Section 1
How to use these commercial law case study examples
Do not read these like model answers. Treat each one like a timed assessment centre brief. Your job is not to find every possible legal point. Your job is to decide what matters most to the client and explain what you would do.
- 1Read for the client decision. Ask: what is the client trying to decide, and what could go wrong if they get it wrong?
- 2Pick three issues. If everything is important, nothing is. Rank the risks by commercial impact and urgency.
- 3Give a recommendation. Proceed, pause, renegotiate, escalate, pay under protest — choose a practical next step.
- 4Prepare for pushback. A partner will ask why you chose one issue over another. Have a reason.
Section 2
Why law firms test commercial awareness through case studies
Law firms are not testing whether you know the law. They are testing whether you can think like someone they would put in front of a client.
In a case study exercise, the assessor wants to see four things — none of which are legal knowledge:
- Commercial instinct. Can you spot what matters to a business? Do you recognise when a given fact is a deal risk, not just a detail?
- Prioritisation under pressure. The brief gives you more information than you can process. Do you pick the issues that matter, or do you try to cover everything?
- Structured reasoning. Can you walk from the facts through the risks to a clear recommendation without getting lost in the middle?
- Client-ready communication. If your answer would confuse a client, it will not pass. Simple, direct, useful advice beats complexity every time.
Firms use case studies because they are the closest thing to watching a trainee handle a real morning email from a partner. If you can read a brief, decide what matters, and give a recommendation that helps someone make a decision — you have demonstrated one of the core skills of a commercial lawyer.
Section 3
Commercial law case study practice examples
Each example gives you a candidate brief, the issues to spot, the answer spine, and likely follow-up questions.
Example 1 · M&A / acquisition risk
Should Northbank buy FlowLedger?
Client: Northbank Capital, a private equity investor considering a majority acquisition of FlowLedger Ltd
FlowLedger is a fast-growing software business with recurring subscription revenue. Revenue grew from £8m to £14m last year, but the business is not profitable. One retailer, PrimeLine Group, accounts for 34% of annual recurring revenue and can terminate on 30 days’ notice. The CTO and senior engineers may leave after completion. The seller says the platform is fully data-compliant but has provided no supporting documents.
Key issues to spot
- Customer concentration: PrimeLine is too large a percentage of revenue to treat as normal churn risk.
- Key people risk: the product value may depend on people who are not locked into the business.
- Unverified compliance: a broad comfort statement is not enough where personal data is processed across the UK and EU.
Answer spine
Proceed only if the PrimeLine position, key employee retention and data compliance evidence are resolved before signing or reflected in price and deal protections.
Follow-up questions
- What would change your recommendation from proceed conditionally to do not proceed?
- Which issue would you raise first with the client and why?
- What information would you ask the seller to provide before signing?
Example 2 · Commercial contract / urgent client advice
Can Harbour Retail keep stores open before Christmas?
Client: Harbour Retail, a national retailer facing a threatened supply suspension from its logistics provider
Harbour Retail relies on SwiftPort Logistics for 70% of store deliveries. SwiftPort says Harbour owes £1.8m in disputed service charges and has threatened to suspend deliveries in seven days unless payment is made. Harbour says service levels have fallen below contract standards for three months. The contract contains a dispute escalation clause, a right to suspend for undisputed overdue sums, and a broad limitation of liability. Christmas trading starts in two weeks.
Key issues to spot
- Business continuity: the legal answer is secondary if stores cannot receive stock during peak trading.
- Contract mechanics: whether the sums are genuinely disputed affects SwiftPort’s right to suspend.
- Leverage and remedies: Harbour needs a practical route to keep deliveries moving while preserving its position on the disputed charges.
Answer spine
Prioritise continuity: challenge suspension if the charges are disputed, trigger escalation immediately, consider payment under protest if needed, and preserve the claim for service failures.
Follow-up questions
- Would you advise paying the £1.8m now?
- What should Harbour say in the first letter to SwiftPort?
- How does the Christmas timing affect your advice?
Example 3 · Private equity / growth investment
Should Northstar invest in a clinic group expanding by acquisition?
Client: Northstar Ventures, a growth investor considering a minority investment in ClearWell Clinics
ClearWell operates 18 private healthcare clinics and plans to double in size through acquisitions. Revenue is growing, but profits vary significantly by location. The management team wants investment to fund five new acquisitions in twelve months. Two target clinics have high revenue but weak staff retention. ClearWell uses several patient-record systems and has not finished integrating data from its last acquisition. The founders want to retain day-to-day control after investment.
Key issues to spot
- Integration risk: the business may not have the systems or management capacity to absorb more acquisitions safely.
- People and service quality: weak staff retention in clinic acquisitions can undermine revenue and reputation.
- Governance: a minority investor needs controls if founders keep operational control while using investor capital aggressively.
Answer spine
Invest only with a phased funding plan, clear governance rights, integration milestones and due diligence on staff retention, data systems and clinic-level profitability.
Follow-up questions
- Why might minority protection rights matter here?
- Would you focus more on financial performance or operational integration?
- What conditions would you attach to releasing the second tranche of funding?
Section 4
What strong answers have in common
They start with a view
"Proceed, but only if…" beats a long summary of the facts. The client needs advice, not narration.
They connect facts to consequences
Do not just say "there is customer concentration". Say what happens to price, leverage or deal certainty if the customer leaves.
They ask for specific information
"Further due diligence" is vague. Strong candidates name the document, confirmation or condition they need.
They stay commercial
The best answer is not the most legalistic one. It is the answer that helps the client make a better decision.
Section 5
Common mistakes candidates make in commercial case studies
The mistakes below come up consistently in law firm assessment centre feedback. Most candidates make at least two of them — often without realising.
Summarising instead of advising
The assessor already knows the facts. Repeating them back shows you can read. Explaining what they mean for the client shows you can think.
Trying to cover everything
When every risk gets equal weight, no risk gets proper attention. A candidate who picks three issues and goes deep on them scores higher than one who lists twelve issues superficially.
Skipping the recommendation
You can identify every issue in the brief and still fail. If the assessor finishes reading and does not know what you would actually do, you have not answered the question.
Over-lawyering the answer
Case studies are not legal exams. You do not need to cite legislation or case law. The assessor wants commercial judgment, not a legal dissertation.
Section 6
Next step: put the examples into practice
Reading examples teaches you the pattern. Timed practice teaches you whether you can apply it when the brief is unfamiliar and the clock is running.
Section 7
Commercial law case study examples: frequently asked questions
What is a commercial law case study?
A commercial law case study is a short business scenario used by law firms to assess candidates at interview or assessment centre. You are given a brief — usually about a company facing a commercial decision, risk or dispute — and asked to analyse the situation and give a recommendation. The exercise tests commercial awareness, not legal knowledge.
How long do I get to read and answer a case study?
It varies by firm. Most allow 20–30 minutes to read the brief and prepare your answer. Some firms give the brief in advance; others give it on the day. Always check with graduate recruitment for the specific format you will face.
Do I need legal knowledge to answer a commercial case study?
No. Firms design these exercises to be accessible to law and non-law students alike. The test is your ability to think commercially — spot risks, weigh options, and make a clear recommendation — not your knowledge of contract law or M&A mechanics.
What is the difference between a case study and a written exercise?
A written exercise typically asks you to produce a written output — a memo, email or note — from a set of documents under time pressure. A case study is usually discussed verbally with an assessor and focuses more on your reasoning and commercial judgment. Many firms use both across their assessment process.
Turn examples into practice
Start with a timed case study exercise, then compare your answer structure against the examples above.