Commercial Contracts and IP

About commercial contracts and IP – how your organisation actually trades

Commercial contracts and IP support the terms on which you buy, sell and collaborate. The ownership and use of the know‑how, content, technology and brands, underpin those relationships and can provide your organisation with the competitive advantage. From terms and conditions, framework and supply agreements, services and outsourcing contracts, to data and technology deals, as well as copyright, trade marks, trade secrets and licensing, the value is often in the detail.

If you’re refreshing standard terms, entering a critical new relationship, rolling out a new product or digital service, or facing increased scrutiny from regulators, funders or customers, clear legal advice could make all the difference. We know how to adapt the approach depending on whether you’re maintaining and enhancing a long-standing relationship or taking a risk on a pilot project.

Our commercial contracts and IP solicitors draft, negotiate and review the full range of agreements that run your organisation day to day. We focus on scope, performance standards, quality control, pricing, liability, data, IP, termination and dispute routes. We make sure terms are fairly balanced, so you can take ownership of the things in your control and hold others accountable when relying on their support. Supporting your whole supply chain including supplier, outsourcing and independent consultancy agreements, we ensure your commercial relationships are sustainable and rewarding, not just compliant.

Our clients work across B2B and B2C channels, so consumer rights are always on our radar. We understand the pressure of working in and alongside sectors where public accountability, ethics and regulation matter, meaning we are used to building ESG, safeguarding, data protection and regulatory obligations into commercial contracts in a way that your counterparts can accept.

For technology, data and IP‑rich projects, we join up commercial, regulatory and IP considerations so ownership, licensing and performance obligations are clear from the start, not litigated against later.

Intellectual property – protecting and leveraging your ideas

Intellectual property (IP) is often where your hidden value sits, supplementing your core offer in ways that aren’t always obvious until it matters. Brands, content, software, databases, training materials, research, designs and confidential know‑how such as trade secrets, all contribute to commercial advantage and deserve proper protection.

We help you identify what IP you have, who actually owns it, and how it can be protected and leveraged in line with your strategy.

Our work includes advising on copyright, trade marks, database rights and know‑how, putting in place clear ownership and licensing arrangements with your team, consultants, partners and funders, and drafting IP contracts and standalone licences that reflect the realities of collaboration and funding in your sector. We also advise on confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements, to help you protect sensitive information during those early-stage discussions.

We are particularly experienced where commercial, charitable and public interests intersect, ensuring that IP arrangements support innovation and income generation without cutting across mission or regulatory constraints.

We are pragmatic about where to push and where to compromise, and we always keep an eye on how contractual and IP positions will need to be adapted over time.