Girlings logo
TOP
Make an
enquiry

Make an enquiry

Please complete the form below and a legal adviser will contact you.
Select office:
Your data will only be used to contact you regarding your enquiry.
Corporate Banking Finance

Corporate, Banking & Finance

Business Law

Meet Chris Brightling

Ranked as a leading firm in the Legal 500, the Corporate, Banking & Finance team are experienced solicitors with excellent business contacts and a reputation for getting the job done well.

The focus of the Corporate, Banking & Finance team at Girlings is to build longstanding relationships with clients. We know our clients want more than just good legal advice from their solicitor, they want a trusted adviser who understands their business and who offers clarity of vision, which will help them grow their business and achieve their strategic goals.

Mergers, acquisitions & disposals

A significant part of our work as corporate solicitors involves the acquisition or disposal of companies and their businesses. The process of buying and selling businesses can often be complex, our specialist lawyers are on hand to see you through the process from initial enquiries to completion.

When advising on a corporate transaction we will provide you with a fixed quotation for our services at the outset to help you manage budgets, you can relax safe in the knowledge that your legal spend will not get out of control. Acting for both buyers and sellers, our Corporate team work closely with our Employment Law and Commercial Property specialists so that we can provide a comprehensive service for all the legal aspects of your business.

Banking & finance

Whether you are starting out or moving onwards through your business journey, specialist lawyers are on hand to advise when it comes to lending and borrowing money. Advising on a whole range of Financial matters, our corporate team can draft and review the appropriate documentation and give practical advice to ensure that the arrangements in place suits the needs of your business and your circumstances. We also offer advice on security and guarantees.

Restructuring & insolvency

The corporate team have a wide knowledge of advising on restructuring and insolvency. Our experience ensures that such transactions are dealt with promptly and efficiently and we use our skills to identify and manage the often considerable legal risks. We offer a multidisciplinary approach, involving experts from other departments from our business law offering.

Governance

When it comes to good governance processes, we know that mechanisms and relations are an essential part of an organisation’s structure and management. With the support and advice of the Corporate, Banking & Finance solicitors you can be safe in the knowledge that your organisation has effective procedures and processes in place that will in turn enable it to operate effectively in achieving its objectives.

Our Approach

We have a reputation for being shrewd negotiators and work hard to get the right result for our clients. We act for a wide range of clients which include entrepreneurs and owner managed businesses (OMBs) - start ups, as well as long established family businesses - with all types of business structure: limited companies, partnerships, LLPs and sole traders. We also work with PLC’s, banks and financial institutions and not-for-profit organisations across a variety of sectors.

The team is ranked as a leading firm in the Legal 500.

To find out more about how we can help you with corporate issues, contact a member of our Corporate, Banking & Finance team.

We have offices in Ashford, Canterbury and Herne Bay.

Our Corporate, Banking & Finance and Commercial Law team are ranked in the Legal 500.

Uk leading firm 2023web

Our Experts

Chris Brightling

Head of Department
Corporate, Banking & Finance; Commercial Law

Caroline Armitage

Consultant Solicitor
Corporate, Banking & Finance; Commercial Law

Jonathan Masucci

Partner
Corporate, Banking & Finance; Commercial Law

Elesha Bradford

Assistant Solicitor
Corporate, Banking & Finance; Commercial Law

Sarah Karam

Assistant Solicitor
Corporate, Banking & Finance; Commercial Law

Jessie Cloughley

Trainee Solicitor
Corporate, Banking & Finance; Commercial Law

Related Pages

CHRIS BRIGHTLING TIE PROFILE

Building the Client Relationship

RELATED CONTENT

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

I am selling my business. What should I do?

Pricing a business can be something of a “dark art” and it is advisable to seek advice from an expert.

Once an agreement has been reached with a buyer, it is helpful for a “heads of terms” to be produced setting out the key terms of the sale as this will save time as the sale progresses and the more substantial documents are negotiated and agreed.

The buyer will usually then raise a number of legal and financial due diligence enquiries to confirm that the agreed purchase price for the company represents its value and also to obtain more detailed information about the company before proceeding any further with the transaction.

Once the due diligence process has been completed, the business sale agreement will be negotiated and agreed. This will be done by both your and the buyer’s solicitors. There will also be a number of ancillary documents required such as a disclosure letter, board minutes and resolutions and share transfers. Whilst the business sale agreement is the main document, these ancillary documents are necessary to ensure compliance with company law.

I am buying a business. What should I do?

The above comments on the steps involved in selling a business also apply to buying a business though, of course, you will be on the “other side” of the transaction.

Perhaps the most crucial stage in the purchase of a business is the due diligence stage. Your solicitors will raise a broad range of enquiries relating to the business you are purchasing. Particularly useful enquires relate to the trading history of the business and its finances, the assets of the business and whether the business is exposed to any potential or ongoing litigation claims. Your solicitor will prepare a report for you to consider relating to the seller’s legal due diligence responses and your accountant will similarly prepare a report on the financial responses for your consideration.

The detail of the due diligence enquiries and reports will depend on your prior knowledge of the business. If you have worked in the business for a long number of years and are familiar with its runnings, it is likely that the due diligence process can be dispensed with.

The due diligence reports put you in a far better position to determine whether to proceed with the purchase as agreed or if further negotiation is required around the price or to ensure certain issues are resolved before completion of your purchase.

Testimonials

Great team to work with who are very open and honest in the way they operate.
Legal 500
Chris and the team were absoutely brilliant. This is the first time I have sold a business and Chris made a complicated process simple! The process was far more complicated than it should have been and Chris worked tirelessly to drive this forwards to the agreed completion date. I could not have asked for more than what he and the team delivered for me and with very reasonable fees.
Katie Aldred
I found Girlings to be very proactive in their approach and they always responded in a timely manner. I would have no hesitation in recommending their services in the future.
Legal 500
I would just like to thank you both for all your efforts and assistance over the last few weeks. Your professionalism and guidance through the whole process has been amazing and I am so grateful.
Girlings has a team of highly skilled lawyers who have a track record of delivering exceptional results for clients.
Legal 500
Excellent service - lovely to deal with such professional and knowledgeable advisers. We felt our interests were completely and securely covered at all times - very reassuring.
Sarah Sharman-Watts
Local, very personable, decent range of service expertise.
Legal 500
We have always found Girlings to be very clear and transparent in all dealings we have had with them. They have always gone the extra mile to ensure that we are kept fully informed and up to date at all stages of transactions,
Legal 500
We have built a strong relationship with many of its legal advisers during this time and formed an ongoing friendly association with them. We appreciate their reputation and welcome their prompt and professional service. We are confident that Girlings offer the proficiency to cover all our requirements.
Legal 500
The Girlings’ team managed this complex process with professionalism and perseverance. We certainly benefitted from having a long standing relationship with Girlings
R Bloomfield
The Girlings’ team covered all the different legal areas that we needed to address and understood that we needed to continue running the business at the same time. They were professional, pragmatic and supportive during the process.
S Guerra
A well-recognised firm in the local area but able to offer advice that is appreciated by those working in London and further afield. The team is able to offer a wide range of legal services.
Legal 500
Across the whole business all associates with the business provided valid and professional knowledge of the M&A process ensuring we felt protected at all times. Uncertainties were quickly dealt with giving us confidence in the whole sale process.
Legal 500
In my dealings with the firm, I can state that all the people I came in contact with were polite, professional and very knowledgeable about the areas that they dealt with. this gave me the confidence to deal with all the matters that I needed quickly and to a positive outcome.
Legal 500