Business Sale Solicitors

If required, our specialist team can help you prepare your business for sale, including reviewing contracts, preparing for due diligence, and identifying potential issues in advance. Whilst this is not always necessary, it can help lay the foundations for a smoother transaction, reducing the risk of delays or the sale falling through.

Heads of terms set out the key commercial agreement between buyer and seller. We review and sense-check the agreed terms – formalising them if necessary – ensuring points such as price, structure, property arrangements, funding, and any post-completion involvement are clear and appropriate.

Due diligence is the buyer’s opportunity to raise enquiries about your business. Failure to disclose relevant information can create significant risk for sellers after completion. We manage the process closely, ensuring enquiries are proportionate and that disclosures are accurate and formally recorded, helping limit your liability and reduce the risk of future claims.

Once the buyer’s solicitors have drafted the sale agreement, we review and negotiate the terms to ensure they are fair and appropriate. This includes managing warranties and indemnities, ensuring disclosures are properly reflected, and putting appropriate limits on liability to protect you after completion.

Where commercial property is involved, our highly skilled commercial property team works in parallel with our business sale solicitors from the outset, handling matters such as lease assignments, surrenders and regrants, or freehold sales, helping avoid delays to your sale.

For asset sales, TUPE regulations may apply and must be managed carefully. We can help you handle this in parallel with your sale, advising on employee communications and transfer issues, reducing the risk of disruption to staff, protecting the value of your business, and helping avoid delays.

From liaising with bank lawyers over funding to dealing with outstanding business loans and personal guarantees, our specialist business sale solicitors help you navigate the financial considerations of selling your business, keeping the transaction moving and avoiding nasty surprises after completion.

Our solicitors will manage the completion process, liaising with the buyer and their solicitors to ensure documents are signed, bank payments are made and the transaction completes smoothly.

Using a solicitor is strongly advised. Selling a business involves significant legal risk, particularly around warranties, disclosures, and post-completion liability. A solicitor ensures the transaction is properly documented, your exposure is limited, and you are protected from future claims.

Most SME business sales complete within one to three months, although more complex transactions can take longer. Timescales depend on factors such as due diligence, funding arrangements, and whether property or employees are involved. If you need to sell your business quickly, we do offer an expedited service.

Yes, it is completely normal for business owners to stay involved after their business is sold. Some owners choose to do so, while others are required to remain involved due to deferred consideration, often for one or two years, to ensure the business performs before further payments are released. This is typically addressed at the heads of terms stage and forms part of the overall deal structure.