Running a business comes with lots of responsibilities and moving parts. One most important parts of your operation is a business contract.
Maybe you’re in the same situation as my friend, who recently asked me for help finding someone reliable to draft a contract for his company.
That’s when I teamed up with my Wunderlust London research team to filter the best legal professionals in the city.
We sifted through experience, reviews, and services to get to the best commercial lawyers in London. Check out which company to trust when it comes to your business contracts and disputes.
How much does a commercial lawyer charge in London?
Commercial lawyers typically charge from £200 to £1000 per hour, depending on your case and the solicitor’s seniority. Some firms offer fixed fees for particular cases. Other expenses to consider include VAT and court fees.
How we chose
Experience: We looked at commercial lawyers with years of experience in handling business contracts, disputes, and other financial matters.
Services Offered: We believe that not every business is the same. That’s why we chose lawyers who can provide different services, from drafting and reviewing contracts to offering personalised advice for businesses.
Pricing: We reviewed law firms that have transparent and reasonable pricing, matching their seniority and experience.
Customer Service: We picked lawyers who are approachable, responsive, and empathetically supportive. We looked at some client feedback to confirm this.
1. Gannons
Address: 20 Jockey’s Fields
Contact Details: +442074381060
Operating Hours: Monday – Friday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Gannons Solicitors is spearheaded by Catherine Gannon, a tax solicitor at a large US firm. She founded the company in 2000 after seeing that larger law firms tend to decline small businesses seeking legal help.
We believe that this first-hand experience of working in a large law firm shaped the foundation of her company. We love that Gannon made their service more accessible for businesses of all sizes.
What we also like about this firm is that they’re specialised in handling business, commercial, and company matters. From writing business contracts to handling disputes and even tax advice, they have it.
They also have a strong team of solicitors, specialised in different areas. For instance, they have commercial, IP, and employment lawyers. This diversity lets them support those businesses with different needs, which offers convenience.
A client specifically thanked the firm for assisting him with a shareholders’ agreement. He highlighted that two other larger firms accepted his case, but charge too much. Gannons, however, delivered their needs at a reasonable fixed price.
That said, we think their communication could be improved. One person mentioned that he had emailed the team for a contract review and received a phone call on the same day. However, after submitting his documents and ID, he heard nothing for five days.
Reasonable rates
“I have used Gannons to advise me on several issues over the last few years, and their service has always been outstanding. As a small business owner, you can sometimes feel overwhelmed by the number of issues you have to deal with. Not only have Gannons handled issues swiftly and professionally, but they have also taken the time to advise me in a manner that a layperson can grasp and understand and at rates that are extremely reasonable. I would highly recommend them.”
-Mr. Richard Jones, Google Review
Supportive and professional solicitor
“The admin team were quick to respond to my query and arranged an appointment with Jason super quickly. He was supportive and professional throughout and helped ease my anxiety around the legal documentation I needed to look at.”
-Ms. Abbie Saxon, Google Review
2. RT Coopers Solicitors
Address: 63 St Mary Axe
Contact Details: +442074889947, [email protected]
Operating Hours: Monday – Friday: 8:30 AM – 6:30 PM
RT Coopers Solicitors is a corporate law firm based in London. Though locally based, they also offer cross-border legal assistance through their global associates. This is good news for businesses operating internationally that need legal support.
What stands out about this law firm is its clear focus on the niches and industries it serves. For instance, they cater to businesses in food, cybersecurity, and even higher education.
For us, this wide coverage allows them to provide highly personalised legal advice and service.
Another thing we like is that they cater to a comprehensive range of commercial and legal aspects. They draft various documents, from manufacturing agreements and contracts to product licensing.
Their previous client include a company needing support to clarify their legal position with the Ministry of Defence. The client said that RT Coopers helped them win the contract and highlighted that they have a smooth approach and command focus.
Another employee also thanked the firm for assisting him in his settlement agreement with his company. He noted that the solicitors are positive, which made him feel more positive too. For us, being uplifting is just as important as being skilled.
The only thing to take note of is that they’re only a small team. This could affect their availability.
Professional and friendly service
“Firstly, I give your firm a 5-star rating. I’d like to thank RT Coopers for the excellent work the firm did in dealing with my settlement agreement recently. In the past, I have never particularly liked having to deal with lawyers; however, I was pleasantly surprised by the professional and friendly service I received from the settlement agreement lawyer. Even though I engaged RT Coopers relatively close to the date my settlement agreement was due, my lawyer still managed to fit me into her busy schedule without being critical of the relatively tight time window I presented the firm with.”
-Mr. F. Mill, Google Review
Detailed and helpful advice
“The advice I was given was detailed and incredibly helpful. Rosanna was motivated and compassionate about my situation and promptly provided me with advice and documents to help me with my case. It was obvious she has an extensive knowledge about her field, and I can’t recommend using RT Coopers solicitors enough. I was walked through my case and all of the options I had to pursue in a detailed Zoom consultation.”
-Mr. Elliot Ross, Google Review
3. Harper James
Address: 10 Lower Thames St
Contact Details: +448006891700
Operating Hours: Monday – Friday: 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Harper James is a commercial law firm established in 2014. We appreciate the broad scope of their services, which span from business disputes to commercial and corporate law.
They handle sales and distribution agreements, partnership disputes, and business litigation. These wide offerings show their ability to support entrepreneurs through everyday operations and complex legal issues.
In fact, a client praised the team for finalising his licensing agreement in less than a week. Many commended solicitor Emily for giving a smooth and quick service, without complicated legalese.
Another thing that caught our attention is the firm’s pricing plan. They have three plans to choose from, which are pretty flexible.
For a one-time consultation, they have an Engage plan worth £298. Meanwhile, if you need continuous support, they have the Enable plan with a monthly subscription of £219. For us, their fees are reasonable and worth it.
The third plan is called Extend, which is a 12-month subscription. Clients say that this one is too expensive and that the firm seems pushy in recommending this plan.
Smooth process
“Well, that was a breath of fresh air. We’ve just managed to prepare a tailored licensing agreement in less than a week and with zero stress. Emily Sadler is brilliant. She took us through the process very smoothly and without complicated legalese. A great first experience with Harper James.”
-Mr. Ian Willis, Google Review
Friendly and efficient solicitor
“Emilia has been great at producing a contract for me – friendly, efficient and fast!”
-Mr. Andrew Swaffield, Google Review
4. Saunders Law
Address: Ground Floor, Hind House, 2-3 Hind Ct
Contact Details: +442076324300, [email protected]
Operating Hours: Monday – Friday: 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Saunders Law is another reputable law firm with two offices in London. They’re famous for handling high-profile work, like defamation, human rights, and commercial litigation.
One of the big cases they handled includes a local company against two very large international law firms. The client said that they ended up winning the cases and were very pleased with the firm’s expertise.
Another said that he sought the firm’s help regarding some legal advice regarding his property business. As he’s facing some difficulty, the firm’s responsiveness reassured him.
Aside from positive client feedback, we like that they offer a free initial consultation. This is a great help for potential clients to understand their services upfront and ask questions without commitment.
We’re also amazed by their strong workforce. They have plenty of solicitors, managers, and legal assistants. We see this as a huge advantage as it allows them to handle multiple cases at once and still provide prompt service.
Despite their strengths, we’ve found out that they fall short on inclusivity. For instance, a client complained that the firm gives no support to those with poor sight and hearing.
Capable solicitors
“Saunders Law were very impressive throughout our dealings, which resulted in a super victory against two very large international law firms, and they guided us with excellent judgement and coordinated all components brilliantly. Would highly recommend. We were in the very capable hands of Matthew & Georgina.”
-Mr. Marc Daniels, Google Review
Efficient service
“I am very pleased that I instructed Saunders Law to handle a legal matter for me. The entire process was handled incredibly professionally and efficiently, and I was kept up to date at all times. I would 100% recommend them.”
-Mr. Adam, Palmer, Google Review
5. Hall Ellis Solicitors
Address: 89 Fleet St
Contact Details: +442070369282, [email protected]
Operating Hours: Monday – Friday: 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM
Hall Ellis Solicitors is is a law firm serving London with very specific service offerings. They only handle cases related to technology business and IP law.
They might have a very limited service, but it’s good news for those who have a tech business needing legal support. For instance, a client with an IT business used the firm to review their IT services contract.
Another client with an augmented and virtual reality project sought the help of Halls Ellis for a new structured contract. The client noted that the service is quick and really specialised in IT law.
The fact that the owner, Leigh, is a software engineer and also an IT lawyer gives us the confidence that he really understands the technical side.
Aside from their expertise in IT law, we also like that they cater to intellectual property cases. If you have disputes regarding your software or IP license, the firm takes on such cases.
This rare combination of services allows him to bridge the gap between technology and law, which is important in this day and age.
Very specialised knowledge
“Our software company consulted Hall Ellis to help us deal with a complex contractual situation on a project. In short, we were subcontracted to build a next-gen 3D app for tourists at a World Heritage site. Things started pretty well. Then the end client became more demanding. We contacted Hall Ellis to tell us what our position was, help us push back to the client and undermine what our client was alleging.
Thanks to Leigh at Hall Ellis and his very specialised knowledge of this type of situation, we’ve shored up our legal position. If our former client ever wants to sue us, we’re confident that we’re in a good place to defend their ridiculous claims.”
-Mr. Jack Norris, Google Review
Good experience
“We needed the formal legal documents to protect our e-commerce agency business – for our business partners and for us. The contracts we received make sense to me, and my partners and with that, the confidence that they’re made for our business. They set up the framework that we work within. And it works. It takes us no more than 60 minutes to prepare our contracts for high-value new business. They save the worry that the business is properly protected.
We had a really good experience with the solicitors. The advice we got was straight to the point. I got what I needed to hear, rather than what I wanted to hear. They were supportive in negotiations, and I was able to bounce ideas off them on how I would go about closing the business.”
-Mr. Mike Parkin, Google Review
