Terms of Business
Create certainty and reduce litigation risk by tailoring your venture’s terms of business.
Putting in place considered, bespoke terms of business will not only reduce the risk of disputes and potential litigation but will also limit your liability, create certainty, and enhance your business’ reputation. Take advantage of these benefits by utilising our commercial contract specialists’ business acumen and technical knowledge.
What our clients say
We pride ourselves on delivering an excellent service for clients, but don’t just take our word for it.
Excellent communication and all correspondence answered very quickly. Very attentive to detail, gave sound advice and secured a good deal in a short time frame.
…very efficient and helpful, especially given that it was difficult logistically with most of the directors away!
It's very cost efficient and fast. I have enjoyed talking to everyone in the company as they are not only knowledgeable but can also relate to the situations that I need assistance with. Very happy!
9/10 Great communication and speed
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.
Our scale of growth would not have happened without the support of Harper James.
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 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.
The on-demand service we get from Harper James allows us to combine their expertise with that of our own in-house counsel. It means we can get quick and trustworthy legal advice from specialists in every legal area, as and when we need it. There are no hidden extras and the service we have received has always demonstrated an awareness of our fast-moving commercial requirements.
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.
Harper James removes the stress for us. I know that we can get advice quickly, without some sort of golden clock being turned on when you pick up the phone. This means we can focus on running the business.
The value for money and the service is 1st class and professional.
We initially turned to Harper James for help in one part of our business but quickly realised we could benefit from their support in other areas too. The level of service has been impressive. What I like about Harper James is they seem to take a proactive approach to legal services provision. They’ve looked at our business and made suggestions as to areas where they can best focus their support and expertise. It is reassuring to have a legal services provider like that working alongside you.
It's been a breath of fresh air to work with Harper James Solicitors. It's like having my own in-house counsel, but at a fraction of the cost. It's an invaluable service for any small business.
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.
Sarah was incredibly responsive to my e-mails and was accurate with rough timelines for completion. She was also very approachable and down to earth on an agreement that contains a lot of jargon and isn't that user friendly for people from a non legal background. She also took the time to get to know the purpose the document will be used for to make it accurate and legally binding.
This is a key stage of ANB Sensors’ growth as an SME, because it saw us transferring from a research and development company to a commercial entity. It’s a major milestone for us. Having Harper James by our side is reassuring, as they’ve helped us ensure all our documentation and sales terms are both fair and reasonable and led us through the sales process.
Harper James has been invaluable. They drafted the relevant agreements and gave us sound legal advice in an area that we did not have prior experience in. As a start-up, having advice and feedback from an organisation that specialises in early-stage enterprises was instrumental in us having the confidence to push forward with our product
The lawyers and their support team at Harper James are so accessible, down to earth and easy to deal with. They provide practical advice in a user-friendly format and we have the comfort of knowing there isn't a stopwatch ticking in the background racking up a huge bill.
Rana liaised with our clients solicitors in America and made sure all the i’s were dotted and t’s crossed. But it was more than that. It was important to have someone fighting our corner. I honestly don’t think we would have been taken as seriously had we not had the support we did.
As soon as I contacted them, and explained the support I required, they were responsive, on the case and quickly got a grasp of what I required.
The two contracts Harper James has been advising on were both major pieces of work worth tens of millions of pounds in potential business. The procurement process was therefore substantial, complicated and often onerous. Karen provided first-class support at all times. As a business, to move forward, we require a level of legal services which demonstrate an expert understanding, and Harper James delivers on that and more.
We were very happy with the service provided and knowing we can also access other specialised areas of legal services support, as and when we need them, is very reassuring.
Protect your business |
Future-proof your business from disputes and legal claims by including enforceable protections and limiting your liability in your terms of business.
Standardising your contracting terms |
Ensure certainty across all your third-party contractual relationships by creating standard terms of business.
Increase business efficiencies |
By having standard terms of business in place, your business can create streamlined and efficient processes which reflect those terms and minimises the risk of staff error.
Preserve cashflow |
A clear payment process in your terms of business can assist with your cashflow. It will ensure that third parties do not take advantage of relaxed payment terms and reduce the risk of you having to expend cash, for example on materials, before payment.
Save time and money |
Reduce management time and costs spent on collecting debts and dealing with future disputes by putting comprehensive written terms with third parties in place.
Build your reputation |
Contracting on fair, reasonable, and professional terms of business will increase your reputation with third parties, a particularly important consideration for start-ups and new business relationships.
Clarity as to which terms of business apply |
Uncertainty can arise as to which organisation’s terms of business apply and substitution by one party of their terms of business is possible. By understanding these risks and what you can do about them, your business is less likely to face unexpected liabilities and costs.
Ability to vary specific terms |
On occasion, it may be beneficial to amend or vary specific terms for particular projects or in relation to certain third-party relationships. If done correctly, this can be a fairly simply process where standard terms of business are already in effect.
Examples of our work
Why choose Harper James Solicitors?
As a law firm for entrepreneurial businesses, we understand that each business is unique and that the risks it faces depends on its size, structure, industry, and objectives. Our commercial solicitors have the technical knowledge and business insight to understand your business and advise accordingly.
We can support you at all stages of your business’ lifecycle, from start-up to established national company, advising on the optimum terms of business for your venture and minimising the risks that your business may face. And because we understand that the legal support you require will not just end at producing terms of business, we can also provide you with integrated business legal services. Whether you require specialist intellectual property advice, corporate governance support, data protection audits or employment law guidance, we can help.
Plus, many of the team here at Harper James Solicitors has worked in-house at major international businesses or at partner level in top 100 firms, and you get to access their wealth of experience starting from just £125 per hour. Discover more about the commercial team here:
