Retail, consumer and logistics

The consumer dynamic is changing. Supply chains and marketing strategies are being rethought. Consumers are under more pressure than ever – placing greater pressure on brands to stand out from the crowd. The high street and your place on it is not the same.

We have helped retail, consumer and logistics clients through shifts such as these for many years. Making sense of regulatory and compliance issues, trading arrangements, brand protection, competition issues, property management, omni-channel offerings data protection strategies, employment matters, reputation management and buying or selling the business is our bread and butter.

After a turbulent several years with Brexit, Covid-19, and the war in Ukraine, we face un-precedented simultaneous challenges to consumer confidence in spend due to inflation and the energy crisis. The role of the high street has changed – stores need to provide interaction, experience and a frictionless customer journey whilst maintaining the sustainability of their products and operations. With weaknesses in global supply chains laid bare, brands and retailers also need a reliable and responsible supply chain and logistics suppliers are more in demand than ever. That said, the logistics sector is facing challenges and increased demand only brings those challenges into sharper focus.

Why choose Browne Jacobson retail, consumer and logistics lawyers?

We partner with retail, consumer and logistics clients to help them put the customer experience at the heart of their service. From promoting inclusion and social mobility to overcoming supply chain issues; innovation and understanding are cornerstones of our work. Shared values around diversity and inclusion and environmental responsibility enable us to connect our retail, consumer and logistics clients to issues that matter to them. With a wealth of experience advising on all aspects of the customer journey from the moment a customer first looks at an actual or virtual shop window to the purchase of products, we have helped clients refine their omni-channel offering maximise the value of the data collected and supporting the growth of their brand.

Our retail, consumer and logistics sector-aligned teams take a pragmatic approach, making the complex simple and forging connections between clients to find creative solutions. Our decades of experience in the retail law sector sees us acting for household names on the UK high-street but also for emerging challenger brands in the sector and for international luxury brands that have driven market and fashion trends for many years.

Our unique combination of a leading-edge public sector practice (backed by a commitment to and understanding of government), a strong private sector base and a wide breadth of clients, means we’re familiar with the concerns and objectives of all participants in these sectors.

Chambers and Partners 2023

"Browne Jacobson has expert knowledge across a wide range of matters with strong leaders and supporting team. The strong service levels are supported by timely responses."

What we do

We cover the full asset life cycle from the underlying technological concept, through the regulatory, procurement, planning and authorisation phase to the raising of equity and debt capital, development and everyday operational aspects (including negotiating the ongoing commercial contracts, advising on agreements with governments, license agreements and securing/protecting the related IP) and the sale or acquisition of such assets and businesses, including the provision of sector-focused advice around asset-level legal due diligence.

Partner led

We believe in smaller, partner led teams – but we can field significant resources when required.

Sector expertise

Our advice is underpinned by retail, consumer and logistics sector and asset specific knowledge and experience.

Solution oriented

We believe that legal and commercial issues should be met with solutions.

Commercial

Our retail, consumer and logistics lawyers add commercial value through providing innovative, practical and thoughtful retail, consumer and logistics law advice.

Collaborative

We understand the intricacies of transactions in the retail, consumer and logistics sector and as such we approach transactions in a collaborative and open minded manner.

Timely completion

We are focussed on achieving your deadlines and transaction milestones.

Commitment

We are committed to helping you achieve your transactional aims and ensuring you only pay for value.

Strategic partner

We strive to build long-term relationships with our clients, recognising this will require investment and energy.

Our retail, consumer and logistics lawyers provide constructive, innovative and pragmatic advice which addresses and anticipates the wide variety of issues which can arise during transactions. We believe that connection gets results, makes all parties stronger and is central to the Browne Jacobson approach. We’re excited to be growing our relationships with clients, working collaboratively and forging connections in what is likely to be a period of rapid innovation and development for the retail, consumer and logistics sector.

We’re a founding member of Pangea Net, a non-exclusive network of full-service law firms across the globe, giving our clients to access high-quality, specialist advice, efficiently and cost effectively.

We’re proud to be the first law firm to support an O Shaped methodology, an innovative movement with a mission to drive positive change within the legal sector and promote greater collaboration between law firms and their clients.

Our retail lawyers advise in the context of the real social challenges affecting our clients and wider society and we hold diversity and inclusion values at our core.

We look to collaborate with retail, consumer and logistics sector organisations such as the FDF, the British Retail Consortium, the Property Managers Association, Retail Trust and Retail Economics – this ensures we remain close to the most recent updates and industry issues – enabling us to provide the practical, relevant pragmatic advice.

Full-service offering

Partner led

We believe in smaller, partner led teams – but we can field significant resources when required.

Sector expertise

Our advice is underpinned by retail, consumer and logistics sector and asset specific knowledge and experience.

Solution oriented

We believe that legal and commercial issues should be met with solutions.

Commercial

Our retail, consumer and logistics lawyers add commercial value through providing innovative, practical and thoughtful retail, consumer and logistics law advice.

Collaborative

We understand the intricacies of transactions in the retail, consumer and logistics sector and as such we approach transactions in a collaborative and open minded manner.

Timely completion

We are focussed on achieving your deadlines and transaction milestones.

Commitment

We are committed to helping you achieve your transactional aims and ensuring you only pay for value.

Strategic partner

We strive to build long-term relationships with our clients, recognising this will require investment and energy.

Expert teams

Working together

Our retail lawyers advise in the context of the real social challenges affecting our clients and wider society and we hold diversity and inclusion values at our core.

Global logistics provider

We acted for a global logistics provider in their acquisition of leasehold premises. Both deals were conditional on satisfactory planning permission being acquired and the construction of bespoke distribution centres as well as funding. The deals were complex, involving planning issues and an overage agreement.

Luxury watchmaker

Advising on the brand’s digital marketing strategy and the re-targeting of customers on social media.

Well-known high street retailers and global luxury brands

Advising occupiers on their property requirements, from acquisitions and disposals (freehold and leasehold) to major refurbishments and redevelopments of flagship stores.

Skincare brand

Helping a specialist skincare brand navigate customer complaints and queries from its therapy room in a leading London department store.

Advertising and marketing

Ascensus: for in-house lawyers and business leaders

Banking and finance

Commercial contracts for retail

Commercial dispute resolution for retail

Competition and anti-trust

Complex licensing, R&D and collaboration

Consumer and e-commerce

Corporate

Criminal compliance and regulatory

Data protection for retail

Employment

Intellectual property

Intellectual property for retail

Legal project management

Mergers and acquisitions

Real estate for retail

Tax for retail

Suzanne Harlow

Non-Executive Director – Retail, Consumer and Logistics

"We’ve appointed several industry-aligned Non-Executive Directors to our sectoral groups. Suzanne Harlow is the Non-Executive Director of our Retail, Consumer and Logistics sector group. Suzanne was previously Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of RSL Awards and global lifestyle brand Jack Wills. Suzanne brings extensive experience within retail covering fashion, home and premium beauty brands, both in the domestic and international markets, to support the firm and its lawyers in driving the Retail, Consumer and Logistics sector strategy."

Find out more

Emma Roake

Partner

Caroline Green

Senior Partner

Cat Driscoll

Partner

Sarah Parkinson

Partner

Suki Tonks

Partner

Nigel Lyons

Partner

Rachel Lyne

Partner

Claire Burns

Legal Director

Faye McConnell

Senior Associate

Kevin Lawson

Partner

Susan Voice

Partner

Chambers 2022

"They provide quick responses and they deliver on promises."

Legal 500 2022

"The practice has the experience and flexibility to partner with a large multi-national organisation with an extensive and varied national property portfolio and work with the systems and governance appropriate to the environment."

Legal 500 2022