With a ‘very responsive and commercial approach to work’, Harper Macleod LLP excels at providing licensing advice to a broad host of clients in the hospitality and retail sectors, particularly specialising in premises licence applications. A core component of the firm’s work focuses on petrol stations, with practice head Andrew Hunter providing ’first-rate technical knowledge’ to clients such as Motor Fuel Limited and BP Oil with regards to premises and site acquisitions. Other work includes handling short-term letting applications and appearances, as well as acting in disputes. Often supporting Hunter on the firm’s key mandates, Angus Brown acts on a range of contentious and non-contentious work.
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Harper Macleod has a robust format for dealing with their clients.’
‘The individuals I have worked with at Harper Macleod have stood out by displaying their vast knowledge of the particular area I was involved in. I had several queries on a few areas of licensing and Andrew Hunter was able to address them all.'
- 'On the particular issues I was dealing with, I was in court with Andrew Hunter and he vigorously defended my license, studied in depth all the complaints and answered each one of them individually. This is one reason that he has stood out.'
‘A very responsive and commercial approach to work. Not stuffy but very much hands on approach.’
- 'Andrew Hunter is a truly lovely person to work with. Acute sense of relevant issues in cases he handles and able to give clients legally sound advice combined with understanding of practicalities of a situation. First-rate technical knowledge of licensing law.’
Key clients
- Lidl Great Britain Limited
- Motor Fuel Limited
- Certas Energy UK Limited
- Highland Fuels Limited
- Sweeney’s Cruises
- Greene King Retail Limited/ Belhaven Pubs Scotland
- Shevies Limited
- BP Oil UK Limited
- TM Townsley Properties Limited
Work highlights
- Advising Lidl Great Britain Limited on its successful application to West Dunbartonshire Licensing Board for its new premises application in Alexandria.
- Acting for Motor Fuel Limited in multiple new premises licence applications for petrol station forecourts, particularly in securing the grant of new licences in North Lanarkshire following successful appeals to the Sheriff Court against earlier refusals for the same two premises.
- Acting for a private landlord in appeals and subsequent judicial review against Renfrewshire Council’s decision that she was not a fit and proper person to be a landlord and in so doing, clarifying the future looking aspect of the “fit and proper person” test in landlord registration.
Lawyers
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Andrew Hunter