Ben Hargraves

Ben drafts, negotiates, and implements complex commercial agreements across multiple jurisdictions including multi-country master service agreements and bespoke lease arrangements. He also has experience in sport sponsorship, service agreements, supply agreements, SaaS, O&M agreements, joint operating agreements, subcontracting, PPPs, and joint ventures. He has worked for clients ranging from startups to multinationals.

• Negotiated a USD2.5bn master service agreement for a pharmaceutical client across the UK, Belgium, France, and the US.
• Negotiated a master service agreement for an aviation client across South East Asia.
• Negotiated a pan-European master service agreement for a pharmaceutical client.
• Negotiated a global master service agreement for an oil & gas client.
• Negotiated a regional master service agreement for a technology client in the Middle East.
• Advised a startup on an application of SEIS to pre-seed fundraising.
• Advised a startup co-founder on a dispute with other co-founders.
• Advised a startup founder on a consultancy agreement.
• Advised startup co-founders on the co-founder agreement.
• Advised a main sponsor on the negotiation of a multi-year sponsorship agreement covering a major international sport team.
• Advised a sponsor on the negotiation of a sponsorship agreement for a franchise tournament.
• Advised a sponsor of a sport/charity event.
• Advised a sponsor of an individual sportsperson.

Ben has experience in project finance, asset finance, dealer finance, refinancing and leasing arrangements, acting for finance platforms and OEMs in the transportation, energy transition, and automotive sectors in the UK and Europe.

• Negotiated €170m debt refinancing for an energy transition platform.
• Negotiated €125m pan-European hybrid RCF and term loan facilities.
• Negotiated €88m electric bus financing in Denmark.
• Negotiated lease financing for electric coaches benefiting from subsidies.
• Negotiated framework asset finance arrangements for a European OEM across six jurisdictions.

Ben advises businesses on building efficient, scalable legal and compliance frameworks. This includes acting as ethics and compliance officer and rolling out compliance programmes for anti-bribery and for data protection; designing template contracts and negotiation playbooks; creating and managing risk assessments; and designing, procuring, and implementing contract lifecycle management systems.

• Acting as ethics & compliance officer.
• Rolled out compliance programmes for anti-bribery and data protection.
• Procured, designed, and implemented a contract lifecycle management system.
• Developed a crisis management playbook.
• Advising on design and training of code of conduct.

Ben advises organisations in the automotive and mobility sector on commercial agreements and market entry.

• Advised OEMs on dealer agreements and dealer finance arrangements.
• Negotiated lease agreements for electric vehicles.
• Obtained subsidies for electric vehicles.
• Drafted a suite of sale agreements, services agreements, and operating lease agreements for six European jurisdictions for a new entrant electric vehicle manufacturer.
• Negotiated lease agreements with three OEMs to benefit from subsidies for electric trucks.
• Negotiated a fleet services agreement with OEM.
• Advised on a partnership agreement for an automotive dealer.