Corporate finance for retail
Corporate transactions in the retail sector can be complex and pressurised, requiring swift legal advice and technical knowledge. From major strategic transactions such as MBIs, MBOs, joint ventures and mergers and acquisitions, to every-day business advice, our experienced lawyers can offer innovative solutions which are tailored to meet the needs of your business.
Corporate governance is another area critical to the successful running of a business. Penalties for taking shortcuts or getting it wrong are severe, involving heavy fines and even imprisonment. Our goal is to ensure the propriety and effectiveness of your decision-making procedures and a thorough awareness of the duties and powers of your board.
- Retail expertise – successfully acting for major retailers on MBOs and other aspects of corporate law.
- Complete solution – delivering expert advice on all aspects of corporate, banking, finance, tax and other support services.
- Seminars and bespoke board development training – including corporate governance best practice.
- Innovative pricing – competitive fixed fee company secretarial product including a registered office hosting service.
Our expertise
Key contacts
Roger Birchall
Consultant
Richard Cox
Partner
Gavin Cummings
Partner
Mark Hughes
Partner
Richard Medd
Managing Partner
You may be interested in...
Legal Update
How to negotiate better ‘green’ provisions in your leases
Opinion
The Metaverse's influence on real estate: Implications for commercial retail clients and law firms
Guide
How to manage retail sector supply contracts and avoid disputes
Legal Update
Pitfalls for retailers to avoid when offering access to ‘buy now, pay later’ products
Opinion
Supreme court rules on retail tenant's service charge bill
Published Article
Consumer duty part 3 - 'The drill-down' into the 'cross-cutting' rules
Press Release
Browne Jacobson’s retail lawyers advise Wilko on its strategic £48m sale and leaseback of Nottinghamshire distribution centre to DHL
Legal Update
Is this the end for free returns?
Earlier in the year a number of fashion retailers, boldly announced the introduction of a charging fee for returning any product purchased via their online store. Yet, despite this commercial, and perhaps somewhat controversial decision, at least one major fashion giant that adopted this approach has recorded ‘historic highs’ in its September profits. Browne Jacobson partner, Cat Driscoll who heads up the firm’s commercial team in Manchester and is also head of its Fashion & Beauty sector discusses whether this change has put the average consumer off and whether the days of free returns are long gone.
Published Article
AI generated designs on retail products
Every AI will have its own terms of use. DALL·E 2’s Terms of Use dated 3 November 2022 specify that as between a user and Open AI, a user owns their prompts and uploads. Open AI also assigns to the user all rights in any images generated by DALL·E 2 for that user (subject to the user complying with those Terms of Use, and to a licence to use inputs and output to develop and improve the services).
Published Article
Consumer duty part 2 - 'The drill-down' into the 'cross-cutting' rules
Opinion
Don't look down
An engineering company in Tyne and Wear was fined £20,000 after a worker fractured his pelvis and suffered internal injuries after falling through a petrol station forecourt canopy, whilst he was replacing the guttering.
Published Article
Luxury brands and sustainability – The challenges and solutions
Legal Update
W (No.3) GP (Nominee A ) Ltd and another v J D Sports Fashion Plc (Nottingham County Court, 22 October 2021)
The County Court refuses the landlord’s request to include a turnover rent in a statutory lease renewal.
Legal Update
Macey v Pizza Express (Restaurants) Ltd [2021] EWHC 2847 (Ch)
A landlord did not demonstrate the requisite intention required to oppose a statutory lease renewal underground (g).
Legal Update
Stonecrest Marble Ltd v Shepherds Bush Housing Association Ltd [2021] EWHC 2621 (Ch)
Where a lease provides a comprehensive scheme of repair and insurance, the court will not imply terms to cover any gaps in that scheme.
Press Release
Browne Jacobson advise Sephora on its acquisition of Feelunique
Browne Jacobson’s corporate finance lawyers have advised omnichannel prestige beauty retailer Sephora on its acquisition of Feelunique.
Press Release
Wolverhampton based Slick Stitch secures major contract with high street retail giant
Legal Update
Capitol Park Leeds Plc and another v Global Radio Services Ltd [2021] EWCA Civ 995
A tenant who handed back an empty shell of a building had complied with a condition of its break option to give vacant possession of the property.
Opinion
Handing back an empty shell of a building did not prevent a tenant from exercising a break clause
Break rights have proved a fertile source of litigation over the last few years. More often than not, tenants have found themselves on the wrong end of the decisions. However, a Court of Appeal decision yesterday has bucked that trend.
Opinion
Commercial landlord and tenant: Ban on evictions extended
Stephen Barclay the Chief Secretary to the Treasury has today announced that the ban on commercial evictions is to be extended to 25 March 2022.
Legal Update
Sara & Hossein Asset Holding Ltd v Blacks Outdoor Retail Ltd [2020] EWCA Civ 1521
A landlord’s service charge certificate was conclusive as to the sums payable by a tenant under a lease.
Opinion
A landlord’s service charge certificate was conclusive as to the sums payable by a tenant under a lease
The Court of Appeal has ruled that the wording of a service charge clause precluded a tenant from challenging the sums claimed by a landlord.
Legal Update
New measures announced to protect the High Street from aggressive rent collection and closure
In a move that will be greatly welcomed by retailers, the Government announced on 23 April that it will introduce new measures to safeguard the High Street against aggressive debt recovery actions during the coronavirus pandemic.
Legal Update
Impact of Coronavirus for retail tenants – some basic questions and answers
Following the Prime Minister’s announcement on 23 March that all shops selling non-essential goods must close. Will we be breaking the terms of our lease?
Opinion
Retail: a tale of two markets
Ann Summers is the latest retailer to have entered into new voluntary deals with the majority of their landlords, rather than using the CVA process.
Legal Update
Headline Brexit issues for the energy sector
In this update, we review various aspects of a ‘no deal’ Brexit and the Withdrawal Agreement which organisations in the energy sector should know about.