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Licensing

Laceys is the only firm in Bournemouth to have a specialist licensing department and one of a small handful of firms based in the south-west of England that is recognised in the Legal 500.

We specialise in the licensing of large scale outdoor events such as music and other festivals, game fairs and events held at stately homes and other large estates, representing clients that are widespread throughout England and Wales.

We deal with the licensing of;

  • Alcohol
  • Live and Recorded Music
  • Late Night Refreshment (i.e. hot food and drink takeaways)
  • Betting offices, casinos and both adult and family entertainment centres
  • Gaming Machines
  • Sporting and other events
  • Pavement Café or Table and Chair Licences
  • Taxi and Private Hire Licensing.

Our clients range from national organisations and brewers to independent operators, from a vast spectrum of businesses including pubs, off-licences, restaurants, hotels, nightclubs, late-night take-aways, betting offices, sports grounds, minicab firms and sporting arenas to name but a few.

Whether you are looking to buy, sell, change or apply for a new licence, Laceys can provide a “one-stop” service. We manage not only the licensing aspects but also the legal work involved as well.  We also help with risk assessments and all the other “red tape” involved.

Things sometimes go wrong.  We advise clients on “risk aversion” to try and make sure that nothing untoward happens but ultimately, if a client is threatened with the loss of a licence, we can and do provide emergency and out of hours cover whenever necessary.

If you would like information on our fees for Licensing Applications please download the fact sheet below, or if you would like further advice please contact one of the team below to see how we can help.

Laceys Licensing team are recognised in the Legal 500, an independent guide to leading law firms in the UK and won the ‘Best Support to the Event Industry’ at the NOEA (National Outdoor Events Association) awards 2022. 

Legal 500, an independent guide to leading law firms in the UK.     

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    Meet the Team

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    Philip Day

    Partner — Licensing and Regulatory

    Direct dial: 01202 377867

    Email

    • “Philip is a leading figure in the world of licensing. If he doesn’t know it, it’s not worth knowing. I’ve known Philip for over 10 years and have benefited greatly from his experience over the years both when paying for his services and as a friend. If you need somebody to represent you, look no further.”

      Andrew Grove, High Grove Events and Vice President of the National Outdoor Event Association

    • “As one of the highest profile licensed events in the local area, it is vitally important to us that we carefully manage our relationships with the local authority and community whilst concurrently being able to manage the commercial performance of the business. The professional management of our Premises Licence and execution of our responsibilities is fundamental to this and we are lucky to count Laceys, and Philip Day in particular, as a formidable cornerstone of this process. We consider ourselves extremely fortunate to have one of the UK's most prominent licensing solicitors on our doorstep and appreciate his ongoing support for our continued growth.”

      Craig Mathie, MD – Bournemouth 7s Festival

    • “A fantastic service given by Philip, with great advice and clear communication at every stage – always delivered with confidence and no small amount of charm. We're delighted with a fantastic result, much of that down to the skills, experience and approach at Laceys.”

      Ross Andrews

    • “Philip continues to be the foremost licensing solicitor in Bournemouth (and no doubt far and wide). Excellent analysis of current licensing conditions and valuable advise as to likely outcomes.”

      Mark Cater

    • “I really appreciated Philip Day’s advice and the way he dealt with this matter, he was very responsive which was really important for me.”

      Veli Bulbul

    Philip graduated from Trinity College Cambridge in 1978 with an Upper Second BA in Law and was admitted as a solicitor in January 1981 having been articled in the Government Legal Service.  After working as a prosecutor for HM Customs and Excise for two years, Philip moved into private practice in Reading.  There, he specialised in criminal work both prosecuting for agencies such as British Transport Police, Hampshire Police, The Department of Trade and Industry and the RSPCA and defending private clients before beginning to specialise in licensing in 1985.

    Philip moved to Bournemouth in 2001 and has ever since specialised in alcohol and entertainment licensing for pubs, clubs, hotels, restaurants, off-licences and events, including large scale outdoor festivals and fairs as well as betting and gaming.  His practice and experience includes associated work such as noise and environmental issues.

    Outside of work, Philip has a busy family life as well as being a Town Councillor and organises events on behalf of Ringwood Council, including Fireworks displays and the annual Christmas lights switch-on and festive market.

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    Brendan Herbert

    Partner — Dispute Resolution

    Direct dial: 01202 377810

    Email

    Brendan Herbert
    • “Brendan has been really great on a whole range of professional negligence issues. I highly recommend him.”

      Cressida Granger, Perspex Pension Fund/Mathmos Ltd

    • “Brendan is an excellent support and shows empathy when dealing with difficult situations. He explains clearly costs and possible outcomes and makes me feel like I have somebody on my team.”

      Jacqueline Entwistle

    • “Always professional and prompt on a wide range of legal matters.”

      Matthew Hornsby

    Brendan has a BSc in Zoology and Psychology from the University of Liverpool, and went on to obtain his Post Graduate Diploma in Law, and Legal Practice Course at the College of Law (now the University of Law), in Chester.  Brendan completed his training with a national firm in Manchester and London, and was admitted as a solicitor in 2005.

    Brendan is part of our Dispute Resolution Team, working with both private individuals and businesses to either avoid or resolve disputes. With over 10 years experience he has helped clients deal with a wide variety of issues from professional negligence claims and breach of contract disputes, to more specialist areas including construction disputes, intellectual property work, licensing applications and inheritance claims.

    Brendan has a very approachable manner, and places great importance on client relationships. He enjoys tackling all matters directly, and always looks to provide clients with practical, cost-effective solutions. Outside of work Brendan runs a hugely successful music festival in the Cotswolds.

    When he is not knee-deep in mud at a festival, he enjoys travelling (especially in Africa, where he worked as a safari camp manager for a year),  golf, photography and getting out and about in the Dorset countryside.

    To find out more about Brendan being described in the 2021 Legal 500 as a ‘Next Generation Partner’ and what this means to him here;

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    Fact Sheets

    • Laceys fees

      Licensing Applications

      Download

    • A pub that wasn't a pub?

      Make sure you know what business you are buying.

      Download

    • Cumulative Impact Policy.

      Explained.

      Download

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