Reviewing a boat lease and franchise agreement before expanding a Thames charter business
A legal risk review for a London river charter company taking on new boats under a lease and franchise arrangement
By Malcolm ZoppiAviation and marine
Key facts
- Deal type
- Commercial contracts
- Acting for
- The company
- Business
- Boat charter on the River Thames, London
- Sector
- Aviation and marine
- Deal value
- Not applicable
- Structure
- Legal risk review of a new boat lease and franchise agreement
- Timescale
- Review and report delivered ahead of signing
- Completed
- Early 2026
- Lead solicitor
- Malcolm Zoppi
At a glance
A London company running private boat charters on the River Thames was expanding by taking on more boats under a new lease and franchise agreement. Before signing, it asked us to review both documents from a legal risk perspective and highlight the issues that mattered. We delivered a clear report on the key risks and what to negotiate in early 2026.
The client and the objective
The client wanted to grow quickly by operating more boats without buying them. A lease combined with a franchise is an efficient way to do that, but it ties the business to two sets of obligations at once, and the documents were drafted by the other side. The client needed to know what it was signing up to and where the risks lay.
What we reviewed
- The boat lease: term, rent, maintenance, insurance, condition and return of the vessels.
- The franchise agreement: fees, territory, brand obligations, performance requirements and termination.
- How the two documents interact, including what happens to one if the other ends.
- Restrictions on the client after the arrangement ends.
Key legal issues we highlighted
Two contracts, one business
When a business leases equipment and operates it under a franchise, the two contracts need to work together. If the franchise can be terminated but the lease continues, the business can be left paying for boats it cannot operate under the brand. We flagged where the documents did not line up and what to ask for.
Who maintains and insures the boats
Vessels are expensive to maintain and must be kept licensed and certified to carry passengers. The review identified where responsibility for maintenance, repairs, insurance and compliance sat, and where the client was taking on more than it should for leased assets.
Getting out
Termination rights, notice periods and post-termination restrictions decide how much a business is risking if the arrangement does not work. We set out the client's exit routes and the restrictions that would apply afterwards, so it could negotiate before signing rather than discover them later.
Outcome
The client received the review in early 2026 and used it to decide on and negotiate its expansion with a clear view of the risks.
What this deal shows
- A legal review before signing is the cheapest point at which to change a contract.
- Linked agreements need to end together, or the business can be left with obligations and no income.
- For any business built on expensive equipment, maintenance and insurance clauses deserve the closest read.
“Growing a fleet through a lease and a franchise is efficient, but it is two sets of obligations. The client needed to know exactly where the risks were before committing.”