Our expert team has experience of assisting businesses from start-up through to incorporation, expansion, first tier funding and ultimately to assisting in the chosen exit route. The team has seen significant growth in its client base ranging from SMEs to international clients with UK commercial interests. We aim to provide our business clients with strategic commercial advice to enable them to consider and manage their legal and commercial risks.
Before we undertake work for you, our team will aim to fully understand your business and its objectives and will go beyond providing the legal documentation. We want to assist in the successful development and growth of your business, manage risk and safeguard key components of your business. We work to meet your time-scales and provide pro-active advice to help you drive your business forward.
The team is recognised locally as being one of the leaders in the field and over the past five years has seen a significant increase in the number of transactions handled. The 2016 Chambers UK legal directory ranks the team in Band 1 in East Anglia for Corporate/M&A work for SMEs and Owner Managed businesses. Our services include:
- Buying and selling businesses including management buy outs
- Corporate restructure, reorganisations and mergers
- Venture Capital, Angel Investor, crowd-funding and other funding sources
- Banking and finance agreements
- Partnerships
- Shareholder agreements, share buy-backs and option
- Bespoke supply agreements for products, services and digital content
- Distribution and agency agreements
- IT and software agreements
- E-Commerce and E-Marketplace terms and agreements
- Intellectual Property protection and licence agreements
- Data protection and privacy law
- Media, publishing and entertainment contracts
- Consultancy and sub-contractors agreements
- Distribution and agency agreements
- Insolvency & Corporate Recovery
- Franchising
If you have a commercial dispute, our team is able to deal with a full range of matters including commercial contracts, commercial litigation, patents, copyright and intellectual property infringement, passing off, breach of confidence, Injunction proceedings, representative and multi-party actions, construction disputes, defamation and trade libel. To dicuss a commercial dispute, contact Mike Barlow.
Reported deals:
Leathes Prior assist shareholders of Rent4sure in sale to PIB Group
Leathes Prior act on acquisition of multi-award winning publication, The New European, from Archant
Advised on the merger of Stellar Global Ltd and Mash Staffing Holdings Limited.
The sale of Salix River & Wetland Services.
Advise Angling Direct plc on £5.5 million fund raise
Advise owners of Chells Instruments Ltd in sale to SDI Group
Assist in sale of Broads Tours
Assisted on management buyout of Greensleeves Lawn Care.
Assist Angling Direct buy out Erics Angling Centre
Advising Almary Green on its merger with Smith & Pinching Group
Advising on sale of Jack Richards & Son Limited
Advising on sale to management of Mayday Office Equipment Services Limited
Advising Angling Direct Plc on its AIM floatation
Thanks to Alex for stewarding this deal so professionally and speedily. We couldn’t have got there without him and LP!”
Working with Leathes Prior is an absolute joy. They are small enough to deliver personal service but large enough to have a team of lawyers with experience and well connected enough to help us network around the business community.
I am not sure where we would be without the Corporate Team at Leathes Prior Solicitors! The team are firmly embedded within the company – supporting us at every stage – having a positive impact on the business in areas I never thought Corporate Lawyers could affect.
From start to finish Paul and Nina were in complete control of our affairs offering nothing short of perfection in communication to complete the acquisition of my company
Since employing the services of Leathes Prior some 15 years ago to handle the MBO on mine and my colleagues behalf the service provided has been second to none. Whether it be advice regarding employment law, commercial & corporate matters on every occasion the professionalism has been exemplary as well as being very approachable and with a ‘never too much trouble’ attitude. I would without any hesitation whatsoever recommend Leathes Prior’
I found Richard and Nina to always strike that perfect balance of taking care of my position and being practical and commercial at the same time; advising me on which issues really were worth fighting for and which ones really did not matter. They were always timely and responsive, and their proposed weekly zoom call with the buyer and their solicitors, meant that issues that arose got quickly resolved. It was a complex transaction which completed spot on time with no last minute hitches or dramas.
Alex, Jack and the team at Leathes Prior were extremely professional, efficient and supportive throughout the whole sale process. They went the extra mile to ensure that the shareholders fully understood the process, legal implications and the associated risks and worked tirelessly to ensure that the deal went through as smoothly as possible.
Just a quick email to say how pleased we have been with the quality of service that Alex Saunders and Jack Horwitz have provided in selling our business. They have at all times been efficient, professional and courteous, providing us with a top class service.
I found Jack to be very professional and very polite. All work was completed in time with no delays. Overall, I was impressed with the services provided by Leathes Prior Solicitors. Thank you.
I really do feel like the team at Leathes Prior would be able to help in any situation. They understand the time pressures of companies and provide no-nonsense commercial advice.
I am extremely grateful to Nina Ryan and Leathes Prior Solicitors for their legal advice and guidance during the sale of my shareholding in a private company. Thanks to them the terms of the sale were successfully negotiated, the legal work efficiently executed and a timely completion achieved. I am very satisfied with the outcome.
One of the region's most respected teams.
Leathes Prior’s practice has a strong reputation in Norfolk.
An excellent team handling a range of M&A, MBOs and other corporate matters, including advisory work concerning EIS investment matters. Offers increasing international capabilities and expertise in handling sales involving overseas companies. Very knowledgeable and they're nice to deal with.
Extremely professional and easy to deal with.
The Corporate Team has been recognised for its experience in a range of areas including M&A, MBOs and group reorganisations. They are commercial, practical, and they deal with things promptly.
This excellent Norwich practice is commended by clients for its pragmatic, innovative and cost-effective service. The group acts primarily for private limited companies on middle-tier M&A transactions across a range of sectors.
Leathes Prior consistently impresses clients thanks to corporate partner Paul Warman.
They are commercial, practical and they deal with things promptly.
Clients report superb responsiveness, care, diligence, integrity and business acumen of Leathes Prior’s Paul Warman and rising star Richard Guthrie.
Straightforward, helpful and commercial, considerable corporate and commercial experience and particular expertise in the private healthcare, packaging and print industries.
Responsive and reliable.
Team head Paul Warman has more than 25 years’ experience in corporate law and along with Richard Guthrie, form one of the region’s most respected teams.
Excellent team handling a range of M&A transactions across the region. Growth within the team enables the practice to provide a full service to clients both locally and nationally from its single Norwich base.
