Companies are one of the most popular choices of legal structure when setting up and running a business.
Not only are they a convenient way to trade, receive investment and hold title to assets but they also provide owners with protection from personal liability for the business’s debts. Companies can also be useful in planning for your family’s future with ownership being passed on through future generations, as older family members retire and younger ones take over the reins.
Companies are also very flexible, and can be set up in various ways depending on your requirements. We take care to understand these requirements in order to identify a business structure that suits you, whether that’s setting up a company, making changes as needs evolve or guiding you through the business structures to help you achieve your aims in both life and business.
Whether buying or selling, we take the time to fully understand your business. This helps us in achieving your commercial objectives whilst appreciating the pressures that are placed on you and your business during the sale or purchase process.
Following an acquisition, we can implement a post-acquisition plan by incorporating the new business into an existing group structure as well as harmonising its legal functions.
If it’s a business sale, we can help structure the funds you’ve received so that you and your family can enjoy the sale proceeds in a tax advantaged manner.
Private equity is the only source of funding that’s reasonably available to most start up/early stage companies. We can work with you to raise capital to prove concept and scale up the business. Whether advising the investor or the investee company and its managers, we recognise the value that creative and driven entrepreneurs contribute before a company gets to an investable stage. Our aim is to achieve the best possible outcome for you in terms of control and economic stake in a company after investment.
Life doesn’t stand still, and neither does business. As your business develops and grows, and personal priorities change, sometimes there’s a need to look at your company structure and make some changes. Whether you’re preparing for a sale of part of the business, dividing it up amongst family, or protecting your family’s inheritance by moving to a more tax-efficient structure, we take the time to understand your priorities and explain the options.
We can assist with the incorporation of a range of different business structures ranging from private companies limited by shares or guarantee, to community interest companies, to limited liability partnerships. Although it’s no longer a requirement for companies to appoint a company secretary, they’re still required to carry out a number of administrative functions. We offer a dedicated registered office and company secretarial service to take the hassle out of company administration, allowing you to focus on business as usual. We also provide support in setting up your company or LLP, preparing and maintaining company registers, submitting annual filings and everything in between.
Companies don’t suit everyone. It’s important to consider your priorities and decide whether another type of business structure might suit you better. Partnerships are one of the oldest types of legal structure (they’re still governed by the Partnership Act 1890!) and remain relevant for businesses that want a more informal and flexible structure. We’ll help you decide whether your aims are best met by using an ordinary partnership, or one of the more specialised types of partnership. Limited liability partnerships combine the flexibility of a partnership structure with the protection that partners are not responsible for the business’s debts.