Several of the south-west's largest law firms are headquartered in Exeter rather than Bristol, which says something about the city's commercial life. Devon's businesses, from a Dartmoor hill farm to a software company on the science park, look to Exeter for corporate and commercial advice, and the city's business solicitors range from those regional firms, with their mergers, acquisitions and investment teams, to sole practitioners who will set up a company and write its terms of business for a fixed fee.
The start-up end of the market has grown with the university. Spin-outs and science park companies need shareholder agreements, option schemes, investment documents and intellectual property assignments, and increasingly they raise money from investors who expect London-standard paperwork. The professional firms of Southernhay and the city centre, accountants, architects, surveyors and consultants, need partnership and LLP agreements and succession plans. Hospitality, retail and tourism businesses across Exeter and East Devon need leases, licensing and employment contracts, and Devon's farms need partnership agreements, diversification contracts and advice on selling land for the housing that the city keeps demanding.
When a deal goes wrong, the county court at Exeter Combined Court Centre handles smaller claims and the Business and Property Courts in Bristol the larger ones, though most commercial disputes in Devon are settled by negotiation or mediation before a hearing. Debt recovery, director disputes and insolvency, including the fallout from the airline collapses at the airport, are part of every business solicitor's year.
Match the firm to the job: a sale to a listed buyer needs a corporate team; a lease renewal does not. Fixed fees for formation and standard contracts, hourly rates for negotiation and litigation, and a clear statement of who will do the work are all reasonable to ask for.
Business law firms serving Exeter are listed below, verified firms first. Read what business law covers, corporate law and dispute resolution, see the general business law solicitors page, and for staff and brand questions the employment law and IP solicitors in Exeter pages.
