BUSINESS & COMMERCIAL LAW
Legal support for business owners who want to move with confidence.
Clear structure. Decisive advice. Commercial certainty.
Canterbury Legal helps Christchurch businesses, owners and organisations structure decisions, manage risk and negotiate commercial arrangements with the bigger picture in mind.
How can we help your business?
Commercial legal needs do not always begin with a document. Start with the business decision you are trying to make.
Starting, structuring or protecting a business
Structures · Shareholders · Asset protection · Governance
Signing, negotiating or trading
Contracts · Negotiation · Terms of trade
Borrowing, lending or giving security
Finance · Guarantees · Securities · PPSR
Buying, selling or exiting a business
Buying · Selling · Due diligence · Exit
Business & commercial services
Asset protection & business structuring
Finance, securities & guarantees
Terms of trade & trading protection
Commercial contracts & negotiation
Sale & purchase of businesses
People who can help
Talk directly with people who understand business structures, transactions, property, finance and commercial risk.
Talk to us first.
Commercial problems are usually cheaper and easier to manage before a contract is signed, a guarantee is given or a transaction structure is fixed. Talk to us first, while there is still room to negotiate and protect your position.
Early advice can protect leverage and reduce expensive surprises later.
Early advice can help you…
- choose the right ownership and governance structure
- understand guarantees, securities and liability exposure
- strengthen commercial terms before committing
- identify issues before buying, selling or restructuring a business
Useful insights for business owners.
Practical guidance on commercial agreements, governance, business risk, transactions and structuring.
Better contracts. Better protection. Better outcomes.
If you are starting, growing, restructuring, buying or selling a business, speak with our team before the paperwork locks the decision in.
Phone: +64 3 377 0792
Send enquiry.
Frequently asked questions.
Review it when ownership changes, new shareholders join, debt or asset exposure increases, or you are planning a significant transaction or exit.
A personal guarantee can expose personal assets if the business cannot meet its obligations. The scope and consequences should be understood before signing.
Where there is more than one owner, clear arrangements around governance, decision-making, funding, transfers and exits can substantially reduce uncertainty and disputes.
Ideally, yes. Once signed, the agreement may lock in obligations, liability, termination rights and risk allocation that are difficult to change later.
A purchase commonly involves due diligence, the sale agreement, finance, leases, warranties, employees, assets and the structure of the transaction.