What is the difference between a contract lawyer and a commercial solicitor?

The terms are often used interchangeably. In England and Wales, all lawyers who draft commercial contracts are regulated solicitors. “Contract lawyer” and “contract solicitor” refer to the same qualified professionals.

Do I need a lawyer to draft a contract?

You are not legally required to use a solicitor, but a poorly drafted contract can cost far more to resolve than the original legal fee. For low-value, low-risk arrangements, a good template may suffice. For anything significant such as a new business relationship, a licensing deal, a franchise arrangement, professional drafting protects you if things go wrong.

How long does it take to draft a contract?

For a straightforward commercial services agreement, we can typically produce a first draft within a few working days. More complex contracts take longer depending on the negotiation required.

Can you review a contract someone else has drafted?

Yes. Contract review is one of our most common instructions. We identify unfavourable or unusual clauses, advise on the risks, and suggest amendments.

What should a commercial contract include?

Every commercial contract should clearly define what is being supplied, the price, how and when payment is made, what happens if something goes wrong, how the contract ends, and which law governs the agreement. IP ownership, confidentiality, data protection, and liability caps are also important depending on the nature of the deal.

Can a contract be enforced if it is not signed?

Potentially, yes. An unsigned contract can still be binding if both parties have acted on it. This is exactly why it is important to understand what you are agreeing to before any work begins, not just before you sign.

E-Commerce Solicitors

Protect your online business, brand and commercial interests with expert legal advice. We provide practical support with intellectual property, website compliance, data protection, consumer rights and disputes.

Lana James
E-Commerce Law Team

E-Commerce Businesses

Team – FAQs

Running an online business means operating across multiple legal frameworks simultaneously: intellectual property, consumer protection, data privacy, contract law and platform regulation. The pace of regulatory change in the e-commerce sector is fast, and the consequences of non-compliance, or of operating with inadequate legal documentation, can be significant.

Freeman Harris advises online retailers, marketplace sellers, subscription businesses and digital service providers on the full range of legal issues that affect e-commerce. Whether you are launching a new online brand or dealing with an existing legal dispute, our solicitors provide clear, commercially grounded advice.

Freeman Harris gave us clear and practical advice on our e-commerce terms, intellectual property and customer disputes. They understood the needs of our online business and provided straightforward advice that helped us move forward with confidence.

Sophie Mitchell

Founder of an Online Retail Business

How can we help?

Contact our team anytime for a no-obligation chat about your legal matter. Once you speak with us, you will notice the difference yourself.

Call 0207 790 7311 or email contact@freemanharris.co.uk.

Recent Cases

E-Commerce Brand – Assisted an online business with protecting its trade mark and addressing unauthorised use of its brand.

Online Retailer – Advised an online retailer on a dispute involving website terms, customer refunds and consumer rights.

Intellectual Property for Online Businesses

Trade Marks

Your brand name, logo and any distinctive product features you sell online should be protected by registered trade marks before you launch or scale. A registered trade mark gives you the right to take action against counterfeiters and competitors using the same or similar brand identifiers, including through takedown procedures on platforms like Amazon, eBay and Etsy.

Freeman Harris handles UK and EU trade mark applications, renewals and infringement disputes for online businesses.

Copyright

Product images, website copy, video content, illustrations and software code are all protected by copyright. Online businesses that use third-party content without a licence face infringement claims. Equally, if your original content is being copied by competitors, you have the right to act.

Our solicitors advise on copyright ownership and licensing, takedown notices, and infringement claims both as claimant and defendant.

Website Terms, Policies and Compliance

Every e-commerce website should have a suite of legal documents that are accurate, up to date, and tailored to the business. Generic templates carry real risk, particularly as consumer and data protection regulations continue to evolve.

Freeman Harris drafts and reviews:

Terms and conditions of sale, including returns, refunds and cancellation rights
Website terms of use
Privacy policies and cookie policies compliant with UK GDPR
Subscription and recurring payment terms
Marketplace seller policies

We also advise businesses when their terms and conditions are challenged by a consumer or regulator, and help update documentation when the law changes.

Data Protection and UK GDPR

E-commerce businesses collect significant amounts of personal data through their websites, including purchase history, browsing behaviour, email addresses and payment information. Handling that data lawfully, securely and transparently is a legal requirement under UK GDPR.

Our solicitors advise on data protection obligations for online retailers, including lawful bases for processing data, privacy notice requirements, data subject access requests, and what to do in the event of a data breach.

Consumer Rights

Online retailers are subject to the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Consumer Contracts Regulations, which give customers specific rights to cancel orders, return goods and receive refunds. Businesses that do not comply risk complaints to Trading Standards, chargebacks and reputational damage.

Freeman Harris advises e-commerce businesses on their obligations under consumer protection law and helps resolve disputes with customers, payment processors and delivery providers.

Disputes

Online businesses face a range of disputes: unpaid invoices, supplier failures, platform suspensions, and customer chargebacks. Freeman Harris acts in:

Debt recovery and unpaid invoice disputes
Supplier and fulfilment contract disputes
Marketplace suspension appeals and disputes with platforms
IP infringement claims
Consumer complaint escalations and Trading Standards matters

Why Freeman Harris?

We advise e-commerce businesses at every stage, from pre-launch legal setup through to complex disputes. Our approach is practical and focused on your commercial objectives. Initial consultations are available at no charge, and our fees are transparent from the outset.

E-Commerce Law Team

Ian Freeman
Managing Director
Ian advises businesses on commercial contracts, intellectual property and dispute resolution. He provides practical legal support to e-commerce businesses and online retailers.
Talha Fazlani
Lawyer
Talha specialises in intellectual property and commercial disputes. He helps online businesses protect their brands, creative content and commercial interests.
Lana James
Paralegal
Lana supports clients with commercial and legal matters, assisting e-commerce businesses with contracts, intellectual property and disputes.

E-Commerce Law FAQs

All your frequently asked questions about contract law by our legal team.

What is the difference between a contract lawyer and a commercial solicitor?
The terms are often used interchangeably. In England and Wales, all lawyers who draft commercial contracts are regulated solicitors. “Contract lawyer” and “contract solicitor” refer to the same qualified professionals.
Do I need a lawyer to draft a contract?
You are not legally required to use a solicitor, but a poorly drafted contract can cost far more to resolve than the original legal fee. For low-value, low-risk arrangements, a good template may suffice. For anything significant such as a new business relationship, a licensing deal, a franchise arrangement, professional drafting protects you if things go wrong.
How long does it take to draft a contract?
For a straightforward commercial services agreement, we can typically produce a first draft within a few working days. More complex contracts take longer depending on the negotiation required.
Can you review a contract someone else has drafted?
Yes. Contract review is one of our most common instructions. We identify unfavourable or unusual clauses, advise on the risks, and suggest amendments.
What should a commercial contract include?
Every commercial contract should clearly define what is being supplied, the price, how and when payment is made, what happens if something goes wrong, how the contract ends, and which law governs the agreement. IP ownership, confidentiality, data protection, and liability caps are also important depending on the nature of the deal.
Can a contract be enforced if it is not signed?
Potentially, yes. An unsigned contract can still be binding if both parties have acted on it. This is exactly why it is important to understand what you are agreeing to before any work begins, not just before you sign.

Contact our E-Commerce Law Team

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