Regardless whether you’re the buyer or the seller, there are certain key areas which are critical to properly consider before signing on the dotted line. These include:

• Outstanding finance. Is all the optical equipment fully paid for, or is there any outstanding finance which will need to be repaid from the proceeds of the sale?
• Due diligence will provide a depth of information but don’t forget to include the contracts of the staff. You should check whether all employment laws have been properly met and that the business has fulfilled all of its statutory obligations.
• What is the status of any locum opticians? If the business has been relying on self-employed, locum opticians for a considerable time, care may need to be taken over their future position. If they are found to have been in disguised employment, they may be able to bring a case to tribunal for unfair dismissal.
• Any changes to the employment terms of the staff will have to be considered in line with the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006. The seller will need to consult with the staff in advance of the sale if there are plans to change their working contracts.
• If the optician provides NHS services, there may be a General Ophthalmic Services Contract. The seller will want to know how long it will take the buyer to obtain their own contract with the NHS, and how patients will be treated in any interim period.

We have many years of experience facilitating the buying and selling of opticians, and can assist things to run smoothly and efficiently. From carrying out the due diligence to setting up the sale contract, we have the professional expertise to conclude the transaction as quickly as possible.

Many ask us ‘what’s different about you?’ and we like to reply, ‘because we go the extra mile’. We see our work as building and maintaining good business relationships rather than just earning fees. How we do this is by keeping in constant contact with our clients and intermediaries. From pre to post instruction we ensure that our clients are informed of all legal issues that may impact their business and therefore lives. That is why we provide daily or weekly updates to ALL of our clients whether there is anything to tell them or not (we don’t charge for this we just see it as part of our service). We like our clients to rest peacefully knowing that when we are instructed, and we say ‘we will take it from here’ they know we mean it.

The world is changing, and many individuals are realising that lifestyle is as vital to them as is income. We are the lucky ones who can hand pick lawyers who can provide the best quality advice but at outer city costs. Our offices are in North West London which may not be the most salubrious in the market but at the same time this allows us to charge our clients for what they pay for, our advice NOT our office space.

ALL our lawyers have previously worked in large city-based law firms and continue to practise and offer  the same high level service  they provided to clients in the City but without the pressure and demands often dictated by City law firm. This allows us to be competitive on our fees without compromising our service.

All in all, our clients win, which is the way we like it.

All our clients benefit from the same high level of care and attention whether the instruction is big or small. At the outset of each matter, we discuss the entire process with our clients, including the costs, potential outcomes and issues associated. This is to ensure clients are fully aware, knowledgeable and are in control always. Supporting and ensuring we provide the highest level of services, we offer our constant contact process with the partner or barrister leading  your file, a document log in for matters which are for larger and more complicated instructions and on-going support post transaction should our clients require it. Our aim is not just to get the work done, but to make our clients’ lives easier as we do it, which is why we ensure that our clients have regular access to the resources they need from us.