Due Diligence & Risk Advisory for Business Owners and Investors

Buying a business, taking on investment or entering a significant commercial agreement carries real legal risk. Our due diligence solicitors carry out structured legal risk reviews for business owners, investors and founders across the UK, giving you a clear picture of what you are taking on before you commit.

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Without proper due diligence, legal exposure can go undetected until it becomes a costly problem. Hidden liabilities, poorly drafted contracts, unresolved employment issues or gaps in IP ownership can all affect the value of a deal or derail it entirely. The businesses that come unstuck are rarely the ones that asked too many questions before signing. They are the ones that did not ask enough. Our due diligence solicitors give you the answers you need before you commit.

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What This Means for You

  • A clear understanding of legal risks before you commit to any deal
  • Identification of liabilities that could affect value or structure
  • Practical recommendations, not just a list of problems
  • A stronger negotiating position based on what the review uncovers
  • Confidence that your commercial decision is legally informed


How Our Due Diligence Solicitors Help Businesses

Whether you are a landlord or a tenant, getting the terms of your commercial lease right from the outset is essential.

Contract Review & Analysis

Our due diligence solicitors review key commercial contracts, identify risks and gaps, and flag unfavourable terms that could create problems after a deal completes. You receive a clear breakdown of what each contract means for your position going forward.

Legal Risk Assessment

We carry out a structured legal risk assessment across the business, identifying liabilities and highlighting areas that need to be addressed before you proceed. You get a clear picture of risk, not just a list of legal issues without context or priority.

Corporate & Structural Review

Our solicitors review company structure, shareholder arrangements and governance issues to identify anything that could affect the transaction or your position as a buyer or incoming investor before the deal progresses further.

Employment & Workforce Review

 We review employment contracts, contractor arrangements and workforce risk areas that could transfer into the business post-acquisition. Employment liabilities are one of the most common issues our due diligence solicitors uncover during a legal review.

Intellectual Property & Brand Review

We review IP ownership, trademark position and brand protection risks to make sure the assets you are acquiring are properly protected and that there are no ownership gaps or disputes that could affect the value of the deal.

Transaction & Deal Support

Our solicitors support you through the wider deal process, reviewing heads of terms, advising on structure and making sure you have the right legal information at every stage from initial review through to completion.

When to seek advice

  • You are considering buying a business and need the legal position reviewed before proceeding
  • You are taking on investors or entering a joint venture and want to understand the risks involved
  • A buyer, investor or lender is requiring you to go through a due diligence process before proceeding
  • You are reviewing a significant commercial agreement before signing and want independent advice
  • You want to understand the legal risks within your current business before a sale or investment round
  • You are preparing your business for outside investment and need your legal position reviewed
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Why Businesses Choose MAR Legal for Due Diligence

Solicitor-Led Reviews

Every business acquisition due diligence review is carried out by solicitors at MAR Legal

Clear, Practical Reporting

You receive a structured written report with clear findings and recommended next steps, not a dense technical document.

Fast Turnaround

Our solicitors work to your timeline, so the review never slows down your deal.

Transparent Pricing

You know what the review costs before we begin, with no hidden fees or surprises.

Trusted by businesses across the UK for clear, accessible Due Dilligence

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How Our Due Diligence Process Works

01

Initial consultation

Tell us about the transaction and what areas you need reviewed.


02

Scoping the review

We agree the areas to be covered and confirm the fixed fee before any work begins.


03

The review

Our solicitors carry out a structured legal risk assessment across all agreed areas


04

Report and next steps

You receive a clear written report with findings, risk ratings and practical recommendations.

Commercial Lease FAQs

Legal due diligence is the process of reviewing a business's contracts, structure and legal position before making a commercial decision. It identifies risks, liabilities and issues that could affect the value of a deal or your position as a buyer or investor. Our due diligence solicitors produce a written report setting out what was found, the level of risk attached to each issue, and what steps should be taken before you proceed. It is most commonly carried out before business acquisitions, investment rounds and joint ventures.

The timeline depends on the size and complexity of the business being reviewed. A focused review of a smaller business can be completed within a few days. A more detailed legal risk assessment of a larger or more complex business typically takes one to two weeks. Our due diligence solicitors agree the scope and expected timeline with you before starting, so there are no surprises and no unnecessary delays to your deal or your wider decision-making process.

Our reports cover the key legal risk areas agreed at the outset, typically contracts, corporate structure, employment, IP and any specific areas of concern relevant to the transaction. Each section sets out what our due diligence solicitors found, what the risk is and what we recommend. The aim is a clear, practical document you can act on rather than a lengthy technical report that requires a lawyer to interpret before it is useful to you.

Yes. The size of the business does not reduce the legal risk. Small businesses can carry significant liabilities including unresolved employment issues, poorly drafted contracts, personal guarantees or IP that is not properly owned or registered. A proportionate review scoped to the size of the deal gives you the information you need to negotiate better terms, require the seller to resolve issues, or walk away if the risks are too great.

Yes. We can scope the review to focus on specific areas only, for example contracts and IP, or employment and corporate structure. This keeps the cost proportionate to the deal and the risk areas you are most concerned about. We agree the scope with you at the outset and will flag if we think additional areas should be included based on what the review uncovers as it progresses.

Yes. Our solicitors can support you through the wider business acquisition process including reviewing heads of terms, advising on transaction documents and supporting negotiation. We work alongside appropriately regulated professionals where any aspect of the matter requires regulated legal activities, making sure your position is fully covered at every stage.

If the review identifies significant risks or liabilities, our solicitors set these out clearly in the report along with practical recommendations on next steps. That might mean renegotiating the purchase price, requiring the seller to resolve specific issues before completion, adjusting the deal structure, or in some cases reconsidering whether to proceed. Our due diligence solicitors will talk you through the findings and help you decide on the right course of action.