Corporate Finance and Business Investment

Providing practical legal advice to help businesses secure funding, manage investment and put the right facility and security arrangements in place.

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Access to the right funding can be critical when starting, growing or restructuring a business. Whether you are seeking external investment, arranging new borrowing or considering alternative finance, the terms agreed at the outset can have a lasting impact on your business, its ownership and your future decision-making.

DTM Legal advises start-ups, growing businesses, established companies, founders and management teams on the legal aspects of corporate finance and business investment. We support clients across a range of funding arrangements, including venture capital, private equity and debt finance.

Our Corporate & Commercial solicitors work with you and your other professional advisers to understand the purpose of the funding and the wider commercial objectives behind the transaction. We can help you assess proposed terms, negotiate with investors and lenders and put the appropriate legal documentation in place to protect your position and support the next stage of your business.

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Corporate Finance and Business Investment Legal Services

We advise businesses on a wide range of funding and investment matters, including:

  • Equity investment and share issues
  • Venture capital investment
  • Private equity transactions
  • Business angel and private investment
  • Debt finance and business lending
  • Loan and facility agreements
  • Revolving credit facilities
  • Asset and invoice finance arrangements
  • Security documents and guarantees
  • Alternative funding arrangements
  • Crowdfunding and other investment structures
  • Investment and shareholders’ agreements
  • • Reviewing and negotiating heads of terms and term sheets
  • Negotiating with investors, lenders and other funding providers
  • Preparing and reviewing finance and investment documentation

Why Instruct DTM Legal?

Funding and investment arrangements can affect much more than the immediate capital available to a business. The terms agreed may influence ownership, management control, future borrowing, the ability to raise further investment and the options available to founders and shareholders when they eventually exit the business.

Our Corporate & Commercial Team provides practical advice focused on both the immediate transaction and your wider commercial objectives. We help you understand the implications of proposed terms, identify areas that require negotiation and make informed decisions about the obligations and restrictions you are agreeing to.

We work collaboratively with accountants, corporate finance advisers, lenders, investors and other professionals to help keep transactions progressing efficiently. Whether you are raising your first external investment or negotiating a significant funding package for an established business, our advice is tailored to the scale and complexity of the transaction.

We provide:

  • Practical and commercially focused legal advice
  • Clear guidance on funding and investment terms
  • Strategic support during negotiations
  • Advice that considers your longer-term business objectives
  • Thorough review and preparation of transaction documents
  • Coordination with other professional advisers
  • Responsive support throughout the funding process

Get in Touch

Whether you are raising investment, negotiating new business finance or considering the funding options available to support your next stage of growth, our Corporate & Commercial Team can help you understand the legal implications and put the appropriate arrangements in place.

To speak to a member of the team, contact the Corporate & Commercial Team on 01244 354 800 / 0151 321 0000 or email corporate@dtmlegal.com.

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Head of Corporate & Commercial
DTM Legal
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Key Considerations When Seeking Business Funding or Investment

Preparing the right information before speaking to your legal advisers can help identify the most appropriate funding structure and ensure important commercial issues are considered from the outset. Read our Key Considerations guide to understand some of the points a solicitor may wish to discuss when responding to your enquiry. It can help you prepare the relevant information and make your initial conversation more productive.

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Corporate & Commercial Team

Edward Barnes, Head of Corporate & Commercial photographed outside DTM Legal in Liverpool.
Edward Barnes

Head of Corporate & Commercial
Alison Brennan, Head of Compliance and Service Delivery Photographed outside DTM Legal in Liverpool
Alison Brennan

Head of Compliance and Service Delivery
phil whitehursttom team members img 01
Phil Whitehurst

Partner / Corporate & Commercial
Beth Thompson, Solicitor, Corporate & Commercial (1)
Beth Thompson

Solicitor, Corporate & Commercial

Frequently Asked Questions

Commonly asked questions about Corporate Finance and Business Investment services.

Debt finance involves borrowing money that the business is required to repay, usually with interest. Depending on the arrangement, the lender may also require security over company assets or guarantees from directors or shareholders.

Equity investment involves an investor receiving shares in the business in return for providing capital. The business does not usually have the same repayment obligation, but existing shareholders may see their ownership diluted and the investor may receive voting, information or management rights.

You should consider not only the percentage of the business the investor will own, but also the rights attached to their shares. These could include voting rights, board representation, access to information, consent rights over important decisions and protections relating to a future sale.

It is also important to consider how the investment could affect future fundraising and the rights of existing shareholders. Agreeing these matters clearly at the outset can reduce the potential for future disagreement.

It is sensible to involve a solicitor before detailed terms are agreed, particularly where you have received heads of terms from a lender or investor. Decisions made at this stage can shape the final transaction and may be difficult to renegotiate later.

Early legal advice can help you understand the proposed structure, identify points that require further negotiation and ensure the commercial terms properly reflect what you intend to agree.

The documents required will depend on the structure of the investment. An equity investment may involve an investment agreement, shareholders’ agreement, amended articles of association and documents relating to the issue or transfer of shares.

Your solicitor will also consider any existing agreements and company documents to ensure the new investment arrangements are properly integrated with the existing structure of the business.

Yes. A corporate finance solicitor can review proposed funding terms, explain their practical implications and negotiate points that may expose the business or its owners to unnecessary risk.

Not every term will carry the same significance, so your solicitor can also help you identify which issues should be prioritised during negotiations and where a commercial compromise may be appropriate.

What our Clients Say

See what our customers have to say about their experience

Review Solicitors Stars
5/5 350+Reviews
Jason Edwards
21/05/2026
We have been a long-standing customer of DTM for many years and would highly recommend. Friendly, professional and great to deal with.
Mark Brooks Lewis
21/05/2026
Alison Brennan is the single most helpful lawyer I have worked with in my professional career. Despite how busy she is, Alison always finds time (and patience) to help our team. She was a critical support agent in our early journey and one of the reasons behind our success. I would not hesitate to recommend her and the wider DTM team.
Evie
31/10/2023
DTM Legal’s team has our complete confidence in carrying out work promptly and efficiently. Their commitment to achieving the highest standards is evident in everything they do.

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