Legal advice before it becomes a dispute.

Penmarrow Legal helps small businesses with staff and premises questions, at a fixed fee agreed in writing before we start.

Who we work with
Owner-run businesses, from a first hire to a few dozen staff
How we charge
Fixed fees, agreed in writing first
First call
Twenty minutes, free, by phone or video

Small legal problems get expensive when they wait.

Most of the businesses we help call us a few weeks after the moment it would have been simple.

  1. 01

    A dismissal handled in a hurry

    The reason was fair, but the steps were skipped. Now the question isn't whether you were right, it's whether you followed the process.

  2. 02

    A lease signed without reading the repair clause

    Five years in, the landlord sends a schedule of repairs for a building you thought you were only renting.

  3. 03

    A contract copied from a template

    It looked complete until a customer stopped paying and nobody could find what it said about late payment.

What we handle

Four areas, all for businesses rather than individuals. Pick what sounds like you, or read them all. If your question sits outside them, we'll say so on the first call.

Which of these is you?

  1. 01

    Employment

    Getting the paperwork right before a problem, and following a fair process when there is one.

    Typical work

    • Contracts and staff handbooks
    • Disciplinary and dismissal steps
    • Settlement agreements
    • Redundancy
  2. 02

    Commercial leases

    Taking on, renewing or leaving premises, and what you're really agreeing to repair.

    Typical work

    • New leases and renewals
    • Rent reviews
    • Break clauses
    • Repair claims at the end of a lease
  3. 03

    Business contracts

    Terms you can rely on when something goes wrong, written for how you actually trade.

    Typical work

    • Terms of business
    • Supplier and customer agreements
    • Confidentiality agreements
  4. 04

    Disputes, early

    Most disagreements settle if they're handled clearly at the start. We aim for that before anyone mentions court.

    Typical work

    • Letters before action
    • Negotiation and settlement
    • Mediation

How working with us goes

The same three steps for every matter, so you know the cost and the person before any work starts.

  1. 01

    A free first call

    Twenty minutes to understand what's happening and whether we're the right firm. We check for conflicts before it.

  2. 02

    A fixed fee, in writing

    We send a short letter with what we'll do, what we won't, the fee and when it's due. Nothing starts until you agree.

  3. 03

    One lawyer, start to finish

    The person you speak to is the person doing the work, with a colleague reviewing anything that goes out.

Fixed fees, agreed first

Three common pieces of work with example fees. Every matter gets its own written quote before work starts.

Employment contract

Sample price

$450per template contract

A contract for a role, written or reviewed for how you work.

  • One call to understand the role
  • A clean contract and a short note on the choices made
  • One round of changes
Ask about this

Lease review

Sample price

$1,200per lease

Before you sign a new lease or a renewal.

  • A plain-English report on the terms that matter
  • A list of points to negotiate, in order
  • A call to go through it
Ask about this

Settlement agreement

Sample price

$600per agreement

Ending employment by agreement, done properly.

  • Drafting or reviewing the agreement
  • Advice on the terms and the timing
  • Liaison with the employee's adviser
Ask about this

Fees shown are placeholders for this template, before tax. If a matter grows beyond the agreed scope, we stop and quote for the extra before doing it.

Who you'll work with

A small team, on purpose. You'll know everyone who touches your matter.

  • Mara Penhallow

    Founder, employment

    Advises owners on hiring, handbooks and the hard conversations. Previously in-house at a regional retailer.

    EmploymentSettlements

  • Tobias Reyne

    Commercial property

    Leases, renewals and the end-of-lease repair claims that surprise people.

    LeasesRent reviews

  • Aisha Kordell

    Contracts and disputes

    Writes terms of business and handles disagreements before they turn into claims.

    ContractsEarly disputes

Notes from the practice

How we approach common matters, written from typical cases with the details changed. General information, not advice, and no outcomes claimed.

Questions

Is the first call really free?

Yes. Twenty minutes, with no obligation. We'll tell you whether we can help, roughly what it would cost, and if we can't help, who might.

What if the work turns out bigger than the fixed fee?

We stop and tell you before doing anything outside the agreed scope, with a quote for the extra. You decide whether to go ahead.

Do you go to court?

We handle disputes up to the point of a claim, and most settle there. If a matter goes to a hearing, we'll explain the options, including bringing in an advocate, before anything is agreed.

Can you act for an employee or a landlord?

No. We only act for businesses as employers and tenants, so we never end up on both sides of the same kind of matter.

Do we have to meet in person?

No. Most clients never visit the office. Calls, video and email work for nearly everything.

Tell us what's going on.

A short form, a conflict check, then a free twenty-minute call.