If you are raising capital or investing in a business, it is vital to obtain prompt, expert legal advice.
We provide specialist representation to founders, companies, and investors across England and Wales, supporting clients through funding rounds from seed stage through Series A and beyond. Our experience helps clients structure, negotiate, and complete investment deals efficiently while protecting their financial and commercial interests.
Initial Discussion – Call Now
Contact our lawyers by calling us on 07513 826 746 or complete our enquiry form and one of our team will call you back.
Confidential, Expert Advice
Investment transactions are often complex and commercially sensitive. Early legal involvement lets us advise on deal structure, draft robust agreements, and manage risks to ensure smooth completion, protecting relationships and the interests of founders, companies, and investors. While investors may require a degree of oversight, their experience, networks, and strategic input can add significant value to the business when appropriately balanced with founder autonomy. Capital is the lifeblood of any business, coming from many sources with varying terms. For over 20 years, Culbert Ellis has supported founders, investors, and companies on deals of all sizes, guiding them from startup to exit.
We advise at all stages, including term sheets, investment agreements, subscription and shareholders’ agreements, Articles of Association, disclosure letters, and related documentation.
Types of Investment Transactions We Handle
We act for clients in a wide range of investment matters, including:
Seed and early-stage funding
Series A and later-stage rounds
Private equity investment
Investor and founder exits
Shareholders’ and subscription agreements
Directors’ service agreements and governance arrangements
Every investment is unique, requiring careful assessment and a tailored legal strategy to balance the interests of founders, investors, and the company.
Structuring and Completing Investment Deals
Structuring investment agreements requires legal precision and commercial insight. At Culbert Ellis, we review company structure, governance, contracts, intellectual property, compliance, and investor terms to determine the best course of action. Fund-raising typically starts with a term sheet, with early-stage deals proceeding directly to an investment agreement, often using SEIS or EIS schemes, and later-stage rounds involving due diligence.
Documentation usually includes a Subscription Agreement, Shareholders’ Agreement, Articles of Association, and a Disclosure Letter, with founders entering personal service agreements. The key is balancing the interests of founders, investors, and the company. Our experience advising all sides ensures efficient, commercially sound outcomes. Investors often seek protections such as preference shares or board involvement to safeguard their investment. If control terms are too restrictive, they can disincentivise founders, so careful structuring is essential to maintain alignment and long term value.
Initial Discussion – Call Now
Contact our lawyers by calling 07513 826 746 or complete our enquiry form.
Contact our lawyers by calling us on 07513 826 746 or complete our enquiry form and one of our team will call you back.
Director, Solicitor
Justin is a director of Culbert Ellis and has been advising clients on commercial and investment matters for over 25 years. As one of the founders of Culbert Ellis, he has first-hand experience of the issues that founders face. Justin also has extensive experience in shareholder and investment agreements, mergers and acquisitions, and complex commercial contracts.
Justin advises clients on structuring and negotiating investment arrangements, protecting shareholder interests, and managing commercial relationships. His approach focuses on achieving practical and commercially focused solutions, whether through negotiation, contractual structuring, or dispute avoidance. He acts for corporate clients, startups, and high net worth individuals on high value and complex investment matters.
Justin’s principal areas of practice include shareholder and investment agreements, mergers and acquisitions, IT and intellectual property contracts, outsourcing, data protection, and commercial contracts. He is recognised in national publications as an expert in IT law, intellectual property, and competition law, and is a member of the International Bar Association, sitting on its Closely Held Companies Committee.
Director, Solicitor
Tony is our Head of Corporate and has been advising clients on corporate and commercial matters for over 20 years. He has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, shareholder agreements, and corporate governance.
Tony advises businesses, investors, shareholders, and directors on structuring and managing transactions, raising funds, and navigating complex commercial and corporate issues. His approach is practical and commercially focused, drawing on experience advising startups, listed companies, and international clients.
Tony’s principal areas of practice include UK and international mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, shareholder agreements, commercial contracts, business disputes, fundraising by debt or equity, restructurings and reorganisations, directors’ duties, and corporate governance.
Associate, Solicitor
Joe advises corporate clients across multiple sectors, with a particular focus on technology and food and beverage, on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, investments, corporate governance, commercial contracts, intellectual property agreements, finance documents, and restructurings.
Joe is recognised as a “key lawyer” in the Legal 500 and brings a practical, commercially focused approach to every instruction. He has acted on high-value and complex transactions, including significant fundraising rounds, corporate restructurings, and cross-border acquisitions, supporting both investors and shareholders to achieve optimal outcomes.
With extensive experience in investment agreements, our team has a strong track record of achieving efficient, commercially sound outcomes.
If you would like to speak to our team about your circumstances, please fill in your details and we will get back to you.
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