SERVICES
Corporate and commercial law is at the heart of our business and just as your business is your livelihood, commercial law is ours.
Whether you need support for a merger or acquisition, advice on a listing or just a simple business to business contract negotiation, our lawyers have a passion for business which means we understand that your business is not just your livelihood but may represent years of hard work. Our aim is to ensure you achieve your commercial goals which means we undertake to spend time in getting to know and understand your business we go further than simply providing good legal advice.
Our expert team of corporate and commercial lawyers can advise on most aspects of company law. From advising start ups on the issues around setting up a new company including shareholders’ agreements to more complicated arrangements for more developed businesses such as joint ventures, and private equity investments acting for both the investors and the founders. We can help with corporate restructuring and share buybacks and pride ourselves on our public markets’ experience whether it is preparing for an IPO or secondary market advice. We advise on all the recognised UK public markets, in particular we have a wealth of experience in relation to the Standard List of the Main Market, AIM and NEX. We have a thriving Mergers and Acquisitions practice acting for buyers and sellers on share and business sales and act in conjunction with our other specialists on most forms of business to business contracts.
Corporate and Commercial Law Specialists
You can find out more about each of our London based corporate and commercial lawyers in Our Team. Each of us have our own specialisms and between us we cover all aspects of corporate and commercial law, including:
- Joint Ventures and Shareholders’ Agreements
- Investment Agreements and Private Equity
- Acquisitions and Disposals of Shares and Businesses
- Standard List, AIM and Junior Market Listings
- Restructuring and Insolvency minority shareholder remedies
- Business to Business Contracts
We are extremely proud of our corporate and commercial team here at Smithfield Partners. Although we are based in the City of London, our horizons reach far beyond the limits of London. We have worked for varied and influential businesses, with clients ranging from small start-ups and partnerships to multinational companies with international reach.
Whatever corporate or commercial advice and support you are after, we can help. Do not risk putting your business in the hands of a firm who will just take you through the motions; our approach is partner led and personal.
The speedy resolution of commercial disputes is our speciality.
We will help you to avoid spiralling costs and disruption to your business. Our team will work tirelessly and passionately to get the outcome your business needs.
Types of case we cover include:
- Shareholder & partnership disputes
- Insolvency
- Contractual
- Fraud & asset recovery
- Property disputes
- Professional negligence
- Construction
- Defamation
- Debt recovery & enforcement of security
- Contested probate & wills
We pursue many cases with a significant international element, but we are also at home resolving smaller disputes for small businesses.
Whether you own, rent or deal in property, are looking to take your first lease of business premises or are interested in developing an industrial site, our dedicated commercial property team based in the City of London will be happy to assist.
Our commercial property expertise includes acting in connection with any of the following:
- Commercial landlord and tenant matters from licences to occupy to all types of Leases, surrenders, lease extensions, exercise of rights to break leases acting from both a landlord and tenant standpoint;
- Renewals and termination of Leases arising from mutually agreed terms and in connection with the statutory procedure set out by the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954;
- Rent review procedures and documenting the same once agreement has been reached;
- Dealing with applications for consent to assign, sublet, make alterations to leasehold premises;
- Acquisition and sale of all types of commercial property including acting for Liquidators, Trustees in Bankruptcy and Receivers;
- Due diligence involved when selling or buying assets held by a company on an asset or share sale working in conjunction with our company commercial team;
- Residential property sales, purchases and refinances;
- Preparation of legal packs for property for sale at Auction and from the other perspective of reviewing legal packs for potential buyers prior to Auction;
- Options to purchase both freehold and leasehold property;
- Conditional contracts for sale subject to the grant of planning permission and other case specific conditionality;
- Deeds that create new rights that enhance the use of land and also the release or variation of rights and restrictions affecting land in order to free up land for development or a change of use;
- Securing a sellers right to receive future payments following a sale out of the potential future uplift value of land following its development by means of Overage;
- Review of Statutory Agreements in respect of planning matters including section 106 Agreements, Unilateral Undertakings, Highways Agreements as well as preparing and approving water, gas and electricity Wayleave Agreements;
- Acting for Lender or Borrower in respect of completion of the loan facilities required to assist with acquisition of property and its development including handling loans from the major institutional banks to private lenders including bridging loans.
Whether you are looking to sell, purchase or remortgage our dedicated residential property team will be happy to assist.
Our residential property expertise includes acting in connection with any of the following:
- Sale of property
- Purchase of property
- Re-mortgages
- Transfer of property
- Gifts of property
- Trusts
- Leasehold/freehold/new build/shared ownership
- Lease extension
- Right to buy
- Purchase at auction
Smithfield Partners work in close partnerships with agents to ensure trouble free transations. We work hard to provide a friendly, approachable and efficient service.
You can be reassured that our team of professionals will ensure you are kept informed and reassured throughout your transaction.
From experience clients are reassured to have a local Solicitor who they can contact easily and who offers a personal service.
Benefits of using our services:
- We work in close partnership with you so the transaction runs more smoothly.
- We can meet clients locally if need be or correspondence can be dealt with by letter or email.
- Quotes will be sent out in 24hrs.
- Paperwork will be issued within 24hrs of instruction.
- Draft contracts will be issued within 48hrs of paperwork.
- Searches will be ordered within 24hrs of receiving a plan from the seller’s solicitors (as long as clients have provided £300.00 on account).
We are members of CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme), LMS, Lender Exchange and we can act for the majority of lenders.
Click here for Residential Conveyancing Pricing
If you would like to discuss a new transaction please feel free to call on (Luton) 01582 368690 or (Chalfont St. Peter, Gerrards Cross) 01753 910336
Smithfield Partners meet the needs of the emerging and dynamic UK and European online and land-based gaming and gambling industry, offering specialist advice and business solutions.
We aim to provide customized legal and administrative support, representing all participants in the industry including casinos, online operators, product manufacturers and providers, lottery vendors and operators, sweepstakes and charities. We also represent other parties such as investors, lenders and vendors that have gaming related issues.
Our services include:
- Regulatory advice
- Obtaining licenses and managing relations with regulators on an international basis
- Obtaining licenses for gambling premises
- License compliance
- Advising on corporate transactions in the sector (such as M&A, private equity investments, joint ventures, legal due diligence etc)
- Advising on commercial structures for the exploitation of gambling opportunities (e.g., white-label, partnerships and affiliate arrangements)
- Negotiating and drafting commercial agreements
- Advising on suitable jurisdictions for online operators from a tax and technical perspective
- Advertising, marketing and sponsorship arrangements
- Assisting clients in tenders and negotiations and drafting of concession agreements with the State
- Advising on company structuring and tax issues
- Protecting the Intellectual property of casinos, gaming equipment manufacturers and online gaming websites
- Advising on advertising issues
- GDPR compliance
Employment law issues are an integral part of the operation of any business and individuals’ working lives.
At Smithfield Partners, not only do we have the technical expertise to advise on complex employment law issues we have the experience to properly identity our clients’ objectives in the round and then provide pragmatic commercial solutions.
Working closely with our colleagues across the firm we provide guidance on all legal issues relating to staffing matters, including:
- Day to day HR guidance;
- Dispute resolution, both internally and in the courts, particularly involving senior executives/employee shareholders, restrictive covenants and team moves;
- The employment aspects of all forms of corporate transactions and restructurings;
- Employee incentive arrangements (including profit share and equity based schemes); and
- Commercial arrangements for the engagement of staff that fall outside of the standard employment model, including complex consultancy /services arrangements, including those with a significant IP and/or multinational dimension.
With thousands of companies registering as insolvent in the UK each year, unfortunately insolvency is the destiny of many businesses, particularly in tough economic times.
On the bright side, financial difficulties do not always have to lead to insolvency.
There are many options available to a struggling business and our restructuring and Insolvency lawyers will work with you to find the right solution.
Business Insolvency Specialists
Our Business Insolvency lawyers represent Insolvency Practitioners, lenders, companies and their directors. The team has extensive experience in:
- Administrations
- Business sales in Administration
- Company Voluntary Arrangements
- Company liquidation advice
- Administrative Receiverships and Law of Property Act Receiverships
- Advising creditors in relation to recovery
Personal Insolvency
Our team also has extensive experience in individual insolvency situations and in particular in:
- Individual Voluntary Arrangements
- Bankruptcy cases
- Arrangements with creditors
Property related insolvency and refinancing
We also have in depth experience in negotiating with particular lenders and bridging lenders in relation to the refinancing of property portfolios and our Insolvency lawyers work in conjunction with our Property specialists, often in restricted timeframes to assist clients in refinancing and the restructuring of debt.
Managing Conflicts with Creditors
Financial problems do not have to mean the end of your business even if creditor litigation threatens or debt covenants have been breached and insolvency seems imminent.
We can help you find a practical solution, including negotiating with your creditors or defending your business from threats of litigation or winding-up petitions. There may be sound legal reasons why a bill remains unpaid and we can help you assess the merits of any defence.
When you contact our insolvency and debt recovery specialists in our Central London offices, we will explore the different options available to you, which will depend on how your business is structured and the level of individual personal financial commitment. If insolvency is unavoidable we have the expertise to support and guide you through the process.
Debt Recovery
At Smithfield Partners we also provide debt recovery services for creditors.
To assist with debt recovery, we can devise a structured credit control strategy for your business and help you implement it. You will control the entire process and only pass cases to us at a suitable, usually pre-determined, stage that is appropriate to your resources.
We have the debt recovery experience to apply significant pressure to difficult customers while avoiding unnecessary damage to ongoing relationships. If debt recovery issues cannot be resolved amicably, we can take your credit control process to the next level by enforcing debts through commercial litigation. This may even involve applications for winding-up debtor companies.
We have also had considerable success in securing favorable outcomes for clients with exposure to insolvency proceedings and we also represent a number of top 20 insolvency practitioners.
Advising a diverse range of clients across the full spectrum of insolvency means we are able to provide a comprehensive debt recovery and insolvency service.
We may be a City of London law firm, but our insolvency and debt recovery team are the most approachable and commercially focused lawyers you will are likely to meet. We will not simply process your file through a detached case management system. Our advice is tailored to your individual circumstances and we are dedicated to providing a personal service which you will rarely find at a City law firm. If you would like more information, contact us today. If you prefer, you can contact one of our insolvency and debt recovery specialists directly viewing their profile.
Our IP and technology law team are passionate, technical experts who will work with you to understand the complex and dynamic nature of your business’ intellectual property.
We cover all aspects of IP and technology law, including brand management, IP licensing, IT and software contracts.
Smithfield’s is very aware of the pace and exciting development brought about by Digital 2.0 as well as the legal challenges its brings. We would very much welcome enquiries from organisations, including academic institutions, who would like to discuss about us coming on board to advise from a very early stage of research and development.
Likewise, the significant development of the renewable energy market is posing new IP and Technology Law issues as well as the growth of green investment. Our IP, Technology Law as well as corporate and commercial advisors welcome your enquiries.
Smithfield cover media rights- copyright including music; publishing; media branding, format and image rights; and regulatory issues.
We deal with all aspects of the breakdown of relationships whether you are married, in a civil partnership or co-habiting.
We understand that this can be one of the most upsetting and bewildering processes that many people go through in their lives, and we are able to support you through each stage.
Our work includes:
- Divorce and dissolution of civil partnerships
- Advising on and preparing financial settlements, including in high net value financial disputes
- Dealing with ownership of family businesses
- Arrangements for children
We support early resolution of all issues through mediation and negotiation wherever possible, but if court cannot be avoided we will ensure you have the best representation to ensure that your rights are respected.
Smithfield’s Mining and Energy Metals practice includes lawyers with experience in all aspects of commodities transactions – from exploration through to development and production.
Having worked with major, mid-cap, and junior mining companies, we are able to provide an industry-focused approach tailored to the underlying asset and the size of in-country operations.
We possess a commercial and holistic understanding of the legal and practical challenges that the industry faces, particularly when operating in developing or emerging markets, namely fluctuating market conditions, political risk, and regulatory uncertainty.
Our clients include listed mining and energy companies and private limited companies located both domestically and abroad. Smithfield has worked with companies in a number of jurisdictions including Zambia, the United States, South America and Kazakhstan. The team has assisted businesses dealing in a range of raw materials, including base, non-ferrous, and precious metals as well as other minerals.
Most recently the firm has engaged with the following commodities:
- Gold
- Copper
- Coal
- Vanadium
- Rare earth
In terms of our energy experience, we have expertise in advising companies conducting extraction and survey expedition activities, including shale re-fracking and hydrogen exploration. Given the growing focus on sustainability and responsible sourcing we have found ourselves increasingly involved in energy recovery post disposal, particularly renewables and waste-to-energy enterprises.
Law with a Personal Touch
Our partners and solicitors pride themselves on providing the advice and support you. We build close working relationships with our clients and in your time of need we are the legal experts to have in your corner.
If you need legal advice, get in touch today by calling +44 (0)845 539 1000. Alternatively, complete our online enquiry form and we will get back to you.
Your Partner in Legal Matters
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