Business Sales & Acquisitions
Selling the business you have built, or buying one to grow, is among the largest transactions of a working life, and the agreement that governs it follows you long after completion day. At Trent Law Solicitors our corporate team acts for owner managers, founders, family companies and investors across Nottingham, Derby, Leicester and Sheffield, with a practice weighted towards sellers and deal values typically running from five figures to seven figures. Because the team sits alongside our property, employment and commercial colleagues, the lease on your premises, the transfer of your staff and the contracts that come with the business are dealt with in one joined up instruction rather than farmed out.
Every deal is different, but the path is consistent. It begins with a scoping discussion and a clear fee proposal, then heads of terms that fix the commercial shape: price, structure, timetable and exclusivity. Structure and tax are settled early because they drive the drafting. Due diligence and disclosure follow, then the main agreement and its ancillary documents move through negotiated drafts to signature. Completion brings the board minutes, transfers and the flow of funds, and after it we deal with stamp duty, filings, and the practical handover, including any deferred consideration and guarantees that run on. A straightforward sale often completes within two to four months of heads of terms.
How We Can Help Your Business
Selling Your Company: Share Sales
On a share sale the buyer acquires the company itself, whether the entire issued share capital or a stake, and with it everything the company carries. We negotiate the share purchase agreement, the warranties and indemnities within it and the tax covenant, and we protect your position after completion through a properly prepared disclosure letter, so that what you have fairly disclosed cannot later be turned against you.
Management Buyouts & Reorganisations
We act on management buyouts and buy ins, partial disposals, and the reorganisations that prepare a company for sale, aligning the corporate steps with the tax advice so the structure works on paper and in practice.
Business & Asset Sales
An asset sale transfers the trade and its assets as a going concern: the goodwill, equipment, stock, contracts and name, with the company
shell remaining yours. We draft and negotiate the asset purchase agreement, manage the transfer of staff under TUPE with our employment team, and deal with the premises, whether a lease assignment or a new lease, alongside our property colleagues.
Deferred Consideration
Many sales are paid in stages, and a price on paper is not money in the bank. We secure deferred consideration with personal or corporate guarantees and, where appropriate, security, and we build the agreement so that default has consequences: interest, acceleration of the full balance, and clear routes to enforce. It is the part of the deal where careful drafting most directly protects your retirement.
Buying a Business or Company
For buyers, the value of the deal is set as much by what you discover as by what you pay. We run due diligence that asks the right questions, negotiate warranties and indemnities that actually protect you, and advise on whether shares or assets serve you better before the
structure hardens.
Warranties & Disclosure
The warranties in a sale agreement are promises about the business, and the disclosure letter is what keeps them honest. We prepare disclosure
with the same care as the agreement itself, cap your exposure in amount and time, and deal with completion mechanics through to stamping, Companies House filings and the administration of any deferred payments.
Fixed Fees and Transparent Costs
At Trent Law Solicitors, we believe in making our services as accessible as possible. That’s why we offer fixed fees for most business and commercial matters, covering everything from start to finish — including appointments, consultations, and telephone calls.​
Why Businesses Choose Trent Law Solicitors
Senior level drafting and firm, constructive negotiation
Clear fee proposals, fixed where the work allows
A practice weighted towards protecting you and your business
Property, employment and commercial teams under the same roof
Corporate FAQs
Your legal journey starts here
Looking for a solicitor you can trust? Whether you need property advice, help with a family matter, or support for your business, we’re here for you.
Contact our offices in Nottingham, Derby, Sheffield, or Leicester today and one of our expert solicitors will be in touch.