Company & Commercial Law

Our commercial solicitors provide excellent legal assistance to companies in South Yorkshire, North Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, helping them understand the finer details of company law.

Company law is central to every business. Regardless of your business venture, having an exceptional company lawyer who knows the ins and outs of company and commercial law is imperative. At Foys, we are here to safeguard your business interests and work with you to ensure that it is structured properly and protected duly in order to reach its maximum potential.

Whether you are running a start-up or a well-established company, our company law specialists can help your business to grow and develop, giving you the legal support you need to take your business further. We can also work with you to help your business change and adapt, allowing you to meet the opportunities presented in a competitive business environment.

The areas of company & commercial law we cover

Incorporations and start-ups

To even come into existence, new businesses and start-ups in the UK must adhere to several legal requirements – such as submitting valid registration documents.

Corporate Governance for limited companies

We can assist and advise on all aspects of the filing requirements that you are expected to make at Companies House, such as:

• Issuing and reclassification of shares
• Appointments and removal of Directors
• Acquisitions and disposals

As a complicated area of commercial law, acquisitions and disposals must be handled by professionals. This is not just due to the legal considerations, but also the financial and administrative implications of acquiring or disposing of a business. If such an arrangement is not handled by professionals who know what they are doing, then it can lead to severe consequences in the future. Foys’ solicitors have extensive experience when it comes to arranging for the acquisition and disposal of both businesses and shares and will also advise you on your banking arrangements for borrowing. Our team will also be able to advise you on asset and share transactions, personal guarantees and other security for loans.

Shareholder and partnership arrangements

When starting up a partnership or company, it is essential to set out the roles and responsibilities of the owners and the shareholders. While you may not foresee any potential conflicts or disagreements right now, that doesn’t mean that there won’t be problems in the future. To mitigate how much these issues can affect your business, adequately constructed partnership and shareholder agreements will clearly define the relationship between the company and its directors/shareholders. This includes the split in shares and profit, percentage of control, details on how to handle dispute resolution, and what to do in the event of shareholders and partners joining or leaving. We can help draft these agreements to ensure that your business interests will always be protected.

Company reorganisations

When a company has to reorganise, often to make a business more profitable or in preparation for an exit, it comes with a lot of different legal considerations. There are a number of areas in a company that can be affected by a reorganisation, including employment, tax and redundancy. To prepare and plan for such an undertaking, you need to consult with legal advisors. Our commercial law team have helped many companies work through the difficulties that come from reorganising and restructuring a company and we can advise on demergers and hive-ups where you may have a number of operations or places of business.

Transferring sole trader/partnership businesses into a limited company

When companies want to grow from sole trader and partnership to a limited company, then they have to be prepared for many changes to their company’s structure, including administrative, financial and tax-related changes. At Foys, we will advise you on everything that you need to do to make the transition to a limited company as stress-free as possible.

Commercial contracts

Our solicitors are contract specialists who will draft up legally binding agreements which cover every potentially to protect your business. 

We will advise on:

• Terms and conditions of business
• Contracts for the supply of goods/ services
• Settlement agreements
• Manufacturing agreements
• Distribution agreements
• Confidentiality agreements

How company & commercial law can help grow your business

While it is possible to see the terms used interchangeably, company and commercial law do refer to two distinct, but interrelated branches under broader business law.

Within the UK context, commercial law generally refers to ownership within the commercial landscape – such as ownership of properties, businesses, franchises, intellectual properties and the buying and selling of goods and services.

Company law, on the other hand, tends to refer to the regulations set out by the Companies Act 2006. It can often be referred to as ‘corporate law’. It covers the mediation of rights and duties between directors, shareholders, creditors and employers – and where accountability falls for these rights and duties. It also includes financial issues such as shares, capital, dividends and insolvency.

When considered together – along with the various acts, codes and legislation related to each branch of law – both of these fields of law combine to create a legal minefield for budding business owners. To navigate these issues, businesses will turn to solicitors like Foys who are experienced in both commercial law and company law.

Rely on Foys for solid commercial and company law advice

Good solicitors won’t just help you navigate legal issues and complications; they will also have a positive effect on your business’ growth and development.

Our team of company and commercial solicitors at Foys will help you to better understand the law by providing excellent legal advice that you can trust – allowing your business to reach its maximum potential.

Foys has been helping companies to reach this potential for nearly 50 years. So whether you require advice on how to start-up, restructure or expand your business, you can trust us to know the right answers.

Get in touch with our company and commercial experts by calling Max Kennedy on 01909 500 511. Max has over 25 years’ experience in corporate and commercial law and is known for his practical and commercial approach to all matters and jargon-free explanations.

This page was updated on 07/08/19.

Please note that although we use the word solicitor, your case could be carried out by a legal advisor, legal executive, conveyancer or paralegal depending on the nature of the case.