Radcliffe Enterprise Law
Sector · Tech Start-ups

Tech Start-ups & Scale-ups.

Commercial legal support for tech founders — contracts, IP, customer agreements and the legal foundations that make growth possible.

How we help

Commercial legal support for tech start-ups businesses.

Early-stage tech businesses don't need a heavyweight legal apparatus — they need the right two or three contracts in place, properly drafted, and a relationship with someone who picks up the phone when a customer or investor wants to redline them. That's the work we do.

Legal foundations that match the stage of the business

A young technology company rarely needs every possible legal document at once. It does need clear ownership of work created by founders and contractors, usable customer terms and a disciplined approach to confidential information. We help founders prioritise the documents connected to the next commercial milestone, whether that is a pilot, an enterprise customer, a new delivery partner or an investor review. The aim is to solve the immediate risk without creating an expensive framework the team cannot operate.

Moving from pilot projects to repeatable sales

Early deals are often negotiated from scratch, but that approach becomes a drag as sales increase. We can turn lessons from pilots and first customers into standard order forms, service descriptions and negotiation positions. Particular attention is given to acceptance criteria, customer dependencies, intellectual property, confidentiality and limits on liability. This helps the team explain its offer consistently and reduces the chance that one unusual customer promise becomes an unintended product commitment.

Supporting diligence without pretending to be corporate counsel

Fundraising and acquisition processes commonly expose gaps in signed contracts, contractor assignments or records of customer variations. We support the commercial contract workstream and coordinate with the company's corporate, tax or specialist intellectual property advisers where required. That may involve organising key agreements, explaining non-standard obligations, correcting missing assignments and responding to focused questions about customers, suppliers or partners. We stay within the firm's commercial remit and make the handover between advisers practical.

Typical legal needs

What tech start-ups businesses typically need from us.

  • Founder and shareholder considerations (alongside corporate advisers)
  • Customer contracts, MSAs and standard terms
  • Contractor and employee IP assignment
  • NDAs that actually protect what matters
  • Investor and customer DD response on contracts
  • Commercial dispute escalation
Relevant guidance

Practical reading for tech start-ups businesses.

Shareholders' agreement guide for UK startups

Read guide

Funding round legal checklist

Read guide

Protecting your business idea legally

Read guide

Talk to a solicitor who works with tech start-ups businesses.

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