Lisa Gilligan
Managing Partner - Leicester
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"‘Lisa Gilligan was responsive, accountable, knowledgeable, and trustworthy. I would recommend her to anyone that asked and we do plan to utilize her for future legal needs, should they arise."
(The Legal 500, 2024)
Lisa is a highly experienced regulatory solicitor and advocate. She specialises in licensing and in broader complimentary regulatory areas including Health & Safety, Trading Standards and Food Safety/Labelling.
Lisa is an accomplished advocate, regularly appearing before a wide range of tribunals including Magistrates Courts and licensing committees nationwide.
She also acts for local authorities in relation to regulatory prosecutions, appearing at Magistrates Courts on their behalf. Acting for local authorities in this way to provide advocacy support allows Lisa unique and valuable experience of both sides of the enforcement fence.
Lisa is listed as a Recommended Lawyer and recognised as a Leading Individual in Licensing by the Legal 500 (2024 edition).
Legal Services
Licensing
Lisa has over 17 years licensing experience and has worked for a wide range of clients including pubs, supermarkets, restaurants, nightclubs and off-licences. Lisa Gilligan leads the practice and advises on all aspects of licensing. Clients comment that she gives “clear and concise advice that is easy to understand” and is “creative in finding the best solution”.
Recent Work
- Lisa acts for a national supermarket chain in relation to all licensing matters, including premises licences, personal licences, DPS changes and age-restricted sales. The ambitious growth programme of the organisation requires a pro-active involvement from Lisa, to ensure the efficient running of the licensing administration.
- Acting as legal advisor regularly to Charnwood Borough Council, Derbyshire Dales District Council and Erewash Borough Council. By acting in this role, Lisa works as an additional advocacy support to the legal teams for licensing and trading standards prosecutions, as well committee hearings.
- Advising a Premises Licence Holder in relation to the loss of a premises licence for late night premises, following the dissolution of a company. Lisa’s swift advice and involvement to secure temporary event notices and liaison with responsible authorities ensured that a new licence was secured with only the statutory delay. The licence was also effectively re-instated without the imposition of further onerous conditions and replicated the licence which had been in place for over 20 years. Thus avoiding the opportunity for responsible authorities to seek a heavily conditioned new licence within a city centre location.
- Freeths act for Aldi in relation to all of their licensing applications.
- Lisa’s team are responsible for the administration of the licensing support including premises licences, personal licences, DPS changes, APLH training and underage restricted sales.
- Aldi have had a well documented successful expansion throughout the UK with an estate currently over 700 stores.
Regulatory & Trade Remedies Law
Lisa has represented many companies in relation to trading standards investigations. Her impressive negotiation skills reap results to avoid formal enforcement action whenever possible.
Recent Work
- Such investigations include Weights and Measures: assisting a pub operator for alleged offences including liaison with the enforcing authority. Lisa lead liaison with the enforcement authority to ensure the matter was resolved without formal enforcement action being taken, despite the alleged breach of legislation.
- Acting on behalf of Derby City Council to prosecute a counterfeit computer game operation.
- Advising a company director in relation to an investigation launched by Norfolk County Council for alleged breaches of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 linked to the sale of faulty “Smartboards”.
Compliance & Regulatory
Lisa advises in relation to health and safety matters both defending and prosecuting alleged breaches of legislation.
Recent Work
- Lisa acted on behalf of Bassetlaw District Council in relation to the prosecution of a national retailer, following a fatality arising from a workplace transport accident. The authority had never investigated/prosecuted on such a large scale and Lisa represented the local authority throughout the whole process – including Coroner’s Inquest and Court appearances.
Sectors
Food
Lisa’s regulatory experience has lead to expertise within the food sector; advising on a variety of food labelling, health & safety and regulatory matters within the sector.
Cases
- Regularly advising foreign companies entering the UK market in relation to legislative compliance with UK legislation.
- Advising and representing a local authority in relation to a food safety prosecution arsing from over 20 breaches of food hygiene and safety legislation. Lisa’s involvement from the outset included the drafting of Information and Summons through to representation at Court to secure a conviction.
Latest
- The Economic Crime & Corporate Transparency Act – a new dawn in the fight against economic crime and fraud?
- The 2023 Women of the Year award winners inspire audience
- Freeths launches bursary scheme for Leicester students in honour of Mukesh Patel
- Mandatory separate food waste segregation for all businesses set to come into force from 2023
- Freeths continues to expand its private client offering with the launch of its Criminal Investigations & Road Traffic Defence service
- Underage sale of knives: No April fools as new sentencing guidelines threaten sharp increase in sanctions
- Consultation on improved reporting of food waste by large food businesses in England
- New regulations put foods high in fat, sugar and salt in the firing line
- Freeths Sector Showcase
- Health & Safety – A timely reminder for employers with an agile workforce
- Real Estate Blog – “I’ll have that to go please”
- International Women’s Day Event – #ChoosetoChallenge
- Get food labelling right
- CPS off the mark after securing the first conviction for ‘failing to prevent bribery’
- The Chevron case and Enforcement Notices – A favourable outcome for corporate bodies?
- Food Update: New Sentencing Guideline for Health & Safety, Corporate Manslaughter and Food Safety & Hygiene Offences
- Safety first in the food sector
- A recipe for safety for food businesses
- Fees for Intervention – relief at last?
- The Policing & Crime Act 2017 – To bail or not to bail?
- Corporate Defence Update: February 2017
To contact Lisa or for more information…
Call: 0345 272 5723
Mobile: 0781 081 2019
Or email: Send an email
- Association of Multiple Licensed Retailers
“Lisa Gilligan leads the practice and advises on all aspects of licensing. Clients comment that she gives ‘clear and concise advice that is easy to understand’ and is ‘creative in finding the best solution’.”
“Lisa Gilligan’s varied skill set encompasses the licensing of restaurants and stores, health and safety issues. She also has experience of handling regulatory prosecution work for local authorities.”
“Lisa is ‘praised by the market as an articulate and effective communicator with a firm grasp of licensing and regulatory law’ and ‘is very approachable and is well liked on all levels of the corporate ladder’.”
“Lisa Gilligan has helped us navigate several processes over the last couple of years. Lisa has made various recommendations to not only streamline processes but also recommended solutions which helped us achieve cost savings. Lisa is always responsive and open to discussion before formulating a best course of action.”
(The Legal 500, 2024)
“Lisa Gilligan helped us successfully on a number of occasions. Lisa has an incredible way with people, not only the people she represents but also the people that she is up against. She is very good at making everyone concerned feel at ease and like she is in control, albeit in an amiable way. She is very clear about how things are going to proceed, not only in terms of the case but also in terms of billing. We could not recommend Lisa highly enough and would happily recommend her to anyone.”
(The Legal 500, 2024)
‘Lisa Gilligan is an extremely talented licensing solicitor. Her work for our business has been outstanding. She is calm, friendly and professional and she creates excellent relationships with stakeholders and local authorities.’
(The Legal 500, 2023)
‘Lisa Gilligan is hugely knowledgeable, trustworthy and approachable. Timely, accurate and commercially minded advice is always provided in a form which is suitable to the audience it is being delivered to.’
(The Legal 500, 2023)
“Lisa Gilligan is an extremely talented licensing solicitor. Her work for our business has been outstanding. She is calm, friendly and professional and she creates excellent relationships with stakeholders and local authorities.”
(The Legal 500, 2023)
“Lisa Gilligan is tremendously capable and helpful. She is very knowledgeable and always willing to make herself available to provide advice and guidance and has never been anything other than receptive, responsive, friendly and happy to help with any query. Lisa has always been exceptional when representing our organisation in case management hearings and in-person hearings, and in her preparatory work for hearings.”
(The Legal 500, 2022)
“We work with Lisa Gilligan who is truly excellent. Lisa listens to the detail and gives extremely sound professional advice and guidance. She engages with staff at all levels in the business and externally is a fantastic representative to all manner of stakeholders. Lisa takes a global view of every situation and presents strategies based on a truly in-depth understanding of any problem we face.”
(The Legal 500, 2022)
Client service
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