Supply Of Goods Agreements
Mitigate your risk potential and create bespoke supply of goods agreements that work for your business.
When standard terms and conditions on their own are not enough, you need to be confident that your supply of goods agreements are comprehensive, protect your business and comply with all relevant statutes and regulations. Your business relationships, and your business itself, may depend on it. Achieve peace of mind with our commercial solicitors’ knowledge, expertise and support.
From day-to-day dealings to one-off supply arrangements, protecting your business is key
Our team of commercial contract solicitors can support you with:
- Advising on key terms and issues relating to the supply of goods, whether you are a supplier or a buyer.
- Compliance with the abundance of legislation surrounding supply relationships.
- Dispute resolution if matters take an unexpected turn with a supplier or customer.
- Drafting supply of goods agreements between your business and a third party.
- Harmonisation between your supply of goods agreements and your terms of business.
- Interpretation of specific provisions within supply of goods agreements and what they mean for your business.
- Legal updates and suggested amendments to your documentation as the law and market practice evolves, and explanation as to how these may affect your arrangements.
- Market practice expertise to ensure that your arrangements remain competitive.
- Negotiation of supply of goods agreements or by making variations to them.
- Reviewing supply of goods agreements prepared by a third party and providing comprehensive summaries of your obligations and risk exposure.
- Risk mitigation by careful and effective drafting and a full understanding of the terms, processes, and obligations.
- Understanding the key legal issues involved with these arrangements, the options available to you in given situations and the subsequent consequences.
- Varying or amending terms and provisions of supply of goods agreements.
What our clients say
We pride ourselves on delivering an excellent service for clients, but don’t just take our word for it.
As a University spin-out getting the right team of lawyers to support our emerging business was fundamental and the team are always available to provide us with the invaluable guidance and support we require.
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.
My colleagues and I have found them to be adept at dealing with the variety of challenges facing early stage companies. They are a trusted source for sound, sensible advice and practical deal management.
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.
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.
We value the flat hourly fees, the response times, and the knowledge of the lawyers that are available. Michelle has been great to work with! She is very responsive, thorough, and can think far beyond just the legal implications that we need to consider in our contracts. It has been a pleasure working with her!
We are always impressed with both the speed of response and understanding of the situation.
Harper James never fail to impress with the speed and efficiency of their service, no matter the query. The team are friendly, knowledgeable and always on hand.
Well thought and thorough review [of agreement] with strong commercial contribution.
Harper James are our trusted legal adviser and having them by our side at key moments in our business growth, knowing we are protected, is immensely reassuring.
Supply of goods agreements: the essentials
You may be entering into a new business relationship, negotiating a one-off transaction, or securing a long-term arrangement with a third party where a supply of goods agreement is required to run in parallel with standard terms of business. Whatever the reason, and whether you are a supplier or a buyer, it’s crucial that the paperwork properly reflects the business arrangement agreed, mitigates any potential risk for your business, and reduces the risk of disagreement between the parties in the future.
Whether you regularly deal with supply arrangements, or are new to this type of arrangement, each supply of goods agreement needs to be drafted as a one-off arrangement and can throw up new and unexpected issues. Our solicitors experience and understanding of the legal framework and market practice make navigation of these issues much simpler.
Complex pieces of legislation such as the Sale of Goods Act (SGA) 1979, and the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 exist which may impact on your supply arrangements, and failure to comply with these could have adverse consequences for your business relationships. Taking legal advice at an early stage will save time, anxiety and cost in the long-run and also ensure that your business has the protection it needs.
Benefits of a carefully drafted supply of goods agreement
Certainty |
Be on the same page as your suppliers/customers by agreeing written terms to govern your relationship. Not only will this simplify your business relationships, but it will reduce the risk of disputes at a later date.
Mitigate risk |
A comprehensive supply of goods agreement will include enforceable, compliant limitations of liability, security for payment and recourses for breach of contract, each of which protects your business and encourages open dialogue with your suppliers/customers.
Legal compliance |
Having legal support and expertise during the drafting process will ensure that your contracts are fully compliant with the various statutes and regulations which apply to the supply of goods.
Stay ahead of the competition |
Staying abreast of legal updates and current market practice allows your business to remain competitive and puts you ahead of the competition. Counterparties will value your professional approach and understanding of the market.
Supply continuity |
Contractual provisions setting out the duration of a supply relationship, termination rights, and protection against unforeseen circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic, all help provide supply continuity – a crucial issue for any supplier or customer.
Flexibility of terms |
Supply of goods agreements enable standard terms of business to be varied and amended on an ad hoc basis for specific projects or customers, without needing to amend the standard terms themselves. Show your top customers their value to your business by offering them enhanced terms without the administrative burden and risk of having different standard terms of business in place.
Who we help: National companies of all sizes
Our clients cover a diverse range of sectors and range from start-ups to large multi-national companies. We have technical and commercial expertise across many industries and understand the specific issues faced by different organisations, whether they act in the role of supplier or buyer.
Examples of our work
Why choose Harper James Solicitors?
We understand that each business is unique and that the commercial challenges and risks it faces depends on its size, structure, industry, and objectives. Our commercial solicitors have the technical expertise as well as the commerciality and business acumen to understand your business and advise accordingly.
We can assist you at all stages of your business’ lifecycle, from start-up to established national company. Whether you require a specific supply of goods agreement or need wider support from our varied range of business legal services, we understand and can support you through the various issues that may arise. Plus, we have all worked at partner level in top 100 firms or in-house at major international businesses.
Find out more about the team here:
Pricing plans
Our three transparent pricing packages are designed to give you the widest possible access to high-quality legal advice, whatever the size and nature of your business:
City
Straightforward access to senior solicitors at a competitive rate.
An affordable solution for businesses needing one-off legal support. Receive ‘City’ partner-level expertise at a fraction of ‘City’ prices.
Enterprise
Have legal peace of mind for £189 per month with additional support from £99 per hour.
A monthly subscription legal support package specifically designed for start-ups and smaller businesses.
On-Demand
For businesses requiring 60+ hours of support a year, with prices equivalent to £99 per hour.
Fully account managed quarterly subscription service for businesses with more complex legal needs.
