The principal Nick Openshaw is a solicitor specialising in business and commercial matters. He spent two years with the Samsung Group as a business manager before qualifying as a Solicitor in 1985. He worked in London for two city law firms and in the Legal Department of Credit Lyonnais before relocating to Devon in 1992. He set up his own “niche” corporate and commercial practice in January 1997. With Bill Eaton he founded xlsis in 2000. His principal areas of expertise are:

• Buying and Selling Businesses, Practices and Companies

• Business Start-Ups

• Company Formations and Administration

• Professional Partnerships

• Banking and Venture Capital

• Business Contracts (including Distribution, Agency, Teaming, Conditions of Business, Consent Forms, Licenses and Franchises)

• Joint Ventures and Collaborations (including public/private “partnerships” and grant-aided undertakings)

• MBO’s and MBI’s

Consultant Bill Eaton is a solicitor specialising in non-contentious property matters. He qualified in 1981 with Manby & Steward, the leading firm in his home town of Wolverhampton, and became a partner in 1985. In 1988 he relocated to Devon and joined Bond Pearce, the leading westcountry commercial firm. He became a partner in 1989 and remained with the firm until 1998 when he left to set up his own practice. With Nick Openshaw he founded xlsis in 2000 and their two practices worked together on many projects. The practice founded by Bill in 1998 merged with another firm in 2003 and he moved on following the merger, to become a consultant to Openshaws.

 His principal areas of expertise are:

• Purchases and sales of commercial and development land
• Property development
• Property investment
• Investment property finance and management
• Commercial leases
• Retail, industrial and office property management
• Lending and funding
• Stamp Duty Land Tax
• VAT on property transactions