Two founders, a laptop each and a handshake: that is how many Bristol companies begin, and the handshake is what business law solicitors in Bristol are asked to untangle three years later, when one founder wants to sell and the other wants to carry on, or an investor offers money on terms neither understands. A shareholder agreement written at the start, with leaver provisions, a dividend policy and a way of valuing a departing partner's shares, is the cheapest document a company will ever buy.
Bristol's business base is broad. Start-ups and scale-ups from the universities' incubators and the clusters around Temple Quarter and Harbourside need investment rounds, option schemes and intellectual property assignments. Engineering firms in the aerospace supply chain around Filton negotiate long contracts with customers far bigger than themselves, where liability caps, quality clauses and payment terms decide whether the work is worth having. The port at Avonmouth and the distribution parks beside the M5 and M49 deal in haulage, warehousing and customs. Independent food, drink and retail businesses on Gloucester Road, North Street and Whiteladies Road need leases, licences and someone to chase unpaid invoices.
Disputes are issued in the county court at the Civil and Family Justice Centre or, for larger claims, in the Business and Property Courts in Bristol, which bring High Court commercial litigation to the city without a trip to London; most settle at mediation. Insolvency, restructuring and directors' duties are routine parts of the work.
The city's firms range from national practices with hundreds of lawyers to sole practitioners, so fees vary widely; expect fixed fees for formations and standard documents and hourly rates with a budget for negotiations and disputes.
The business and commercial firms around Bristol are listed below, verified ones at the top. Background reading: business law, corporate law and dispute resolution, the general business law solicitors page, and for staff and ideas the employment law solicitors in Bristol and IP solicitors in Bristol pages.
