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The final significant data protection changes under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (DUAA) are now upon us. If you run a business that handles personal data, and almost every business does, there is one provision in particular that you need to have in place: Do you have a formal complaints handling procedure for data subjects? This is not a technicality. It is a new statutory obligation, and it completes the DUAA's phased roll-out of reforms to UK data…

What UK Businesses Need to Know The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (DUAA) is now law. It received Royal Assent on 19 June 2025 and its provisions have been rolled out in stages. If you run a business in England and Wales, the changes affect you directly, whether you realise it yet or not. The DUAA does not replace the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 or the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations…

Keeping It Simple at First, Then Getting It Right for Investors When you incorporate a UK company, your initial share structure will shape almost every major decision that follows: who controls the business, how investors are protected, and what everyone walks away with on an exit. Start with something clean and straightforward. That is the right approach at incorporation. But as you raise investment, you will need to understand which share classes investors expect and why.  This guide is written for founders building a startup that expects to…

Employee Ownership Trust Pros and Cons for Business Owners Employee Ownership Trusts have become an increasingly popular succession planning option for UK business owners. For many SMEs and founder led companies, an Employee Ownership Trust, often referred to as an EOT, offers a route between a traditional sale and continued owner management.  This article focuses on the main pros and cons of an Employee Ownership Trust. If you would like a general explanation of how the structure works, read our related guide: Employee Ownership Trust Explained.  An Employee Ownership…

There are more exit options for business owners than most realise. A trade sale is the obvious one, a management buy-out another. But there is a third route that is regularly overlooked, even by owners it would suit well: selling to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT). Introduced in 2014, EOTs have become a more familiar succession planning option for owners who want to exit, preserve the business, and benefit from significant tax advantages. They are not right for every company.…

The Employment Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 18 December 2025. Some measures are already in place, while most provisions will be delivered in phases through 2026 and 2027. This timeline creates a practical window for employers to review and update their policies. Without proper preparation, these changes will have material business implications. Here is what has changed, what will change and when those changes are planned to take effect, and what employers should consider doing in response. The…

If you’re thinking about selling your company, one of the first things you will need to consider is how to price a business for sale. It sounds simple, but it really isn’t. We regularly see founders fixate on a number far too early. Once that happens, everything else becomes harder. Buyers often anchor to it (even if it wasn’t meant to be a firm price), and then advisers have to work around it. This can stall deals before they really…

If you are thinking about buying a company, one of the first things you will need to work out is how to value a business to buy. We regularly see buyers fall into two traps. Either they rely too heavily on the seller’s price, or they rush to a valuation before properly understanding the business. Both can lead to expensive mistakes. If you’re valuing a business to buy, there’s a lot to consider. What is the potential risk? Future returns?…

We regularly advise sellers who run a business with family and know that selling a small family business adds a unique dynamic to the transaction. The legal issues are often similar to any other business sale, but the family dynamic adds an extra layer. This article looks at the legal aspects you should think about when selling a small family business.

Want to sell an online business. We regularly see online business sales delayed when key issues were not considered properly. Let us explain...