Irwin Mitchell has established a strong presence in the licensing space following the addition of several key lawyers from Ince & Co in September 2023. The group possesses a great deal of experience in the leisure, retail and hospitality sectors, and acts for leading names in the entertainment field. Practice head Philip Somarakis, who is also the firm’s head of regulatory, specialises in gambling, alcohol, and entertainment licensing. Gaming sector expert Andrew Cotton is a key contact for gambling licensing matters.

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Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘The knowledge of the industry and the best counsels is what makes them stand out.’

  • ‘They provide peace of mind and are very thorough and professional.’

Key clients

  • BAFTA
  • Prez Ed Limited
  • Midcounties Co-operative Limited
  • Heal’s (1810) Limited
  • Andronicas Coffee Co Limited
  • Noodle Brat Limited
  • Greek House Souvlaki
  • Independent Spanish Restaurants (Brighton) Ltd
  • Roielle Morris

Work highlights

  • Provided general licensing advice to BAFTA.
  • Assisting Roielle Morris with achieving a premises licence, representing the client before a licensing sub-committee.
  • Assisted Midcounties Co-operative Ltd with new premises licence applications and variations throughout the year.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Philip Somarakis

Other key lawyers

Andrew Cotton