The agreements you enter into define the terms on which your business relationships operate — and how they end when things go wrong.
Most commercial disputes trace back to a contract that was ambiguous, incomplete, or signed without a full understanding of what it required. The scope of work was not precisely defined. The intellectual property ownership was left implied rather than stated. The termination rights were drafted in a way that suited neither party when the relationship broke down. By the time the disagreement surfaces, the document has already determined how much room there is to manoeuvre.
We draft and negotiate commercial contracts across a wide range of arrangements: service agreements, licensing and white-label agreements, distribution and supply arrangements, and maintenance contracts — including Power-by-the-Hour agreements for industries where equipment uptime is a critical commercial metric. The goal in each case is the same — terms that are clear, enforceable, and actually reflect what the parties have agreed to.
Where a contract is already in place, we review it on instruction — flagging exposure, advising on interpretation, and where necessary, assisting with renegotiation or exit. If a dispute has arisen from an existing agreement, that work sits within our broader commercial litigation capability.
You are not legally required to have a lawyer review a contract, but commercial agreements — particularly those involving significant value, intellectual property, or long-term obligations — often contain terms that are easy to miss and difficult to exit. A one-time review is typically far less expensive than the disputes that arise from ambiguous or unfavourable terms.
A service agreement typically governs an ongoing or recurring service relationship. A consultancy agreement is usually narrower, covering a specific engagement or output from an independent contractor. The practical distinction matters for intellectual property ownership, termination provisions, and — in some cases — whether the arrangement creates an implied employment relationship.
At a minimum: the scope of the licence (exclusive or non-exclusive, territory, field of use), the licensed rights and any permitted sublicensing, the fee and royalty structure, quality control obligations, the term and termination triggers, and what happens to the licence on termination. Omissions in any of these areas are common sources of dispute.
A Power-by-the-Hour agreement is a maintenance and support contract — common in aviation, defence, and heavy equipment — where the service provider charges based on actual usage (hours flown, cycles operated, etc.) rather than a fixed maintenance fee. These agreements require careful drafting around performance guarantees, exclusions, audit rights, and liability caps.
Template contracts are a reasonable starting point for low-value, low-risk transactions. For any arrangement involving significant liability, intellectual property, or complex service obligations, a bespoke or carefully reviewed agreement is advisable. We frequently review and improve template contracts that businesses have been using without legal input — and in most cases, we find material gaps.
The first 30 minutes are complimentary — and genuinely without obligation.
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