood what needed to be done to reach a successful outcome.
Chris Evans CEO, Kobus Services
We were very impressed by the efficiency of the service we received. Having strong legal service support in place is vital for any business entering into a funding round.
Alexis Rog Co-founder, Sikoia
When I first spoke to Harper James, I was coming at things as an aspiring start-up with very little money in my pocket. But Jas and the team were able to help me to decide what the priorities were in the legal services I needed and made sure they were put in place. Their support in the funding rounds we’ve gone through has been invaluable. I’d definitely recommend Harper James.
Abhishek Nakhate Founder, Zoom Abroad
We rely on Harper James to provide us with support across a full range of service areas, from commercial contracts and employment issues to fundraisings and investments. The team at Harper James are always available to provide us with cost effective, pragmatic and commercially focused advice.
Nick Holzherr CEO, Whisk.com
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
Knowing you have that level of legal support enables any new business to be able to move forward with more confidence. With Harper James we have that - and more.
Julian Cook CEO and Co-Founder, Howamigoing
We’d like to thank Harper James for all of their support throughout the investment deal process. As well as providing vital legal advice, Adam and the team at Harper James gave us guidance on the next steps of our growth, and we look forward to working with the team on a variety of projects in the future.
Scott Clifford Founder, Oneskee
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
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
I have worked with Callum Giliker on quite a number of corporate fundraising transactions over the last few years and have always found Callum to take a calm, knowledgeable and productive lead, keeping things as simple as possible.
Matthew Dreaper CFO, Oxford Space Systems
Jenni Ferguson advised us in relation to our investment and on various agreements. She was brilliant, gave very practical advice, and was excellent at helping us achieve our objectives with the relevant investment. Jenni was very responsive, turned work around quickly, was approachable, and she was able to summarise and articulate complex legal issues very well and clearly, providing practical and commercial advice.
Eamon McCarthy-Keen Angel Investor, Investible Limited
We worked with Baljit Chohan on review of documents for closing a seed funding round for my company. Baljit was fantastic throughout the process, easy to reach when we needed him and provided clear, concise, and confident advice at every step. Would thoroughly recommend him and Harper James.
Luke Burke Founder, Corryn Biotechnologies Ltd