TLT‘s ‘incredibly knowledgeable‘ team undertakes all estate management licensing matters on behalf of a wide roster of national household names; the practice spans the whole of the country, and the firm consequently has experience of working with all of the licensing authority areas across England and Wales. Enforcement is another key area of activity; solicitor advocate Ewen Macgregor is particularly active in this space. Matthew Phipps oversees the practice. As well as advising several large pub estates, the group also counts restaurant operators, hotels, galleries and retailers among its core clients.
Licensing in South West
TLT
Practice head(s):
Matthew Phipps
Other key lawyers:
Ewen Macgregor; Piers Warne; Andrew Griffin
Testimonials
‘The team are incredibly knowledgeable about licencing, and best practice across the UK.’
‘Piers Warne is very knowledgeable and personable. He is always very generous with his time and expertise to help.’
‘They are always willing to put forward policies that are practical and well considered, and are always ready to incorporate new ideas and advice on the legal ramifications.’
Key clients
Punch Pubs
Ashton Gate Limited
St Austell Brewery Limited
Ambassador Theatre Group
WH Smith
Admiral Tavern Limited
Welcome Break Limited
Daylesford Organic Limited
Accor
Shindig Festival
Work highlights
- Advising Punch Pubs on all general licensing management work across England and Wales.
- Assisting Ashton Gate with issues following the refusal by Bristol City Council to sanction a proposed gig by Arctic Monkeys.
- Assisted St Austell Brewery with all new acquisitions throughout the course of 2022.
Burges Salmon LLP
Recently, the team at Burges Salmon LLP has been particularly active in the hotel and leisure, education and property sectors, leveraging its experience of advising on multi-site licensing portfolios to assist clients. New premises licence applications, variations of existing licences, and compliance issues all form part of the group’s typical workload. Consultant Joanne Attwood heads up the practice, and is singled out for her ability to ‘offer a first-rate service to clients‘.
Practice head(s):
Joanne Attwood
Testimonials
‘Its strength lies in the high degree of professionalism, expert legal knowledge and pragmatic approach combined with exceptional client care, back-up and resources.’
‘Joanne Attwood is a standout licensing lawyer whose extensive licensing knowledge and experience combines with her superb client care skills to offer a first-rate service to clients.’
Key clients
English Heritage
Historic England
University of Bristol
Atlas Hotels Limited
London and Regional Group Hotel Holdings Ltd
Titan Investment Atlas Limited
Zetland Capital
Canadian & Riverside Estates/ Canadian & Portland Estates
Work highlights
- Advised English Heritage on a premises licence major variation application for a London heritage site.
- Advised University of Bristol on a new application for a premises licence within its licensed portfolio of premises licences and club premises certificates.
- Advising a hotel franchise group on the acquisition of multiple licensed hotel properties.
Wollens
At Wollens, contentious and advisory licensing matters are handled by Chris Hart and Jon Dunkley, respectively; the latter undertakes full advocacy services relating to licensing applications before both local authorities and courts. The firm is particularly well established across the Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset regions. The team is also noted for its significant experience of making successful applications within cumulative impact areas.
Practice head(s):
Chris Hart
Other key lawyers:
Jon Dunkley
Testimonials
‘They can tailor advice and expertise to the relevant sector. All options were discussed and advice offered before making the successful applications.’
‘Chris Hart and his team made the the whole process seamless, straightforward, and kept us informed as the applications were submitted. They understood what we wanted to achieve with the licences and offered clear advice throughout.’
‘Engagement was excellent at every point from enquiry to completion. We have recommended other business contacts to instruct them for their licensing requirements.’
‘Wollens were very professional – knew exactly what we needed and got on with it.’
‘Matters are dealt with speedily and efficiently and there is always someone on hand to talk to if we have any concerns or questions. The advice is always spot on.’
‘Chris Hart is contactable at almost any time of the day or night and comes back very quickly. He is professional and approachable and nothing is too much trouble.’
Key clients
Burrington Estates Winslade Park Ltd
Rockfish Ltd
Bootleggers Bar Ltd
THAT Torquay Hotel Ltd
Torquay Coastal Drinks Ltd
Harbour 16
Work highlights
- Advising Burrington Estates Winslade Park on its licensing application for the grounds to be used as a festival venue.
- Successful assisted Hilton Hotel with an urgent application for variation to an existing premises licence in order to extend its licensed area to include additional function, events and hospitality spaces.
- Assisting Torquay Coastal Drinks with a premises licence for a new gin distillery in the centre of Torquay.
Laceys
Laceys‘ Bournemouth-based offering has a ‘fantastic reputation across the country‘. In addition to handling advisory licensing work for pubs, clubs, restaurants, bars and off-licences – which regularly includes assisting with applications for new licences and variations of existing licences – the team also specialises in mandates relating to outdoor events and festivals. Philip Day oversees the department, with support from Byron Sims.
Practice head(s):
Philip Day
Other key lawyers:
Byron Sims
Testimonials
‘Laceys are a fantastic ally for all matters legal licensing. Working across a number of projects and situations, they are incredibly empathetic to the requirements of clients and bring an exceptional level of experience and expertise to discussions.’
‘A great experience and pleasure to deal with always.’
‘We deal in particular with Philip Day and Byron Sims. In all dealings they have been incredibly helpful, supportive and shared their knowledge and expertise.’
Key clients
Hall and Woodhouse
The Stable Bar & Restaurants Limited
Sourdough South Limited
BCP Council
Great Dorset Steam Fair
The Beat Herder Festival
South Coast Events Group
The Miaris Group
Conroy’s Bar Ltd
Café Riva
Shore Lines Food Limited
Tall Bars Limited
Trethowans LLP
Caffeine Weymouth
The Coach House and Inns Limited
Eventive Funtime Limited
Shakespeare Martineau LLP
Under the leadership of Melissa Toney, Shakespeare Martineau LLP provides an end-to-end service for businesses requiring alcohol and entertainment licensing. The team is most widely known for advising on matters under the Licensing Act 2003 and Gambling Act 2005. The group’s client roster comprises multi-site food, drink and hospitality operators, as well as a growing portfolio of independent traders, start-ups and SMEs.
Practice head(s):
Melissa Toney
Key clients
Ganesta Georgian Holdings Ltd
Accor UK Business and Leisure Hotels Limited and Accor UK Economy Hotels Ltd
Vertex Investment Ltd
The Salt Rooms Ltd
Local Off Licence
The BlackRock Restaurant Group
La Bottega Bristol Ltd
Stay On Course Ltd
Bosco Bristol Ltd
Last Orders Bristol Ltd
Work highlights
- Advised Stay on Course, an Irish company, on securing an on-track bookmakers licence at Cheltenham racecourse.
- Acting on behalf of Last Orders Bristol to avoid enforcement action being brought by the Licensing Authority following the operation of an alcohol wholesaler shop without a licence.
- Advised Coal Shed on securing a licence for two venues within cumulative impact areas in Brighton and Hove City Council.