Our lawyers are recognised for their clear, commercial and pragmatic advice with licensing matters. In gaining a real understanding of your business aims and operational capabilities, we tailor our licensing advice to support your business and its objectives.
We have helped many businesses and individuals navigate the licensing regime for:
- the sale or supply of alcohol
- the provision of late night refreshment
- the provision of regulated entertainment
- the provision of gambling
- the operation of private hire vehicles or heavy goods vehicles
Some clients use our comprehensive licensing service for all their requirements, others simply for advice in making their own applications or following an alleged licensing infringement.
If you work in licensed premises, maintaining good relationships with the regulators and local interested parties is crucial. We specialise in helping clients identify and develop these important links to maximise business opportunities.
We can also help Administrators and Law of Property Act receivers manage the impact of insolvency and to preserve licences to enable premises to carry on trading.
How we can help
Obtaining your licence
We can help by:
- advising on cumulative impact areas and early morning restriction orders
- advising on the responsibilities of the designated premises supervisor
- drafting an operating schedule
- obtaining a club premises certificate
- obtaining a new premises licence
- obtaining a personal licence
- obtaining temporary events notices for unlicensed premises or to permit activities not covered by an existing premises licence
Maintaining your licence
We can assist with:
- advising you and/or your business on the licensing framework and keeping you informed of legal developments in licensing
- providing operational compliance advice to ensure that your business complies with licensing legislation and any licence conditions, and due diligence steps required to protect the business and staff including record keeping requirements and monitoring and control of the business by management/owners
- transferring a premises licence
- varying a premises licence, for example by changing the hours of licensable activities, the layout of premises or the conditions on the licence
- varying the designated premises supervisor
Enforcement
Licences of all descriptions are often critical to business operations. You may have invested heavily in securing a licence and growing your business around it, so any threats that could alter, amend, review or even revoke it must be dealt with urgently.
Trading Standards Officers, often in conjunction with the Police, Licensing and Environmental Health Officers, frequently undertake enforcement operations including test purchases for underage sales or service of short measures.
The consequences of failing to comply with legislation can be severe including;
- closure orders – shutting your business
- fixed penalty notices
- licence reviews with the possible imposition of additional and more onerous conditions, suspension of your licence for up to 3 months or in exceptional circumstances, the revocation of your licence
- prosecution, with the possibility of high fines or even imprisonment
Where enforcement action has commenced or is likely to commence, we can assist businesses, licence holders or employees during investigations and prosecutions including;
- advising in respect of fixed penalty notices, cautions, and the conduct of investigations by the Local Authority and Police
- attending interviews under caution and advising on the process
- defending the various duty holders, including licence holders and sellers, during the criminal investigation and / or prosecution
Our Band 2 ranked (Legal 500) lawyers provide reassuring 24/7 legal support for you when you need it most.
