Corporate law

Our corporate lawyers work with a vast range of businesses from start-ups and SMEs through to large family run businesses and multinational corporations.

The research and development tax relief is a government scheme which rewards companies that invest in innovations.

Client-focussed from the outset, we provide a commercial edge to the full range of banking, real estate and project finance transactions that we handle.

Our corporate governance lawyers work with clients across the public and private sector to ensure that they meet their governance and regulatory requirements.

We advise listed and private companies on how they can pay and incentivise their employees, management and senior team in tax efficient ways.

Company share options plans are tax efficient, HM Revenue & Customs tax favoured options which offer a useful alternative where more flexible and tax efficient Enterprise Management Incentive (“EMI”) options are not available.

A joint share ownership plan involves the acquisition of joint shares. Joint shares are “split ownership shares” whereby participating employees and another party jointly have an interest in each joint share.

Phantom options are designed to mirror traditional share options but with the gain to the employee being paid in cash.

Under a partly paid share plan employees buy shares in their employer but with the payment for those shares being deferred until a later date.

Growth shares are, in essence, a separate class of incentive shares which entitle participating employees to share in a proportion of the future growth in value of a company.

EMI schemes can be used to retain and motivate selected employees or all employees (as the company’s shareholders see fit). The scheme confers significant tax benefits on both companies and their selected employees.

We support clients in this ever-changing environment by providing clear and pragmatic pension law advice.