Business Legal Services
Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)
Buy, sell or restructure your business with clear, commercially focused legal support
We support founders, boards and investors through acquisitions, exits and group restructures, protecting value, managing risk and keeping your deal aligned with your wider growth plans.
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.
Mergers and Acquisitions
Protecting value. Managing risk. Closing corporate transactions with confidence.
From deal structuring and due diligence through to negotiation and completion, our M&A lawyers take care of the detail.
When you need to acquire a competitor or bolt-on business and want thorough legal due diligence, clear risk allocation and strong negotiation support.
When you are selling your company and want to manage warranties, disclosures and liability caps without derailing the deal.
When management are buying out founders or shareholders and need the transaction structured fairly and tax-efficiently.
When you are backing an acquisition with external funding or private equity and need investor terms aligned with the deal.
When your group structure needs simplifying ahead of sale, refinancing or international expansion.
When your transaction involves regulated, IP-rich or international operations and risk needs careful handling.
Whether you are considering an offer or working towards completion, we keep the M&A process straightforward.
- Outline your transaction and deal terms
Tell us whether you’re acquiring, selling or merging, your proposed structure, timetable and any agreed heads of terms or exclusivity arrangements. - Stress test the structure and risk allocation
We review the deal terms, identify legal, regulatory and due diligence risks, and advise where warranties, indemnities, price mechanisms or governance terms may need tightening. - Negotiate, document and complete the deal
From drafting the share purchase agreement or asset purchase agreement and managing disclosures to negotiations, signing and completion, we run the legal workstream and coordinate with your accountants and advisers so the transaction progresses smoothly.
Experts in M&A law
Our team can assist you across all areas of M&A related law, including:
Why choose our merger and acquisition lawyers?
Meet our team
Our mergers and acquisitions lawyers bring experience from leading UK law firms and senior in house roles within international businesses. We have advised buyers, sellers, investors and management teams across the full deal lifecycle, from heads of terms through to completion and post-deal integration.
M&A rarely sits in isolation. When deals involve property portfolios, management incentive plans, TUPE transfers or regulatory considerations, we work seamlessly with our employment, commercial property and incentives specialists to deliver joined up support.
Find out more about the merger and acquisition lawyers who will be guiding your transaction from start to finish:
Understanding M & A law
Common questions
If you are considering an acquisition or sale, these are some of the questions we are often asked. If you are unsure how these issues apply to your situation, our merger and acquisition lawyers are on hand to help you understand your options.
1. What tends to slow down or derail corporate transactions?
Unresolved due diligence issues, unclear ownership of intellectual property, change of control clauses in key contracts, and late regulatory concerns are common causes of delay. Addressing these early helps keep momentum.
2. How involved will I need to be during the transaction?
As a founder or director, you will still need to make key commercial decisions, but much of the legal process can be managed for you. Clear communication and defined responsibilities help reduce disruption to day-to-day operations.
3. What happens if something significant comes up in due diligence?
Not every issue is a deal breaker. Often, problems are addressed through price adjustments, specific indemnities or pre completion fixes. The key is understanding the commercial impact before agreeing how to proceed.
4. What if there are minority shareholders involved?
Existing shareholder agreements, drag along or tag along rights and consent requirements can all affect how a deal proceeds. Understanding these early helps avoid delays or disputes later in the process.
5. How can I make my business more attractive to buyers before going to market?
Buyers look for clean corporate records, clear intellectual property ownership, well-documented contracts and robust governance. Getting your legal “house in order” in advance can strengthen your negotiating position and reduce last minute price pressure.
Working with business buyers and sellers
Notable projects
We have been involved in a wide range of projects, from business purchases and sales to both small and large fundraising matters, often working with internationally recognised firms on the other side.
Industry | Event power distribution
Type | Buyer
Deal Value | £23M
Cross-border | UK and US
We helped CES Global LLC acquire the power generator businesses ABird and APEX Generators from Manchester's HSS Hire Group in March 2024.
Industry | Artificial Intelligence
Type | Buyer
Cross-border | UK and Bulgaria
We advised Atombit, an artificial intelligence company, on the first phase of their ambitious buy and build acquisition strategy, ensuring the deal structure, due diligence and share purchase agreements were robust. Other side advisors included Gateley Legal, K3 and RSM.
Industry | Ticket sales
Type | Seller
We advised TicketSellers on their sale to Citizen Ticket, guiding them through due diligence, the share purchase agreement and consideration share terms to ensure a smooth and secure transaction.
Industry | Global sports marketing
Type | Seller
Cross-border | UK and US
We advised WePlay on its acquisition by rEvolution, supporting the deal that expands rEvolution’s global reach while ensuring WePlay continues its growth strategy under its existing brand and leadership.
Industry | Agriculture and horticulture
Type | Buyer
We assisted with Greosn’s acquisitions, including advising on the whole spectrum of M&A, due diligence and making sure deals close quickly.
Industry | IAM services
Type | Seller
We advised Atlas Identity on their acquisition by Intragen, supporting the shareholders through the transaction to ensure a smooth deal that strengthens Intragen’s position as a leading identity management provider across EMEA.
Industry | Data and analytics
Type | Seller
We advised DMPG on their sale to Havas Media Network, managing the share purchase agreement, pre-sale restructuring, disclosure process and EMI shareholder buyout to ensure the deal completed smoothly.
Industry | Healthcare
Type | Seller
We helped Korus Health sell to an employee ownership trust, advising them on the tax and trust deed, the share purchase, loan and governance agreements, ensuring the EOT was structured effectively.
Industry | Financial services
Type | Seller
We assisted Meet Parker, an AI-powered digital engagement tool with their early-stage seed round and acquisition, making sure their convertible loan notes, due diligence, sales preparation and share purchase agreements were watertight as they made the move to scale.
Industry | Care homes
Type | Buyer
We helped Harbour Healthcare, a family-owned care home operator restructure their group to facilitate better borrowing power and assisted in four large acquisitions of ‘trading’ care homes.
Industry | Customer engagement
Type | Seller
We advised Tactful AI, an intelligent AI-powered customer engagement platform on their acquisition to Dstny Group. We made sure the acquisition went as smoothly as possible, making sure the founders got the best deal terms.
Industry | Financial services and wealth management
Type | Seller
Deal Value | £6.2M
We acted for the sellers in the sale of the entire issued share capital of Barry Fleming and Partners to Kingswood.
Industry | Event power distribution
Type | Buyer
Deal Value | £23M
Cross-border | UK and US
We helped CES Global LLC acquire the power generator businesses ABird and APEX Generators from Manchester's HSS Hire Group in March 2024.
Industry | Artificial Intelligence
Type | Buyer
Cross-border | UK and Bulgaria
We advised Atombit, an artificial intelligence company, on the first phase of their ambitious buy and build acquisition strategy, ensuring the deal structure, due diligence and share purchase agreements were robust. Other side advisors included Gateley Legal, K3 and RSM.
Industry | Ticket sales
Type | Seller
We advised TicketSellers on their sale to Citizen Ticket, guiding them through due diligence, the share purchase agreement and consideration share terms to ensure a smooth and secure transaction.
Industry | Global sports marketing
Type | Seller
Cross-border | UK and US
We advised WePlay on its acquisition by rEvolution, supporting the deal that expands rEvolution’s global reach while ensuring WePlay continues its growth strategy under its existing brand and leadership.
Industry | Agriculture and horticulture
Type | Buyer
We assisted with Greosn’s acquisitions, including advising on the whole spectrum of M&A, due diligence and making sure deals close quickly.
Industry | IAM services
Type | Seller
We advised Atlas Identity on their acquisition by Intragen, supporting the shareholders through the transaction to ensure a smooth deal that strengthens Intragen’s position as a leading identity management provider across EMEA.
Industry | Data and analytics
Type | Seller
We advised DMPG on their sale to Havas Media Network, managing the share purchase agreement, pre-sale restructuring, disclosure process and EMI shareholder buyout to ensure the deal completed smoothly.
Industry | Healthcare
Type | Seller
We helped Korus Health sell to an employee ownership trust, advising them on the tax and trust deed, the share purchase, loan and governance agreements, ensuring the EOT was structured effectively.
Industry | Financial services
Type | Seller
We assisted Meet Parker, an AI-powered digital engagement tool with their early-stage seed round and acquisition, making sure their convertible loan notes, due diligence, sales preparation and share purchase agreements were watertight as they made the move to scale.
Industry | Care homes
Type | Buyer
We helped Harbour Healthcare, a family-owned care home operator restructure their group to facilitate better borrowing power and assisted in four large acquisitions of ‘trading’ care homes.
Industry | Customer engagement
Type | Seller
We advised Tactful AI, an intelligent AI-powered customer engagement platform on their acquisition to Dstny Group. We made sure the acquisition went as smoothly as possible, making sure the founders got the best deal terms.
Industry | Financial services and wealth management
Type | Seller
Deal Value | £6.2M
We acted for the sellers in the sale of the entire issued share capital of Barry Fleming and Partners to Kingswood.
