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Contract Lawyers

Commercial contracts can be complex and require cross-sector specialism and a firm that understands domestic and international trade, market conditions and other impacts on your business’ supply chain.  As specialist commercial lawyers understand that not every contract needs to be complex and have the skills to translate complex requirements into clear and concise documents.   

Our commercial contract solicitors invest time in understanding our clients’ businesses and how they operate to identify potential risks and offer pragmatic solutions. 

We provide clear, commercial, and pragmatic advice and assistance.  Our ethos is to work closely alongside our clients to identify creative solutions to their business needs and draft commercial contracts tailored to their unique requirements. 

Our commercial contract lawyers ensure that contract terms are carefully drafted to cater for revenue, title, risk, liability and each party’s respective obligations, whilst also identifying that many of our clients’ requirements go beyond the terms of a written contract. 

We are here to help ensure your business has rock solid contracts in place allowing your business to flourish and have long term success. We write new business contracts for you and review existing ones ensuring that all your contracts are watertight allowing you more time to focus on running your business. 

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Who We Can Help

OMEs, SMEs and FTSE 100 Businesses

We act for manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, customers and agents ranging from OMEs, SMEs to FTSE 100. We have clients from a wide variety of industries and businesses ranging from turnover in the thousands to the millions. Whatever the size of your business, Our sector expertise demonstrates our industry-specific knowledge.

Technology Businesses

Our commercial lawyers also have a wealth of experience advising and assisting businesses on IT-related legal issues, including in relation to regulatory technology sector (RegTech) and the financial technology sector (FinTech).

In-House Legal Teams

We understand the demands placed on in-house legal counsel and our highly experienced team of commercial layers have a proven track record of working with in-house counsel to provide flexible eternal legal support, from contract drafting, reviews to internal reporting on commercial positions and deviations. We are also able to support in the creation of precedent contract suites.

Start-Ups

Supporting start-ups from their inception means we can work with our clients to create solid foundations that allow their business to grow and develop and expand into other territories.

International Businesses

Our connections with MSI means we are perfectly placed to ensure our clients get the international specialist support they need when expanding into other territories, we work in harmony with lawyers around the globe to ensure a harmonious approach is taken to their business operations.

Get in touch with Myerson Solicitors

Testimonials

Why Work With Our Commercial Team

  • We provide a partner-led service to ensure you receive the best commercial legal advice and support.
  • We have a large and proactive commercial team which can meet your deadlines.
  • You will receive city-quality commercial legal advice and commercial services at regional prices.
  • As part of a full-service commercial law firm, our commercial solicitors work closely with our Dispute Resolution, Employment, and Commercial Property departments to provide our clients with a seamless service.
  • We have been ranked as a Top Tier law firm by the Legal 500 for the last seven years and recognised as a Top 200 Law Firm in 2022.
  • Our commercial solicitors are easy to deal with and understand that a common-sense approach is often required.
  • We give our clients an estimate of the costs involved in undertaking any work at the outset and provide cost updates regularly.
  • We understand that each matter is unique to your circumstances and that you need support from a commercial lawyer experienced in dealing with various clients and types of work.
  • We are a full-service law firm operating from a one-site office, which means our teams communicate effectively and efficiently.
  • Our commercial team use the latest technology to ensure that we are working as efficiently as possible and that geographical distance does not prevent us from providing excellent legal advice and client service.

Contact Our Commercial Team

Commercial Contracts Experience

Managed IT Services Agreement

We have acted for several large regional providers of managed IT services, drafting B2B terms and conditions for supplying such services. The agreements we have prepared cater for the unique service levels arrangements and business continuity plans.

Consultancy Services Agreement

We prepared a pro-customer consultancy services agreement governing the provision of regulatory compliance and consultancy services in the biocidal and pesticide sector.

International Manufacturing and Supply Agreement

We negotiated and drafted the terms of a manufacturing and supply of goods agreement between a large UK manufacturer and a well-known international mattress supplier.

Supply of Goods

We prepared purchase terms for the supply and purchase of lateral flow test products and kits. The supply of the goods is the start of a larger supply chain and therefore our client needed to ensure that it’s orders for the supply of the goods were managed to alleviate risks further in the supply chain and that it could meet its delivery deadlines and product volumes ordered by its customers.

Outsourced Supply Agreement

We acted for a large construction company with their outsourced supply agreement. As the customer, our client wanted to ensure that third parties it engaged with to provide goods and services to it were procured on a unified contractual basis. Further, we also prepared a simplified Services Contract for smaller procurements.

Software and Services

We have acted for a variety of clients procuring and implementing software and software services within their business including bespoke software development. For more information on our IT services see our pages here.

COVID-19 Testing Providers

We act for various clients operating in life sciences, including those providing wellness and cancer testing kits and services, COVID 19 lateral flow tests and PCR tests and services. We have assisted with drafting the terms and conditions for the supply of goods (testing kits) and laboratory testing services, disclaimers, and provided ongoing advice on Government regulations and guidance issued by the Competition Markets Authority.

Meet Our Commercial Solicitors

Home-grown or recruited from national, regional or City firms. Our specialists are experts in their fields and respected by their peers.

Carla Murray v2

Carla Murray

Carla is a Partner and Head of our Commercial Team

Karam final

Karam Bhatti

Karam Bhatti is a Solicitor in our Commercial Team

Richard M

Richard Meehan

Richard is a Senior Associate in our Commercial Team

Liv W final

Olivia Whittaker

Olivia is an Associate in our Commercial Team

Abbie L

Abbie Lyon

Abbie is a Legal PA in our Commercial Team

Commercial Contract FAQs

What should a supply of goods contract include?

Contracts supplying goods to consumers or businesses will require different terms, as consumers are entitled to enhanced rights within the UK. Terms governing cancellation and termination rights and restricting the supplier’s liability will therefore vary depending on whether the contract is on a B2B or B2C basis.

All contracts for the supply of goods will require terms providing for the type and description of the goods sold, how an order can be placed, payment, delivery and collection, risk and title to the goods, storage or any haulage service required.

The type and nature of the supply of the goods will impact the type of terms required. For example, international long-term supply agreements will require an order and delivery process that reflects the long-term relationship of the parties and the geographical distance involved, such as delivery by reference to agreed Incoterms to factor in responsibility for freight and import tariffs.

What should a supply of services contract include?

Contracts supplying services to consumers or businesses will require different terms, as consumers are entitled to enhanced rights within the UK. Terms governing cancellation and termination rights and restricting the supplier’s liability will therefore vary depending on whether the contract is on a B2B or B2C basis.

Contracts for the supply of services will require terms providing for payment, the type and description of the services (including specification and standard of service delivery), any output or deliverables to be provided, time for performance and whether any service levels are provided.

Do online businesses need different terms and conditions?

Whether a business contracts with its customers online, via the telephone or email, on a doorstep basis, or from a bricks-and-mortar shop, will determine how the contract with that customer comes into effect, and what laws and regulations apply to the contract.

Businesses operating via a website only (e-commerce) should ensure that they have e-commerce terms and conditions in place. E-commerce terms contain terms that are unique to the online selling of goods, such as how the order is placed and accepted, how payment is made, and how and where the customer is entitled to cancel their order. Online businesses selling goods to consumers should also consider implementing a privacy policy and cookies policy to aid compliance with data protection law. More information on E-commerce can be found here

How can a contract help manage changing market conditions, such as inflation and a rise in the cost of raw materials?

A well-drafted contract should act as a tool offering project-management capabilities to the parties who have entered into it. A contract can include provisions allowing the parties to agree on variations to the price of goods or services periodically, such as an annual increase in line with inflation or by reference to an agreed index.

Also – the contract should set out the mechanism that the parties should follow in the event of a dispute. A common approach is to require the parties to enter into good faith discussions with senior representatives of each party, and should such discussions fail, attend mediation before resorting to court proceedings. By agreeing on a dispute resolution process before entering into the contract, parties can help avoid a protracted dispute in the future and increased legal costs.

What is the risk of operating without written terms?

Without written terms in place, a contract for the sale of goods or services shall be an oral one. Oral contracts are legally enforceable, however, leave parties vulnerable to dispute as there is a lack of certainty as to terms.

In the context of the sale of goods and services, an absence of written terms leaves key areas of the relationship unclear: what exactly do the services entail? What quality, nature and colour are the goods? When will the goods be delivered and who shall pay for delivery? If a customer is unhappy with the quality of the services provided, are they entitled to a refund?

Operating on written terms removes the uncertainty and helps avoid disputes in the future.

Why should a customer seek to operate on its own terms?

For a business that sources a range of goods and services from various suppliers, operating on its own terms enables the business to harmonise its operations, and ensure a consistent standard of service delivery is achieved. This can help alleviate the administrative burden of monitoring numerous contracts which may have differing payment terms, delivery timescales and service levels.

How should a customer operate on its own terms?

Customers can attach to their purchase order form (or reference by hyperlink to their website) and their standard terms and conditions when placing an order with a supplier. However, customers seeking to operate on their own terms and conditions should ensure such terms are incorporated into the contract. Many suppliers will wish to operate on their own standard terms. A customer must therefore take steps to ensure that their terms take precedence.

What should a customer do if a supplier operates on its own terms?

For terms and conditions to govern the contractual arrangement between a business and its suppliers, must be incorporated into the contract. Businesses, therefore, need to implement processes that bring the terms and conditions to the attention of the other party(s), and ensure that such terms are accepted by the other party(s).

With many businesses now operating by attaching their standard terms and conditions to their purchase order forms or quotations, or by including a hyperlink to their terms on their website, the risk of failing to properly incorporate terms has increased. This should be monitored regularly to address the risk such approach poses. Further information on incorporating terms and conditions and mitigating risk can be found here.

What terms should a customer consider including in its own contracts?

Pro-customer contracts should contain terms governing the supply of the goods or services that the customer is purchasing, such as the description and quality of the goods or services being supplied, the time of delivery, any service levels and payment terms.

Pro-customer terms should reflect how the customer’s business operates such as delivery timescales that accommodate the customer’s stock rotation schedules, delivery methods that are time and cost-effective for the customer, and credit and payment terms which complement the customer’s payment runs.

Our Costs

We will provide you with a flexible menu of fee options rooted in our promise of complete transparency over our charges. We assess the value of each project, task, or advice based on its commercial value to you and then provide you with fee options scoped against the type of service and advice you require.

Fee options can include, where appropriate, fixed fees, a retainer, hourly or day rates, or a blend of such options.

We provide you with regular cost updates and will not incur any additional charges without your agreement.

To find out more about the services we can provide, including our retainer service, please give us a call.

Contact Us

Contact Our Experts

You can contact our lawyers below if you have any more questions or want more information:

0161 941 4000