26 SMEs in the Thames Valley
Barry Niven of Clifton Ingram LLP solicitors explains why his firm is supporting The Business Magazine’s inaugural Thames Valley SME 100 and discusses many of the legal issues facing small to medium enterprises
When the Thames Valley Business Magazine approached us with the opportunity to be a sponsor of the SME 100 we were pleased to see an initiative aimed at SME and owner-managed businesses – the lifeblood of the UK economy. Clifton Ingram has been advising companies in the Thames Valley for almost 100 years and we were keen to support a project which recognises the hard-earned achievements of a broad range of independent businesses within our region.
Despite the on-going tough economic conditions facing us all, it is encouraging to see so many companies within the Thames Valley continuing to prosper. As the SME 100 list shows, there is a diverse mix of businesses both established and new, from retail and manufacturing to R&D and service providers, and we are pleased to see a number of existing Clifton Ingram clients featured.
The legal services Clifton Ingram provides have evolved over the years to meet the needs of businesses that operate around us in the Thames Valley. As a majority of our corporate clients are owner-managed businesses, we are well aware that the challenges facing them are rarely confined to one area of law and we have a number of specialist teams who provide a wide range of legal advice to the SME market.
Maintaining a proper legal framework is key to the success of any business. Whether this is to govern the relationship between existing shareholders or stakeholders or to record the injection of new capital into the company. Our corporate services team led by Bill Annan regularly advise on:
• Shareholder’s agreements • Investment agreements • Joint venture agreements • Private equity/corporate finance • Finance, borrowing and security • Share options and share incentive schemes
Understanding the duties placed on directors and corporate governance in light of ever changing regulations is a difficult task for any director to keep on top of when concentrating on the day-to-day running of the business. We specialise in advising our clients on the regulations that are relevant to their business enabling them to exploit business opportunities whilst successfully managing risk.
The importance of understating obligations under any legal agreement that a business enters into should never be underestimated, whether this is the lease to the trading premises, the terms of business with suppliers and customers or the arrangement with the company’s employees.
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making money, rather than collecting it. It is becoming more and more common that our client’s customers are running into financial difficulty and our corporate recovery and insolvency team, which I head up, is well placed to advise on these issues.
Commercial disagreements are an inevitable fact of business life. Our dispute resolution team, headed up by Jonathan Davis, is experienced in resolving an extensive range of commercial disagreements. Where possible we aim to prevent disagreements turning into formal disputes but have a strong record of achieving successful outcomes for our clients where this is not possible.
Our employment team led by James Dyson advises employers on the legal aspects of dismissals, redundancies and, working in conjunction with our corporate services team, on business transfers under TUPE regulations. They guide employers through disciplinary and grievance processes and any other workplace issues that may arise. The team often represent clients in employment tribunal proceedings and in the employment appeal tribunal, dealing with claims relating to unfair dismissal, discrimination, employment status and breach of contract. They can prepare contracts and policies which we see as an essential part of an employer’s protection against claims.
Our commercial property team led by Tim Read has considerable experience in all aspects of commercial property work, including the acquisition, letting and disposal of commercial properties – offices, retail units and industrial units – for owners, occupiers and investors. They also advise on the management of investment portfolios and secured lending on properties, land development agreements and associated planning agreements.
Our commercial contracts team offers advice on all forms of commercial agreements such as:
• Structuring complex ventures • Franchise, agency and distribution agreements • Terms and conditions of sale • Contract drafting and negotiation
• Intellectual property protection and exploitation • Internet and ecommerce
Cashflow is essential for any business, especially in today’s current economic climate. Our debt recovery team led by Lesley Bacon provide a structured debt recovery service, allowing businesses to use valuable management time
One common factor linking all of our corporate clients is that they all want to reap the rewards of their hard work and maintain and increase the value of the business they have worked so hard to build. So, whether it is exiting the business, expanding or reorganising the existing business structure, we have the expertise to advise on:
• Sale and purchase of business • Sale and purchase of shares • Management buyouts/ins • Purchase of own shares • Reduction in capital • Corporate restructuring • Group reorganisations.
All of the teams mentioned above are recognised by The Legal 500 as being experts in their field and combine a friendly, professional and diligent approach with a quality legal and technical knowledge. At Clifton Ingram we pride ourselves on our approachability and recognise the importance of building long-term relationships with our corporate clients to gain an understanding of their businesses and their legal needs. This allows us to provide quality, cost-effective legal advice as and when required.
Clifton Ingram wishes all those featured in the Thames Valley SME 100 future success and a great start to 2012.
Details: Barry Niven 0118-9780099
barryniven@cliftoningram.co.uk www.cliftoningram.co.uk
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – DECEMBER 11/JANUARY 12
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