Cornwall’s space firms get legal backup to guard their ideas

Build something that could end up in orbit and the hardest part might not be the engineering. It might be the paperwork. Contracts, patents, shareholder agreements and investor questions all pile up fast, and most small firms do not have a lawyer down the corridor to deal with them.

Cornwall Space Cluster has now launched a £15,000 programme with South West law firm Stephens Scown to give its members access to specialist legal advice, in many cases for the first time.

What is on offer

Up to 20 cluster members can each get up to three hours of specialist legal support. The programme is administered by Cornwall Space Cluster and backed by Cornwall Council and the UK Space Agency.

Support can include intellectual property reviews, legal health checks and reviews of key documents such as terms and conditions, articles of association and shareholders’ agreements. It also covers guidance to help businesses prepare for future investment.

The focus is on reviewing agreements and documents, and on advice that is non-transactional and non-contentious. It does not cover transactional, regulatory or dispute-related matters.

Why legal groundwork matters for space firms

Space and deep tech companies regularly work with complex contracts, high-value intellectual property and investment. For smaller Cornwall businesses without in-house legal resources, that expertise can feel out of reach, and the cluster says that puts them at a competitive disadvantage.

The programme is aimed at strengthening Cornwall’s innovation ecosystem and supporting the growth of what the cluster describes as one of the UK’s leading space and aerospace clusters.

Cornwall is named as one of the UK’s strategic regional space clusters in the 2025 Modern Industrial Strategy. Space is also one of four growth pillars in the Cornwall Good Growth Plan 2024-2035, alongside minerals, renewables and marine.

Who is giving the advice

The work draws on Stephens Scown’s Commercial, Corporate and Intellectual Property teams. It is led by John Catchpole, Partner and Head of Real Estate Commercial Property, who advised Spaceport Cornwall in the run-up to the UK’s first sovereign space launch. He also worked with AeroSpace Cornwall to advise and support the growth of more than 40 space and aerospace businesses.

John is joined by Laurie Trounce, Partner and Commercial and Corporate Lead, and Amy Ralston, Partner and Intellectual Property Lead.

Stephens Scown was the first large UK law firm to become employee owned. It is also a B Corp and reached operational Net Zero at the end of 2025.

What they say

Nathan Coe, Cornwall Space Cluster Lead, said: “Cornwall is home to a vibrant and fast-growing community of space-related businesses, with many operating at the forefront of innovation. Access to specialist legal support can make a significant difference as these businesses seek to commercialise new technologies, attract investment and scale. We’re delighted to be working with Stephens Scown to help businesses access this expertise.”

John, who also chairs the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Data and Space Steering Group, said: “Cornwall has built an impressive reputation as a centre for space and aerospace innovation, with businesses attracting national and international attention. This programme will help those businesses access specialist support that can strengthen their foundations, protect their innovation and position them for future success.”

How members can apply

Cornwall Space Cluster brings together businesses, research institutions and government bodies working in space and related industries across Cornwall and the South West. Members can access the programme by filling in the cluster’s application form.

With places capped at 20 businesses, the pot will not stretch to every member.