Every container that comes over the quay at Southampton has a chain of contracts behind it: the shipping line's bill of lading, the haulier's conditions, the warehouse's terms, the forwarder's agency agreement and the insurance that sits over all of them. Shipping law proper is a specialist field, but the businesses around the port, hauliers, freight forwarders, ship suppliers, marine engineers and the cruise lines' local contractors, are the bread and butter of business law solicitors in Southampton, and so is the Solent Freeport, with customs sites and tax reliefs to structure.
The rest of the city's commercial work looks more familiar. Southampton solicitors form companies and LLPs, draft shareholder agreements for the start-ups coming out of the Science Park at Chilworth and the two universities, negotiate leases for shops at Westquay and restaurants on Oxford Street, handle premises licences for the bars of Bedford Place, and write the supplier contracts, terms of business and data protection policies. The sale or purchase of a business, from a marina to a care home in Bassett, needs due diligence, warranties and often a TUPE transfer of the staff.
Disputes between businesses are issued in the county court at Southampton Combined Court Centre for smaller claims and in the Business and Property Courts, usually in London, for larger ones; most settle in negotiation or mediation. Debt recovery against customers who do not pay, winding-up petitions and advice to directors of companies in trouble are a steady part of the work, particularly in haulage and hospitality where margins are thin.
Expect fixed fees for formation and standard documents, hourly rates for negotiation and litigation, and ask whether the firm has acted in your industry before.
Business law firms serving Southampton are listed below, verified firms first. Read what business law covers, corporate law and debt and bankruptcy, see the general business law solicitors guide, or go to employment law solicitors in Southampton and IP solicitors in Southampton.
