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Our approach
The process
Every transaction is different, but the legal work follows a familiar shape. On a sale, that means preparing heads of terms, advising on deal structure (share sale or asset sale: both have different implications for tax and liability), managing disclosure and due diligence, and negotiating the sale agreement, warranties and indemnities.
On an acquisition, it means understanding what you are actually buying: reviewing the target's contracts, employment arrangements, IP and any liabilities that may follow the business across to you, then drafting the purchase agreement that protects you at completion and after it.
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How we work with you
We agree a fixed fee before any work starts, so you know exactly what the legal costs are. No hourly billing, no uncertainty as the deal runs on.
You will deal directly with a senior solicitor throughout. We keep the process moving, flag the things that matter, and don't have battles you don't care about. Where the transaction demands it, more than one of the team will be involved, so you have the right expertise and capacity at every stage.
For more complex transactions we work as part of your wider advisory team, alongside your accountant and corporate finance adviser, making sure the legal and commercial workstreams are aligned.
Who we work with
Most of our transaction work is for founder-led businesses, typically SMEs with enterprise values between £500k and £10m, though we work above and below that range. We act for both sellers and buyers.
We work regularly with agency owners, tech businesses, professional services firms and other owner-managed businesses. Many of our clients are first-time sellers: founders who have built something over years and want to make sure the exit reflects that.
If you are at the early stage, considering a sale, looking at a potential acquisition, or just trying to understand your options, we are happy to have an initial conversation before you commit to anything.
Pricing
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Fixed-fee project
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Available via subscription
Case Studies
Hear from our clients
Meet the team
Craig is a corporate and commercial solicitor at Tend Legal, working with founders, business owners and leadership teams as they build, grow and protect their businesses.
He advises on a wide range of matters: mergers and acquisitions, shareholder agreements, company structures, governance and commercial contracts of all kinds. Craig also has a particular interest in intellectual property, and regularly advises on trademark and copyright matters. His IP work has included a matter involving a Premier League and England international footballer, and advising on a copyright assignment connected to a well-known album cover.
Down-to-earth and easy to work with, Craig places a strong emphasis on clear communication and making sure clients feel confident about the decisions they're making. He works closely with agency and commercial clients, acting as an accessible part of their wider advisory team.
Outside of work, Craig is a keen football fan and enjoys spending time with his family.
From the moment she got involved in her parents' businesses at a young age, Nicole knew she had a passion for helping businesses thrive.
A corporate and commercial solicitor, Nicole focuses on the work that matters most to growing businesses: M&A transactions, investment rounds, shareholder agreements and company secretarial support. She also helps clients navigate the commercial side: negotiating and reviewing contracts, advising on joint ventures, and being a steady pair of hands through transactions of all sizes.
Nicole is also working towards an MBA, which tells you something about her character and her love of business. Her advice is grounded in commercial reality, not just legal theory.
When she's not taking care of business, Nicole likes to read, run, play tennis and attend church.
Alistair co-founded Tend Legal with Shona on a simple idea: that small and medium-sized businesses deserve the same quality of legal advice as large companies, without the large firm experience.
As a solicitor with a broad commercial practice, he advises business owners on the full range of issues that come with running and growing a company. That means employment law: advising on settlement agreements, workforce decisions and the day-to-day employment questions that land on founders' desks. It means commercial work: negotiating and reviewing contracts, supplier agreements, and the commercial arrangements that keep a business running. And it means corporate transactions: from business sales and acquisitions to investment rounds, share structures and restructures.
Before co-founding Tend Legal, Alistair was a partner at Woodfords Solicitors in South West London, where he spent over a decade building a reputation for clear, commercial advice to SMEs. He is known for his calm approach, his ability to cut through complexity, and his willingness to give a straight answer.
When not working or acting as taxi driver to his three children, Alistair can be found riding bikes or skateboards, playing various instruments, or at church.
Frequently Asked Questions
In a share sale, the buyer purchases the shares of the company. They take on the whole business, including any liabilities the company has, whether or not they know about them yet. In an asset sale, the buyer acquires specific assets of the business (contracts, equipment, goodwill, IP) and generally leaves liabilities behind with the old company.
Share sales are often simpler for the seller and have potential tax advantages. Asset sales can be preferable for buyers who want to choose what they are taking on. Which structure is right depends on the nature of the business, the parties' respective tax positions, and what both sides need from the deal. We will advise you on the right structure at the outset, before heads of terms are agreed.
For a straightforward transaction between motivated parties, three to four months from heads of terms to completion is realistic. More complex deals (with earn-outs, management rollovers, regulatory considerations, or significant due diligence) can take longer.
The biggest variable is usually how quickly both sides respond to queries and how many issues come up in due diligence. We keep the process moving from our end and will always tell you when something is in your court rather than letting it sit.
Warranties are contractual statements the seller makes about the business: that the accounts are accurate, the company has no undisclosed liabilities, key contracts are in place, and so on. If a warranty turns out to be untrue, the buyer may have a claim against the seller after completion.
An indemnity is a specific promise to cover a defined liability pound for pound, usually used for known risks that come up during due diligence.
For sellers, the negotiation of warranties matters a lot. A well-drafted disclosure letter limits your exposure. For buyers, the warranty package is your main protection once the money has changed hands. We advise both sides on the right level of protection for the deal.
Yes. Even a straightforward business sale involves a share purchase agreement, warranties, a tax covenant, completion mechanics and (often) employment matters. The documents are detailed and the stakes are high. The sale of a business you have spent years building is not the place to cut costs on legal advice.
Working with a firm like ours, rather than a large commercial firm charging hourly, keeps the legal fees proportionate to the deal size. We are direct, efficient and experienced with transactions at the SME end of the market.
Due diligence is the buyer's process of investigating the business before completing the purchase. They will typically ask for information about the company's contracts, employees, IP, finances, property, litigation history and regulatory compliance.
As a seller, you will need to gather and provide this information, usually through a virtual data room. The amount of work depends on how well-documented your business is. We help you prepare for due diligence, manage the process, and draft the disclosure letter that sets the limits on your warranty exposure. If you are thinking about selling in the next year or two, it is worth starting to get your documentation in order now.