Commercial Contract Disputes Lawyer

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If you’re a business owner, company director, or other party to a business deal gone wrong, our experienced commercial contract dispute litigators can help.

The commercial litigation team at Helix Law are frequently instructed in business-to-business contract disputes, including:

Breach of Contract: Issues have arisen relating to time, cost, or quality following the sale or supply of goods or services;
Sale/Purchase Agreements: A dispute has arisen over what was agreed or has been performed or provided, or where there is a breach of a term, warranty or indemnities within the agreement;
Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A): For example, where earn-out payments have not been made and have been reneged on, or where other rights and obligations have not been complied with or performed;
License Agreements: There has been a breach of the contract or unlawful conduct causing loss;
Joint Venture Agreement (JVAs), Investor and Shareholder-Related Litigation: Where a joint venture has gone wrong.

We handle all types of commercial contract disputes at every stage of the process.

At the outset, we review and advise you on your position.

We’ll maximise your leverage in the dispute and apply pressure to position you on the front foot in negotiations.

On your behalf, we can negotiate settlements and formalise agreements.

Helix Law works hard to position you for the best possible outcome in transactions ranging from handshake deals to complex written commercial contracts.

We are frequently instructed by companies with millions or tens of millions of pounds of assets across multiple countries and jurisdictions.

If you’ve already performed your side of the deal and something has or hasn’t happened as agreed, we’re well-placed to assist you.

Helix is one of the largest specialist litigation teams in the South East of England.

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Our experienced litigation team has commercial acumen and treats your problem as our own.

We’re used to forcing people and companies to do what they should do or have agreed to in commercial arrangements.

If people and/or companies have acted inappropriately, we’re experienced in holding them to account.

We pursue opponents with a degree of precision and effectiveness that aims to challenge City-level firms of solicitors.

With our coal face experience, we understand the psychology of disputes, applying pressure on your behalf to out-position opponents and force them into a zone of settlement.

We will take whatever steps are necessary and available to us to achieve your commercial aims.

We use all the commercial litigation tools available in our arsenal to achieve exceptional outcomes—from commercial injunctions to forcing the sale of property and assets such as shares.

Contact Helix Law’s expert commercial contract and litigation team today. We aim to respond to all queries within an hour.

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What is Contract Law in a Business context?

From deal points scratched out on a napkin to complex multiparty agreements, commercial contracts between companies and individuals are an essential part of doing business.

Any time you exchange money for goods or services, it’s a form of contract.

Business contracts between companies or between companies and individuals can be just as straightforward but frequently require a far more nuanced approach than a simple cash exchange.

Many types of agreements can be legally binding — including verbal and handshake deals.

Well-drafted written contracts are preferable as they help prevent disputes from occurring in future.

However, even the most expertly drawn-up commercial agreement can end up with parties in dispute or in breach.

Many commercial contract disputes eventually wind up in court, although typically as a last resort.

In cases that end up in litigation, business contract law prevails.s

Business Contracts

From simple transactions exchanging money for goods or services to complex Mergers and Acquisitions or Joint Venture deals, the varying permutations of business contracts are virtually endless.

Frequently, legislation implies terms into a contract that parties may not have anticipated or even been aware of until a dispute arises.

Wherever possible, having an expertly drafted written contract is the best way to do business — whether it’s a deal between companies or companies and individuals.

Examples of business contracts in day-to-day use include:

Non-Disclosure or Confidentiality Agreements (NDAs)
Services Agreements
Subcontracting Agreements

What follows is a summary of the types of commercial contract disputes where Helix Law frequently takes instructions from clients.

Sales and Purchase Agreements (SPA)

Whether it’s a straightforward exchange of money for property or a more sophisticated transaction, a Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA) sets out the terms each party must fulfil to finalise a purchase contract.

SPAs are frequently used by buyers and sellers of property, company stock, and other assets.

An expertly drafted SPA protects all parties to the transaction by making the expectations of each party transparent and clear.

From standard purchase orders to business acquisitions, an SPA can help avoid disputes and provide a framework for resolution if a disagreement occurs.

In addition to payment considerations, SPAs frequently contain restrictive covenants that prohibit specific actions on the part of the buyer or seller.

Care must be taken to ensure any such covenants do not violate anti-competition regulations or other statutory requirements.

Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)

Companies often purchase or merge with other businesses as part of their growth strategy.

Similarly, Management Buyouts (MBOs) and Management Buy-Ins (MBIs) can reinvigorate a company by incentivising new ownership to fast-track growth.

Acquisitions, mergers, and disposals of public and private limited companies
Acquisitions, mergers, and disposal of businesses and assets
Cross border transactions
MBOs and MBIs

Joint Venture Agreements (JVAs)

Joint Venture Agreements are contracts between two or more parties that agree to collaborate to achieve common commercial goals.

Sharing expertise and other resources, as well as potentially mitigating risk, makes JVAs an attractive choice for separate legal entities—like limited companies and individuals—who wish to collaborate on a specific project or purpose.

JVAs are often temporary and specify tangible goals.

There is no defined legal structure for Joint Ventures in the UK, and JVAs often take the form of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), partnerships, or collaboration agreements.

Depending on how the JVA is structured, it may be subject to corporate and partnership law.

Many smaller companies enter into verbal Joint Venture agreements, which is not recommended.

The less defined the desired outcomes of a collaboration, the more likely there is to be a dispute.

Helix Law has considerable experience with all types of JVAs — as well as resolving Joint Venture disputes.-

Joint Venture Agreements (JVAs)

Joint Venture Agreements are contracts between two or more parties that agree to collaborate to achieve common commercial goals.

JVAs are often temporary and specify tangible goals.

There is no defined legal structure for Joint Ventures in the UK, and JVAs often take the form of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), partnerships, or collaboration agreements.

Depending on how the JVA is structured, it may be subject to corporate and partnership law.

Many smaller companies enter into verbal Joint Venture agreements, which is not recommended.

The less defined the desired outcomes of a collaboration, the more likely there is to be a dispute.

Helix Law has considerable experience with all types of JVAs — as well as resolving Joint Venture disputes.

Licensing Agreements

Companies and individuals often license the use of intellectual property (IP) to other parties in exchange for royalties or other compensation.

Licensing agreements are commonly used for many types of IP, including:

Brand names and logos
Software
Music, film, artwork, and photography

A well-drafted licensing agreement will clearly set out the terms for the use of IP and will establish a framework we can use to assist you in claiming compensation if something goes wrong.

Breaches of licensing agreements occur frequently, and damages can be challenging to assess and collect.

Employment and Freelance Contracts

Unless a business is small or closely held, it’s likely to have employees on staff and/or freelance contractors.

Helix Law’s expert Employment Law team helps companies and business owners navigate the ever-evolving challenges of Employment Contracts, contractor agreements, Employment Tribunal Claims or other employee disputes.

Typically, we only represent employers and contractors in disputes — not employees, including where an employee has left a company and protection is needed to protect trade secrets and proprietary information.

Breach of Contract

Well-drafted written contracts reduce the risk of disputes and litigation.

Even then, breaches of contract happen.

Breaches can often be remedied through negotiation, but the tactical threat and delivery of pursuing a dispute can be important in forcing a compromise — particularly if one or more parties has failed to fulfil the contract or acted in bad faith.

Our commercial litigation team has extensive experience in breach-of-contract disputes and litigation that has been hard-fought for decades.

We’re well-prepared to use all of the legal weapons at our disposal to achieve a favourable outcome for our clients.

When it stacks up for you (and for us), we’re happy to consider no-win, no-fee agreements and alternative funding options in commercial litigation.

Contact Helix Law’s Commercial Contract Litigation Team Today

Whether you’re in the early stages of negotiating a business contract dispute or you find yourself in a more complex situation, our team can help.

Our expert commercial litigation team acts nationwide and has extensive experience in all types of commercial contract disputes.

Fill out our Contact Form today, and we’ll happily get back to you with an initial assessment of your situation at no obligation to you.

We aim to respond to all queries within an hour.

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Excellent support and advice at very reasonable cost. They would definitely be my first port of call if I ever had a similar problem, and I would highly recommend. They saved me thousands and untold stress and worry.

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Brendan and the Staff at Helix Law handled a particularly difficult case for us, they provided an excellent service and I can highly recommend using this company

Very useful getting counsel from Sam on a tricky matter – he certainly knew his stuff. 🙂 Matter successfully handled, and i would not hesitate to use Helix Law again or indeed recommend.

Very swift response and helpful advice by Alex Cook, most importantly this is clearly a business with integrity – would definitely recommend!

I spoke at length with their partner Alex Cook about a very complicated litigation case. He was very helpful and quite candid with his advice. I have worked with many lawyers some in the top 500 listings, but found him to be very knowledgable and competent,I personally wouldn’t have any hesitation in recommending him .

Commercial Contract Dispute Lawyer