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Corporate Law Solicitors

Chattertons’ Corporate and Commercial team provides specialist legal advice to shareholders, directors, and businesses across the East Midlands. Whether you are starting, investing in, buying, or selling a business, need a commercial contract, are restructuring for operational, tax or estate planning purposes, or require guidance on any other corporate or commercial matter, our experienced lawyers deliver clear, commercially focused support that helps you achieve your objectives smoothly and cost‑effectively.

Our team is recommended in the Legal 500 UK, recognising our strong reputation, client service and sector expertise. Businesses choose us for our tailored approach, industry understanding and practical advice that allows you to run your organisation with confidence while we take care of the legal complexities.

As one of the largest regional law firms in the East Midlands, with eight offices across Lincolnshire and Newark, we offer a full-service package for businesses, including employment law, commercial property, data protection, and dispute resolution. This ensures you receive joined‑up, strategic support across all areas of your business.

We work with organisations of every size - from start‑ups and family‑run businesses to large national companies and multinational PLCs. Our lawyers have extensive experience across key sectors including agriculture, professional services, construction and development, manufacturing, and retail, ensuring our advice is commercially viable and aligned with your industry.

For commercially-minded legal advice for your business, please get in touch with out corporate lawyers in by contacting your local Chattertons office or completing our online enquiry form.

We cover a broad range of corporate and commercial law services for a variety of businesses in Lincolnshire and across East England.

Our corporate law expertise includes:

  • Business acquisitions, disposals and mergers - assets and shares
  • Business formation - Sole Traders, Limited Companies, Partnerships, LLPs and Management Companies
  • Investments - all types
  • Management buy-outs and buy-ins
  • Share option schemes
  • Company restructuring and demergers - share issues, capital reductions, buy‑backs
  • Joint venture agreements
  • Shareholders’, Partnership and LLP agreements
  • Partnership admissions and retirements
  • General corporate advisory

Our commercial law expertise includes:

  • Outsourcing projects
  • Commercial contracts
  • Logistics, trucking and haulage contracts
  • Renewable energy agreements - including PPAs
  • Franchising, agency and distributorship agreements - B2B and B2C
  • Website terms and conditions and privacy policies
  • Sales of goods and services - purchasing, production, marketing, selling, distribution, transport and service provision
  • Loan agreements and personal guarantees - business and non‑business, secured or unsecured
  • Independent legal advice on guarantees
  • Terms and conditions

From everyday commercial matters - such as contracts, regulatory compliance and data protection - to complex corporate transactions including mergers and acquisitions, management buy-outs, and business restructuring, we provide comprehensive legal support tailored to your business needs.

Being a large law firm, we can offer a number of related business services including:

  • Employment law
  • Property law
  • Business dispute resolution.

By offering this comprehensive business law services, we can provide our corporate clients with a seamless approach to their business and its affairs; one that takes account of a company’s individual characteristics, its personnel, and its way of working. Our business solicitors get to know this – quickly. And because we invest time in getting to understand your organisation as well as you do, you get the best advice on your deal or strategic step.

the uk legal 500

Chattertons Corporate & Commercial team is recommended in the Legal 500 and ranked as a Tier 3 firm within the East Midlands.

WHAT THE LEGAL 500 SAYS ABOUT US? 

Counting farms, agribusinesses and investment funds on its client roster, Chattertons is equipped to handle transactional work and contractual agreements. Anna Horrell heads up the practice from Stamford, and her expertise covers M&A matters, advising on buybacks and drafting funding and partnership agreements. Specialising in farming deals, Horrell’s caseload encompasses the property development and agriculture industries. In Lincoln, Stuart Newell is knowledgeable of M&A and shareholders agreements, often working for charities and agricultural businesses.

Testimonials

‘Anna Horrell was a consummate professional through the whole of our recent restructuring transactions. She kept us informed and reassured at every significant juncture.'

‘Anna Horrell heads the department and has to be one of the most commercially minded individuals I have come across in the legal sector. I have always been very impressed by her. ’

Clients often ask us...

Should I set up as a sole trader or a limited company?

This really depends on the nature and scale of your business. A sole trader and a limited company are different legal entities, so it is important to choose the right one. The main difference between the two is that a person operating as a sole trader is the business, whereas a director in a limited company has a degree of separation from it. A director in a limited company is, in some but not all situations, protected from personal liability in the event of something going wrong.

There can also be tax advantages of setting up as a limited company, as opposed to a sole trader. But there are also strict requirements when it comes to filing financial and other information, some of which will be accessible to the public. And, while a sole trader owns everything generated by their business, a company director does not - which means that more formal procedures need to be set up for paying a director’s salary.

Our corporate solicitors will be able to advise you on the options, help you make the right decision, and set up your business to operate on the best legal and commercial basis.

How can I make sure that the commercial arrangements I have got in place are the best ones for my business?

Many commercial arrangements are negotiated on start-up and simply continue with very few variations over the years. Our corporate solicitors advocate a different approach. Getting the best agreement in place at the outset is of course important, and it pays to understand your bargaining position and what your business needs. But it is also important to keep terms under regular review.

As corporate solicitors, we understand not just the legal obligations that businesses have but also the commercial scope for agreeing better terms with customers, suppliers, distributors, and contractors. And we work with our clients to audit their commercial agreements, spot where change is needed, and help negotiate more favourable arrangements.

I am worried that our business may not be legally compliant. What should I do?

Speak to one of our commercial solicitors. We have wide-ranging experience in helping businesses comply with the regulatory regimes that apply to them. Our team will review your existing documents and practices, and work with you to ensure that you are doing all you should, in the way that you should be doing it.

We also keep clients updated as relevant areas of corporate law change.

Do you advise directors?

Yes. In collaboration with Chattertons’ Wealth Management division, we advise directors on their business and on their own financial interests and wealth protection.

Should I protect the intellectual property in my business?

A great business concept, a product, a name, or logo can all be valuable assets and you should take steps to protect them, as you would your business premises, equipment, and personnel.

Talk to one of our corporate solicitors. We will advise on the best ways of looking after your intellectual property through trademarks, patents, or registered designs, and on the applicability of automatic protection through copyright, and design right.

We also represent clients who believe that their intellectual property rights have been breached, as well as those alleged to have breached the rights of someone else.

I am going into business with my brother. He says there is no need for a partnership agreement. Is he right?

No. Irrespective of how close your relationship is now, going into business with a family member, or a friend, has the potential to change things - sometimes for the better, but sometimes for the worse. Our corporate solicitors will help put in place the right agreement for your business. Typical terms should cover how the two of you are to make business decisions, how you are to be paid, and what should happen if things do not work out.

By having an agreement in place at the very beginning, you will be getting off on the right footing, creating certainty, and ultimately standing your business in good stead to succeed.

CONTACT OUR CORPORATE LAW SOLICITORS IN LINCOLN & GRANTHAM

If you would like to talk to one of our specialist corporate law solicitors in Grantham or Lincoln, please contact your local Chattertons office or complete our online enquiry form.