Commercial Solicitors in Bolton

We can advise on matters including payment terms, service levels, warranties, indemnities, limitations of liability, intellectual property, confidentiality, termination rights and dispute resolution provisions. The appropriate terms will depend on the particular transaction and commercial relationship.

We also review contracts provided by customers, suppliers and other counterparties before they are signed. This allows potentially significant obligations, restrictions or liability provisions to be identified and, where appropriate, negotiated before the business becomes contractually committed.

Every commercial relationship is different. Before drafting or reviewing an agreement, we consider what your business is providing or receiving, the commercial priorities, potential areas of exposure and how responsibility should be allocated between the parties.

Where another party has supplied its own contract, we can identify provisions that require amendment and negotiate changes on your behalf. Our aim is to ensure that the final agreement accurately records the commercial deal and provides appropriate contractual protection.

A partnership agreement can address matters including capital contributions, profit and loss sharing, drawings, management responsibilities, decision-making, admission of new partners and the circumstances in which a partner may leave the business.

We can also advise on provisions dealing with retirement, death or incapacity, valuation of a departing partner’s interest, restrictions following departure and procedures for resolving disagreements. Different considerations apply to general partnerships and limited liability partnerships.

We can prepare a new agreement or review an existing partnership arrangement where the business or ownership structure has changed. This may be appropriate where a new partner joins, responsibilities change or an existing partner is preparing to leave.

Where difficulties have already developed between partners, we can review the agreement and advise on the parties’ contractual position, available procedures and potential routes to resolving the dispute without unnecessarily disrupting the underlying business.

Employers are required to provide employees and workers with specified written information about their employment. The contract should also be consistent with the employer’s working practices and any relevant policies or procedures applying within the business.

We can advise on confidentiality provisions, intellectual property obligations and appropriate post-termination restrictions where the business has legitimate interests requiring protection. The enforceability of restrictive covenants depends on their wording and the circumstances in which they are used.

Existing contracts should also be reviewed when roles, remuneration structures or working arrangements change. Contractual changes need to be handled carefully because an employer cannot generally impose significant changes simply by rewriting the employee’s existing terms.

We can advise on proposed changes before they are implemented and help businesses identify where employee agreement or a wider consultation process may be required, reducing the risk of avoidable contractual and employment disputes.

We can advise on the length of the lease, rent review provisions, break rights, repairing obligations, permitted use, alterations, assignment and subletting. These provisions should be considered before the lease is completed rather than only when a problem later arises.

We also advise existing tenants on lease renewals, assignments, licences and proposed exits from commercial premises. Where landlord consent is required for a transaction, the lease terms and relevant legal requirements should be checked at an early stage.

Where a lease is already in place, we can advise on the rights and obligations that apply to a proposed assignment, subletting, alteration, renewal or termination. The correct procedure will depend on the wording of the lease and the circumstances.

Commercial property decisions often need to fit within wider business plans and transaction timetables. We focus on identifying the legal issues that materially affect the proposed occupation or transaction and dealing with them efficiently.

Many commercial disputes can be addressed through correspondence and negotiation without court proceedings. Depending on the circumstances, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution may also provide a practical route to settlement.

Where proceedings are necessary, we can advise on the claim or defence, the evidence required and the procedural steps involved. Costs, proportionality and the commercial effect of litigation should be considered alongside the underlying legal merits throughout the dispute.

Court proceedings are not always the most appropriate solution. Where there is a realistic opportunity to resolve matters commercially, we can negotiate with the other party or advise on mediation and other methods of dispute resolution.

Where litigation is required, we can help you prepare and progress the case while continuing to consider appropriate settlement opportunities. Our advice takes account of procedure, recoverability, costs and the wider commercial consequences for your business.