Buying a Business

Buying a business is a significant commitment, and the legal work behind it protects what you are actually paying for. Our business purchase solicitors advise buyers across Manchester and the UK, managing due diligence, contracts and completion so you take on the right business, on the right terms. This sits alongside our wider mergers and acquisitions support for the whole transaction.

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How a Business Acquisition Actually Works

Most business acquisitions move through the same stages: agreeing heads of terms, carrying out due diligence, negotiating the sale agreement, then completion. The due diligence stage is where most of the real risk in an acquisition is either caught or missed, covering the target’s finances, contracts, employees and any outstanding disputes. Our business purchase solicitors in Manchester work through this methodically, then negotiate an agreement that reflects what due diligence actually found, not just what the seller initially claimed. Whether a share purchase or an asset purchase suits you better depends on what liabilities you are willing to take on and how the deal is structured for tax.

How Our Business Purchase Solicitors Help Buyers

From your first enquiry through to completion, our team manages the legal side of your acquisition so you can focus on running the business once it is yours.

Due Diligence & Checklist

We run due diligence against a clear checklist covering financial records, material contracts, employees, property and any outstanding disputes, so nothing material is missed before you commit.

Sale and Purchase Agreement Drafting

We draft and negotiate the sale agreement on your behalf, making sure warranties and indemnities genuinely reflect what due diligence uncovered, not just what the seller is willing to offer.

Structuring the Deal

We advise on whether a share purchase or asset purchase suits your acquisition, taking into account which liabilities you want to take on and the tax treatment of each structure.

Heads of Terms & Negotiation

We negotiate heads of terms early, agreeing price and key conditions before significant legal costs are incurred on either side.

Completion & Post-Acquisition Matters

We manage signing and completion, including staff transfer considerations, contract novation and any obligations that continue once you take ownership.

What This Means for You

  • A due diligence process that catches problems before completion.
  • An agreement that reflects what due diligence actually found.
  • Clear heads of terms before costs increase.
  • Fixed fee pricing agreed before work begins.
  • A structure suited to your tax and risk position.

When To Seek Advice

  • Before agreeing heads of terms with a seller.
  • As soon as you receive due diligence information to review.
  • Before signing any exclusivity agreement with a seller.
  • If you are unsure whether to structure the purchase as shares or assets.
  • Before completion, to confirm all post-acquisition obligations are clear.

Meet the Founder

Marium brings 22 years of experience advising business owners on acquisitions, sales and corporate transactions across the UK and internationally. A Solicitor regulated by the SRA (ID: 277854), MCIArb, and DIFC Courts mediator, she founded MAR Legal to give business owners direct access to senior transactional legal advice without the overhead of a traditional firm.

Marium Razzaq - Solicitors in Manchester
Marium Razzaq
Solicitor & Director Mar Legal
MCIArb

Why Buyers Choose MAR Legal for Business Acquisitions

Fixed Fee Pricing

You know the cost of your acquisition before any work begins, with no hidden charges.

Solicitor Led Advice

Every stage of your purchase is handled by our qualified business purchase solicitors.

Direct Access

You deal directly with experienced business purchase solicitors.

Practical, Commercial Advice

Advice focused on protecting your position, not unnecessary legal complexity.

Trusted by business owners across the UK for clear, commercial advice on buying a business.

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How Our Business Acquisition Process Works

01

Initial Consultation

We review the target business, your goals and how the deal is likely to be structured.

02

Heads of Terms

Our business purchase solicitors negotiate and agree the key commercial terms before legal costs increase.

03

Due Diligence & Drafting

We run due diligence against our checklist and draft the sale agreement around what it finds.

04

Completion

We finalise signing, manage payment and deal with any obligations that continue after completion.

What Our Clients Say

You may also need help with:

Buying a business often runs alongside other legal needs. You may also want advice on the share purchase agreement itself, a non-disclosure agreement to protect sensitive information shared during negotiations, or wider mergers and acquisitions support if the deal is more complex.

FAQs: Common Questions About Buying a Business

A business acquisition is the purchase of all or part of a business, either by buying the shares in the company or by buying specific assets. The right structure depends on what liabilities you are prepared to take on, the tax treatment of each route, and what the seller is willing to agree. Both achieve the same commercial outcome, ownership passing to you, but carry different legal and financial consequences.

The terms are generally used interchangeably. A company acquisition usually refers to buying the shares in a limited company, taking it on exactly as it stands, including its liabilities. A business purchase can refer to either a share purchase or an asset purchase, so it is worth confirming which structure is being proposed.

A thorough checklist covers financial records and forecasts, material contracts with customers and suppliers, employee terms and any pension arrangements, property leases, outstanding or threatened disputes, and confirmation that the target owns the assets and intellectual property it claims to. Gaps found here are usually either priced into the deal or addressed through specific warranties.

It depends on the complexity of the acquisition rather than the price of the target business. A straightforward asset purchase costs less to document than a share purchase involving multiple warranties, deferred consideration or extensive disclosure. Ask for a fixed fee quote once the structure of the deal is known, rather than committing to an open-ended hourly rate.

Statutory registers and Companies House filings need updating to reflect the change of ownership, and any staff transferring with the business need their employment terms honoured under TUPE if the deal was structured as an asset purchase. Post-completion obligations agreed in the sale agreement, such as handover support from the outgoing owner, also need to be tracked through to completion.

A business purchase is the general transaction, buying a business, which can be structured as either a share purchase or an asset purchase. An asset purchase agreement is the specific document used when the deal is structured to transfer named assets rather than the whole company, leaving certain liabilities behind with the seller.

There is no legal requirement to use business purchase solicitors, but an acquisition carries real financial risk if due diligence is incomplete, or the sale agreement does not reflect what due diligence found. A business purchase solicitor runs due diligence properly, negotiates warranties that protect you, and makes sure the agreement reflects the actual state of the business you are buying, not just what the seller has claimed.

MAR Legal provides advisory and documentation support for business acquisitions. Where a matter involves reserved legal activities, we work alongside appropriately regulated professionals to make sure your position is fully protected.