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Hospitality and leisure law

Our dedicated team of hospitality and leisure lawyers are experienced across all leisure and hospitality law disciplines and have vast experience advising clients in this sector.

We are experts in the hospitality and leisure industry. We can assist you with your growth plans, day-to-day operations, and addressing current issues. These issues include the cost of living, diversity and inclusion, digital transformation, sustainability, and ethical sourcing.

Our hospitality and leisure sector clients range from well-known hotels, pubs and bars to leisure operators and sporting venues and bodies. We give pragmatic and prompt hospitality and leisure law advice to shape and implement your brand, growth and marketing strategies.

Our hospitality and leisure lawyers can help with contracts, property acquisitions, estate management, employment issues, regulations, brand protection, and disputes. We can also help you meet the challenges facing your sector including rising costs and inflation, supply disruption, labour shortages and loss of experienced staff.

Our hospitality and leisure law services

Our commercial team of dedicated specialists work together with our clients operating in the hospitality and leisure sector. We have particular expertise in advising on everything from putting in place framework agreements; to securing the supply of goods and services; to engaging contract suppliers.

Trade and commerce agreements

Our award winning corporate team is known for its extensive experience in M&A transactions, private equity work, corporate governance advice and solvent reorganisations.

Mergers and acquisitions, investment and company reorganisations

Our employment team is able to provide advice in relation to all aspects of your relationships with your employees, whether that’s assisting with contracts and handbooks, business transfers, inter-company disputes and issues, employment claims and any other employment issues.

Additionally, we can assist with compliance audits and offer bespoke training to assist you in managing your employees. We also provide specialist immigration advice, with immigration lawyers available to advise on compliance with ever changing and complex immigration rules and legislation, particularly now that the UK has left the EU.

We can help with your Sponsor License and Visa applications, right to work checks and help you safeguard against illegal working. We also undertake immigration audits and compliance advice.

Immigration and employment needs

We can help you build an effective strategy which will take into account your resources, your approach to risk and the potential impact on your brand including: advice on alternative dispute resolution; breach of commercial contracts; breach of restrictive covenants; breach of warranty; company law disputes; freezing orders; injunctions; misrepresentation; claims and shareholder disputes.

Resolving disputes

Whether dealing with a developer, investor, landlord or tenant we can help you with negotiating the leasing, acquisition or sale of your business premises. From planning and construction to funding, tax advice and property litigation, our experienced team provide commercial advice to help mitigate risk and ensure your projects are delivered on time.

Commercial property strategy

Our regulatory team helps hospitality and leisure clients understand, anticipate, and influence the shifting - and often volatile - regulatory landscape. We partner with your business to create smart, operational solutions that minimise risk, create new opportunities, and power your business forward.   

As the regulatory framework is complex and changes happen regularly, we understand hospitality and leisure businesses may sometimes be subject to regulatory investigation and enforcement. We have extensive food and drink law experience in supporting clients through regulatory investigations and enforcement including representing and advising clients at interviews under caution and in court hearings. Our advice in these business-critical situations is underpinned by our knowledge and experience gained by working closely with regulators in this sector over a significant period of time.

Navigating the regulatory framework

Our intellectual property (IP) team span the whole range of IP rights across both contentious and non-contentious matters, whether it be complex patent litigation, trade mark strategy and protection advice, advertising and marketing matters, copyright-related issues, IP licensing arrangements, R&D and collaboration agreements or design rights advice.

Protecting your brand

Our data protection team has a great deal of experience in assisting clients in relation to technological advances including multi-channel front-of-house technologies, data capture, data sharing and privacy.

Technology and data protection

Our commercial team of dedicated specialists work together with our clients operating in the hospitality and leisure sector. We have particular expertise in advising on everything from putting in place framework agreements; to securing the supply of goods and services; to engaging contract suppliers.

Trade and commerce agreements

Our award winning corporate team is known for its extensive experience in M&A transactions, private equity work, corporate governance advice and solvent reorganisations.

Mergers and acquisitions, investment and company reorganisations

Our employment team is able to provide advice in relation to all aspects of your relationships with your employees, whether that’s assisting with contracts and handbooks, business transfers, inter-company disputes and issues, employment claims and any other employment issues.

Additionally, we can assist with compliance audits and offer bespoke training to assist you in managing your employees. We also provide specialist immigration advice, with immigration lawyers available to advise on compliance with ever changing and complex immigration rules and legislation, particularly now that the UK has left the EU.

We can help with your Sponsor License and Visa applications, right to work checks and help you safeguard against illegal working. We also undertake immigration audits and compliance advice.

Immigration and employment needs

We can help you build an effective strategy which will take into account your resources, your approach to risk and the potential impact on your brand including: advice on alternative dispute resolution; breach of commercial contracts; breach of restrictive covenants; breach of warranty; company law disputes; freezing orders; injunctions; misrepresentation; claims and shareholder disputes.

Resolving disputes

Whether dealing with a developer, investor, landlord or tenant we can help you with negotiating the leasing, acquisition or sale of your business premises. From planning and construction to funding, tax advice and property litigation, our experienced team provide commercial advice to help mitigate risk and ensure your projects are delivered on time.

Commercial property strategy

Our regulatory team helps hospitality and leisure clients understand, anticipate, and influence the shifting - and often volatile - regulatory landscape. We partner with your business to create smart, operational solutions that minimise risk, create new opportunities, and power your business forward.   

As the regulatory framework is complex and changes happen regularly, we understand hospitality and leisure businesses may sometimes be subject to regulatory investigation and enforcement. We have extensive food and drink law experience in supporting clients through regulatory investigations and enforcement including representing and advising clients at interviews under caution and in court hearings. Our advice in these business-critical situations is underpinned by our knowledge and experience gained by working closely with regulators in this sector over a significant period of time.

Navigating the regulatory framework

Our intellectual property (IP) team span the whole range of IP rights across both contentious and non-contentious matters, whether it be complex patent litigation, trade mark strategy and protection advice, advertising and marketing matters, copyright-related issues, IP licensing arrangements, R&D and collaboration agreements or design rights advice.

Protecting your brand

Our data protection team has a great deal of experience in assisting clients in relation to technological advances including multi-channel front-of-house technologies, data capture, data sharing and privacy.

Technology and data protection

Frequently asked questions

The UK hospitality industry must comply with key laws and regulations to ensure safety and legal standards. These include:

  • Health and Safety at Work Act 1974: Ensures employers provide a safe working environment and protect the health of employees and customers.
  • Food Safety Act 1990: Regulates food safety standards, ensuring food is safe and of expected quality. It also governs food labelling and presentation.
  • Food Safety and Hygiene Regulations 2013: Specifies hygiene standards and practices for food handling, storage, and preparation.
  • Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH): Requires control measures for hazardous substances used in hospitality operations.
  • Licensing Act 2003: Governs the sale of alcohol and provision of entertainment, requiring appropriate licenses and compliance with related conditions.
  • Equality Act 2010: Prohibits discrimination in hospitality services based on protected characteristics.

If you're planning to start a restaurant or bar, there are several important legal steps you'll need to follow.

Begin by choosing your business structure and registering with the relevant authorities, such as HMRC or Companies House. You'll also need to register your establishment as a food business.

If you intend to serve alcohol, you'll need to apply for both a premises licence and a personal licence.

Adhering to food hygiene standards and health and safety regulations is essential, and you'll also need to secure the right insurance. Additionally, depending on your offerings, a music licence might be required.

 

 

 

Occupier's liability means you need to keep your premises safe for visitors. If someone is injured due to something unsafe on your property, you might be held responsible.

This includes taking care of hazards and warning about any dangers. Even though you have a higher duty of care for those with permission to be on your premises, you should also be mindful of potential risks for anyone who might be there. Regular checks and clear warnings can help reduce the risk of accidents and complaints.

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