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Business Sales & Transfers in London
We act for buyers and sellers of businesses in London and across London, on both asset and share sales. That covers heads of terms, due diligence, the sale and purchase agreement, warranties and indemnities, and completion, with a fixed fee wherever the shape of the deal allows it.
Request a ConsultationLondon is not one property market but dozens, each with its own stock, tenure and price dynamic. From prime central streets to outer-borough terraces, transactions turn on the same things everywhere: lease terms, building safety, planning consents and the searches that reveal them.
In London we act on both sides of the market: owners preparing a business for sale, and buyers acquiring one. Much of the value sits in what is being sold and what the buyer can rely on, so we work through that before the price is finally agreed.
A business sale in London is usually the largest transaction its owners will ever make, and the value sits in the detail: what is being sold, what the buyer can rely on, and what happens if something turns out not to be as described. We work through that systematically so completion holds.
Heads of terms and deal structuring
Buyer and seller due diligence
Asset sales and share sales
Sale and purchase agreements, disclosure letters
Warranties, indemnities and deferred consideration
TUPE and employee considerations
Selling or buying a business in London is usually the largest transaction its owners will ever make, and the value sits in the detail: what exactly is being sold, what the buyer can rely on, and what happens if something turns out not to be as described. We act for both buyers and sellers, on asset sales and share sales.
Because we see both sides of the market, we know where the arguments will come from: the treatment of stock, work in progress and debtors, the allocation of risk between exchange and completion, the warranties the buyer wants, and the extent of the seller's continuing obligations after the deal has completed.
Leasehold is the default for flats, so ground rent, service charges, building safety and lease length sit at the centre of most purchases, and lease extension is a routine instruction. London's stock runs from Georgian terraces and Victorian mansion blocks to riverside towers and very large new-build schemes, and the tenure mix shifts street by street. Both feed into how a Business Sales & Transfers matter in London is scoped, priced and staffed.
One-off or continuing, every {{place}} engagement follows the same four stages, and you always know which one you are in.
We look at the shape of the deal first: asset sale or share sale, what is included, how the price is built and paid, and what the tax consequences look like alongside your accountant.
The buyer's solicitors will ask for a great deal of information. We manage that process for sellers and run it for buyers, testing what is said and identifying the points that need to be reflected in the agreement.
We draft and negotiate the sale and purchase agreement, the warranties and indemnities, the disclosure letter, restrictive covenants, and any deferred or contingent consideration.
We handle completion and the transfer of assets, employees, contracts and premises, and we stay involved through the period after completion when adjustments and warranty claims are resolved.
A straightforward asset sale can complete within six to ten weeks of heads of terms being agreed. Share sales, and anything involving property, employees transferring under TUPE or a buyer's funding, take longer, and the timetable is usually driven by due diligence.
In an asset sale the buyer acquires the business's assets and most liabilities are left behind, which is usually better for a buyer. In a share sale the company itself changes hands, so its history transfers with it, which is usually better for a seller.
No, and you should be wary of any firm that offers to. We act for one side only and will tell you straight away if a conflict arises, so that the negotiation stays properly conducted on both sides.
Very little to begin with: the documents you already hold, the names of anyone else involved, and a note of what you want to achieve and by when. We take it from there and tell you what else we need.
We provide business sales & transfers across London and the surrounding London area, including:
Tell us what you need and we will come back with a clear scope, a named contact and a fixed fee wherever we can.
Request a Consultation