Retail & Fashion Solicitors
Industries
Legal Support to Keep Your Retail or Fashion Brand Growing
Retail and fashion businesses live on their brand, their supply chain and their customers’ trust. Gurve Legal is a London-based commercial law firm advising independent retailers, online sellers, fashion labels and growing brands on contracts, consumer law, intellectual property, premises and staff.
From supplier agreements and website terms to trade marks, shop leases and investment, we help you trade with confidence and avoid the disputes and regulatory problems that eat into margins.
We act for brand owners and suppliers, landlords and tenants, and buyers and sellers of businesses. Understanding every side of a deal helps us anticipate where problems are likely to arise and negotiate terms that work.
Free Initial Discussion
To discuss how we can help and for a no-obligation quote, call 020 7566 1188, use the Book a Discovery Call button below or WhatsApp us. We can assist wherever you are based.
“After working with Gurve Legal, I was impressed by their dedication and professionalism. The team was friendly, knowledgeable, and provided the guidance I needed throughout the process.”
Google Review
Our Retail and Fashion Legal Services
Commercial Contracts and Terms of Trade
Strong contracts protect your business at every stage of the supply chain. Our commercial contracts team drafts and negotiates the agreements that keep your trading relationships on solid ground.
- Supplier and manufacturer agreements
- Distribution, agency and wholesale contracts
- Concession and marketplace arrangements
- Confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements
Consumer Terms and Online Selling
Consumer law sets minimum rights that your terms cannot take away. We prepare clear terms and conditions, returns policies and website documents that comply with the rules and reduce disputes.
- Website and app terms of sale
- Returns, refunds and cancellation policies
- Privacy notices and cookie policies
- Pricing, promotions and review practices
Intellectual Property and Brand Protection
Your brand name, logo and designs are often your most valuable assets. We help you register and defend them, including through trade mark registration and enforcement, so competitors and counterfeiters cannot trade on your reputation.
- Trade mark registration and renewal
- Design rights for products, prints and packaging
- Copyright in creative content and photography
- Cease and desist action against infringers
- Brand licensing and collaboration agreements
Retail Leases and Premises
Whether you are opening your first shop or renewing leases across several sites, the terms of your premises agreement have a lasting effect. Our commercial lease solicitors act for retail tenants and landlords.
- Lease negotiation for shops and units
- Rent reviews and lease renewals
- Break clauses and dilapidations
- Pop-up and short-term retail agreements
Supplier, Customer and Distribution Disputes
When a supplier fails to deliver or a distribution arrangement breaks down, fast, commercial advice limits the damage. Our dispute resolution team aims to resolve matters without unnecessary cost wherever possible.
- Breach of contract and non-performance claims
- Product quality and delivery disputes
- Negotiation and mediation
- Debt recovery from trade customers
Employment and HR Support
Retail and fashion businesses rely on the right people at the right time, from seasonal shop staff to design and buying teams. Our HR advisory service helps you manage that relationship with confidence.
- Employment contracts and staff handbooks
- Zero hours and flexible working arrangements
- Disciplinary and grievance procedures
- Redundancies and settlement agreements
Corporate and Investment Support
As your brand grows, so does the legal work behind it. We support retail and fashion businesses through funding rounds, acquisitions and changes of ownership.
- Equity fundraising and investor agreements
- Business acquisitions and disposals
- Shareholders’ and partnership agreements
- Management buyouts and corporate structuring
Consumer Law for Retailers: What Has Changed
Consumer protection rules apply to every retailer selling to the public. The biggest recent change is that the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) can now enforce consumer law directly.
Already in force from 6 April 2025
- Unfair commercial practices: the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 replaced the old consumer protection regulations with a new prohibition of unfair commercial practices (section 225).
- Fake reviews: submitting or commissioning fake consumer reviews, and publishing reviews in a misleading way, are now banned practices in all circumstances (Schedule 20, paragraph 13).
- Direct enforcement: the CMA can now investigate, decide that consumer law has been infringed and impose penalties itself through infringement notices, rather than having to go to court first.
Key consumer rights that still apply
- Online and distance sales: consumers can usually cancel within 14 days after the goods come into their physical possession (regulation 30 of the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013).
- Faulty goods: consumers have a short-term right to reject faulty goods within 30 days, starting the day after ownership passes and the goods are delivered (section 22 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015).
Why Choose Gurve Legal
We Act for Both Sides of the Deal
We work with brand owners and suppliers, landlords and tenants, and buyers and sellers. We understand how retail agreements are negotiated from every angle and can anticipate where disputes are likely to arise.
Plain English, Commercial Advice
You get direct access to experienced solicitors who explain your options clearly and without jargon. Our advice is built around what helps your business make a decision.
Support Across the Supply Chain
From sourcing and manufacturing to sale and after-sales, we cover the legal issues that arise at every stage of the retail and fashion lifecycle, not just the headline transactions.
Built for SMEs and Growing Brands
Our advice is aimed at independent retailers, owner-managed businesses and growing labels. We scale it to match your size and stage of growth.
Gunea Luthra
Senior Solicitor
Leads our retail and fashion sector work
View Gunea’s profile
Frequently Asked Questions
For most online and distance sales, consumers can cancel within 14 days after the goods come into their physical possession, without giving a reason. This is separate from their rights if goods are faulty. Your returns policy can offer more, but not less.
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, a consumer has a short-term right to reject faulty goods for a full refund within 30 days. After that, they are usually entitled to a repair or replacement, and then a price reduction or final right to reject if that fails.
From 6 April 2025, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 introduced a new ban on unfair commercial practices, banned fake reviews outright and gave the CMA power to enforce consumer law and impose penalties directly, without first going to court.
Designs can be protected through registered designs, unregistered design right and copyright, depending on the item. Registering your brand name and logo as trade marks adds further protection. Keeping dated design records helps you prove ownership if a dispute arises.
It should cover specifications and quality standards, ordering and delivery, price and payment, ownership of designs and IP, ethical sourcing commitments, liability for defects, and termination rights. Clear terms make supply problems much easier to resolve.
Yes. Short-term retail is often documented through a licence or a short lease. The right document depends on how long you will be in occupation and how much exclusive control you have, so it is worth checking the terms before you commit.
Speak to Our Retail and Fashion Solicitors
If you run a retail or fashion business and need practical legal support with contracts, consumer law, your brand or your premises, we are ready to help you protect the business as it grows.
Get in touch with us
Related Services
Terms and Conditions
Clear, compliant terms for selling online and in store.
Commercial Leases
Drafting, negotiating and renewing commercial leases for landlords and tenants.