Start up

If you are on the brink of setting up a business then your focus is likely to be on key issues like securing the money you need to get off the ground, finding premises from which to trade, recruiting members of staff and building a loyal customer base.

However, also on your list of priorities should be speaking to a lawyer about the legal obligations you will assume as a business owner, the documents needed to regulate your relationship with investors, employees, customers and suppliers and the steps you can take to protect yourself against known or foreseeable risks.

Many new business owners see these things as optional extras, which only need to be thought about further down the line or in the event a problem arises. Running a business can be a minefield and you will save yourself considerable time, money and stress by getting your legal affairs in order from the outset.

At IMD Corporate, our commercial solutions team specialise in helping start-ups to arrange their affairs so that when you open for business you are armed with everything you need to operate as safely, securely and profitably as possible.

We are readily accessible, with lawyers based in several offices across the UK and Europe and can offer most services on a fixed-fee basis so costs are predictable.

How we can help

Our service includes:

• a business review to ascertain you legal requirements, including the need for regulatory approval where you intend to operate in a controlled area;
• considerations of whether your business activities involve the collection, use and storage of personal data belonging to individuals within the UK or EU and is so the steps you need to take to ensure you comply with data protection laws;
• help with intellectual property protection where your business is based on a novel idea, a unique design or a new innovation which requires safeguarding;
• the drafting of a partnership agreement where you intend to work alongside one or more co-owners under a partnership arrangement;
• the drafting of a shareholders agreement and other corporate governance documents where you intend to operate as a company; and
• the drafting of commercial contracts, including terms and conditions of sale.

We can also refer you to our employment team for help with drafting employment contracts and director’s service agreements and to our corporate team for help in establishing a company, LLP or registered charity.