Big fish. Little fish. Local. National. International. We speak the lingo on your behalf.
Key areas of our "Commercial Law" services
We assist clients with a range of Commercial Agreements including:
Web and Software Development
Letters of Intent
Joint Ventures
Distribution Agreements
Channel Strategies
Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreements
Loan Facilities
Supply Terms & Conditions and a Variety of Contracting Arragements
We assist clients to set up corporate structures including proprietary and listed companies, discretionary and unit trusts. We provide company legal advice in respect to:
Mergers and Acquisitions
Purchase and Sale of Private Companies
Due Diligence
Shareholders Agreements
Unit Trust Deeds
Chairing Board Meetings and Maintaining Company Records
Buying and Selling a Business
Key points to know about "Commercial Law"
Buying or selling a business is a significant life and business decision. It’s important that you protect your interests, either as a seller or purchaser, both before, during and after the transaction. Know what you’re buying, ensure the business sale and purchase agreement reflects this, and make sure the agreement is adhered to by all parties.
The first area in which a business lawyer can assist when purchasing a business is with due diligence. This means investigating the business to check what you are really purchasing. Are you purchasing a business which the owner says has a large number of contracted clients? If so you need to have your lawyer check that those contracts are in place, and are not easily terminated.
Both the seller and buyer need a lawyer to advise them on the sale of business agreement. Generally the seller’s lawyer will draft the sale of business agreement and the buyer’s lawyer will review the document. If necessary the lawyers can then assist with the negotiation process.
Although there are many important clauses in a sale of business agreement, perhaps the most important ones relate to (i) what’s being included in the business sale, (ii) how much the business will be sold for, (iii) when the purchase monies will be payable, (iv) what protections are offered to the purchaser in the event that the business is not as successful as initial made out, and (v) non-compete clauses.
A non-compete clause is important to protect your business purchase. You need to ensure that the seller cannot set up a new business, close to you, with a similar name, and try to take their old clients. Non-compete clauses can be considered in detail in court. A lawyer can assist you to draft a cascading non-compete clause that is more likely to be upheld and to protect you.