A guide to protecting your business legally

If you are a business owner or part of senior management, it is essential to understand the extent of your rights and ways to protect your business. We provide clear and practical advice on all aspects of the law and how to use it to safeguard your business. Here are some of our top tips:

Commercial contracts

• use your terms and conditions to your advantage
• make sure the contract reflects the agreed terms and any changes made subsequently are clearly documented
• throw nothing away
• keep a handle on credit control and procedures.

Employee activity

• identify which employees have valuable business information or relationships, and protect yourself contractually – take advice, do not try this at home!
• review and update employment restrictions regularly, particularly on promotion
• take practical steps around data security (see our GDPR factsheet for further information). Also consider traceability e.g. dummy addresses
• have a social media policy and monitor ex-employee activity. Don’t ignore your own client relationships!

Intellectual property

• understand the intellectual property that is important to your business – do you own it?
• ensure that you have contracts in place with employees and contractors that deal with IP ownership
• take steps to register IP rights at the Intellectual Property Office (and foreign registries)
• if your IP is being infringed, take action to draw this to the attention of the infringing party, and enforce your rights.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss how to protect your business, please get in touch.

Disclaimer: Please note that this fact sheet is for guidance only and is not intended to replace legal advice.