Drinks, Hospitality & Leisure
A refreshingly clear approach
What is involved?
What sets our team apart is our dedicated focus on working solely for operators of pubs, bars, restaurants, hotels and drinks and leisure businesses. We can offer your hospitality business an in-depth understanding of the particular challenges you face, and the reassurance that we speak your language.
Visit our specialist Drinks, Hospitality & Leisure website to find out more
Our passion for the industry is what underlies the longstanding relationships we have with many hospitality & leisure businesses and our vision is to be the leading legal supplier for the sector in the UK. We understand the commercial pressures driving your business – such as securing the right site, opening on time and delivering value for money.
Why choose Freeths?
- Over 30 years’ experience of working with some of the biggest names in the drinks, hospitality and leisure sector
- A team focused on nothing but advising businesses in the sector, meaning we are not distracted by other demands
- Our extensive knowledge of the regulatory regime means we truly understand your day-to-day operational concerns
- You can benefit from the wide ranging expertise and resource of our national team of specialists
- A variety of pricing models offer you budget certainty

Leo Skinner
Partner
T: 0345 271 6755
E: leo.skinner@freeths.co.uk
In addition to our knowledge of the industry, you will benefit from a multi-disciplinary team – whether you are buying or selling sites, facing property disputes, commercial agreements, employment issues, dealing with regulatory or licensing issues, planning new developments, or looking for finance to allow further growth. What is unusual about our team is that our lawyers are well versed in business issues beyond their core areas of expertise – which means they can handle all aspects of a transaction, providing you with a truly seamless service.
You’ll be in good company if you work with us; our client base ranges from start-ups/SMEs and regional pub groups to large national restaurant, hotel and pub and late night operators, as well as brewers and drinks companies.
Drinks, Hospitality & Leisure Lawyers

Lisa Gilligan
Managing Partner
0345 272 5723

Jonathan Hambleton
Managing Partner
0345 271 6750

Christopher Ainsworth
Partner
0345 271 6757

Mohammed Alam
Partner
0345 340 4215

Simon Barker
Partner
0345 634 2583

Iain Bowler
Partner
0345 030 5767

Adam Boyd
Partner
0345 271 6773

Mark Brown
Partner
0345 271 6764

Robert Bruce
Partner
0345 128 6958

Francis Dalton
Partner
0345 128 6954

Heather Davies
Partner
0345 050 3619

Tim Foley
Partner
0345 340 4202

Nigel Gardner
Partner
0345 128 6969

Chris Holwell
Partner
0345 050 3667

Oliver Jackson
Partner
0345 128 7985

John Jeffreys
Partner
0345 126 3761

David Marsden
Partner
0345 404 1757

Andrew Maxwell
Partner
0345 128 6997

Rebecca Sawbridge
Partner
0345 634 2589

Christopher Sing
Partner
0345 017 1345

Leo Skinner
Partner
0345 271 6755

Nick Sutton
Partner
0345 077 9567

Laura Tracey
Partner
0345 166 6349

Natalie Drought
Director
0345 271 6752

Jude Mladek
Director
0345 166 6304

Lucy Walford
Director

Roger Gough
Consultant
0345 030 5718

Paul Bownes
Managing Associate
0345 404 4142

Isobel Callaghan
Managing Associate
0345 404 4175

Tom Holden
Managing Associate
0345 271 6772

Tristan Milner
Managing Associate
0345 030 5803

Gary Munro
Managing Associate
0345 271 6760

Selina Norris
Managing Associate
0345 050 3563

Kaleigh Brown
Senior Associate
0345 030 5858

Emma Kelly
Senior Associate
0345 077 9580

Eleanor Kerr
Senior Associate
0345 271 6731

Tristan Sharples
Senior Associate
0345 271 6737

Amy Weir
Senior Associate
0345 404 1725

Emma Dye
Associate
0345 271 6746

Aamir Hussain
Associate
0345 128 7989

Samantha Keegan
Associate
0345 128 7965

James Lapham
Associate
0186 578 1291

Amy Platt
Associate
0345 166 6267

Samantha Turner
Associate
0345 271 6736
Beverage industry off-track to meet net-zero targets
Articles 12th Oct 2023Freethinking summit for the Hotel and Accommodation Sector
Past Events 26th Apr 2023Freeths advises Twenty20 Capital on the acquisition of seven best-known UK staffing and workforce solutions brands, bringing them together under the new brand RSS Global
News 28th Mar 2023- Acquisition of hotel development sites, both freehold and leasehold, including many individual sites for Premier Inn.
- Advised Carlsberg UK Limited on the acquisition of London Fields Brewery.
- Acting for Wells & Young’s on the acquisition of the Courage, Directors, McEwans and Youngers beer brands from Heineken.
- Acting for the owner in the removal of Vince Power from the Kensington Park Hotel in Notting Hill following a two week trial. The case received press coverage in the Guardian and Evening Standard, as have some of the other cases Freeths have been involved in.
- Acting for the administrators of a group of companies in the UK beverage industry operating off-license stores trading under various high-street brands. Freeths advised on the trading and ultimate disposal of over 150 stores to over 8 separate purchasers (Winerack, Victoria Wines, the Local).
- Various matters at London’s O2 arena (including two refinancings, a joint venture for a new 452-room hotel, the development of the roofwalk and proposals for the new designer outlet village).
- Acting on a number of conditional acquisitions of sites for hotel developments, guiding and advising throughout the conditional period, managing the funding and construction process and advising on the management and disposal either by way of property or corporate structure.
- Acting for the owner in connection with the development of what will be Europe’s first new build Radisson Red hotel in Scotland. This was on the agreement with the brand owner Carlson Rezidor for the management and operation of the hotel.
- Acting for an investor on the sale of a pub listed as an Asset of Community Value and general advice on the moratorium period under s95(1) of the Localism Act 2011.
- Advising national and regional brewers and pub companies on competition issues and the regulatory framework including the statutory code for tied pubs and the voluntary code of practice, Article 101 TFEU and the associated block exemption.
Client service
‘Doing the right thing’ is at the heart of Freeths. Find out more about our excellent client service and the strong set of values that guide the way we work.
Talk to us
Freeths are a leading national law firm with 13 offices across the UK. If you have a query about our services or just want to find out more, why not give us a call?
Contact: 03301 001 014