Almost every sphere of activity in our increasingly complex commercial world is subject to regulation by at least one of the many public or professional bodies set up to licence and police what business does.

At the top of the agenda in the last few years has been the issue of alcohol and entertainment licensing and the new Licensing Act 2003. Although this has liberalised the law relating to licensed premises, it has equally strengthened the hands of various agencies in monitoring how they are run. This ‘supervision’ starts from the moment a licence is applied for and continues throughout its lifetime. More recently still, the Gambling Act 2005 has changed the way in which games of chance are regulated, with the new system of Operators, Premises and Personal Licences

We are somewhat unusual in all of this in that besides acting for licence applicants we also sit as legal advisors for a number of licensing authorities. Our unique position of acting on both sides of the fence allows us to offer all of our clients a depth of knowledge which is difficult to find elsewhere. Our expertise is invaluable at all critical stages of the licensing process, which include;

Applications: properly preparing potentially controversial applications in order to divert representations or objections by applying an imaginative approach to proposals and operating schedules;

Day to day operations: helping you avoid the attention of the regulatory authorities through appropriate due diligence systems;

Crisis management: the weapons at the disposal of the authorities, such as the power to review your licence, are real and regularly put to effect. This can effectively close your business down. Our negotiation skills have resulted in clients avoiding this devastating event. Where negotiations are not successful we are able to bring our specialist advocacy skills to bear at any review or appeal hearings.

Our in-house advocacy expertise means that regardless of whether the issue is before the committee of the local licensing authority, or being prosecuted before the courts, we can cater for all of your needs.