Our team offers high quality, incisive legal advice to our diverse portfolio of hospitality and leisure operators, drawing expertise from across the firm to offer a full range of creative, commercially aware services to our clients. 

Our legal knowledge of the hospitality and leisure sector is extensive and our clients cover a broad range of operators, including golf courses, outdoor activity centres, leisure/fitness centres and caravan parks. We represent owners, managers, franchisors, developers and lenders. By working with colleagues in all practice areas, we are able to put together bespoke teams for each transaction or legal requirement.

We act for a portfolio of well-known operators across the hospitality and leisure sector, including investors, financiers and managers, advising on all aspects of hotel transactions and operations and providing a full range of creative, commercially aware services on issues ranging from property and planning to corporate, funding, brand protection, employment law, licensing, health & safety and commercial contracts.

We understand the variety of legal issues that our hospitality and leisure clients face and advise on impending changes and legislative developments that may represent a threat or offer the opportunity for growth and development.

Services 

Our expertise and industry experience spans all areas of the hospitality and leisure sector. We support private and public sector clients in Scotland, across the UK and overseas, on:

  • Acquisition and disposal
  • Financing
  • Property development and construction
  • Agreements for management and leases
  • Employment advice, including contracts, dismissals, union relations, tribunal claims, transfer of business issues and redundancy
  • Advice on legal relationships with guests, function organisers and suppliers including terms and conditions of membership
  • Liquor and entertainment licensing
  • Commercial dispute resolution, including international arbitration, debt collection and customer dissatisfaction
  • Advice on computer systems and booking platforms, branding and advertising
  • Trade descriptions, health and safety, food hygiene and other regulatory issues
  • Business and immigration law, including work permits
  • Restructuring and insolvency advice

For more information on how our hospitality and leisure lawyers can help you please get in touch.

Meet the team

Experience

Crerar Hotel Group
Advised on the sale of GoGlasgow Urban hotel, a 117 room property in West Glasgow, redeveloped by Crerar hotels in 2015. The sale, comprising the property and business of GoGlasgow Urban Hotel, was made to Buxani Group, a Singapore-based private investment group established in 2003, making its first hotel purchase within the UK.
BDL Select
Advised long-standing client on the disposal of the remaining three hotels in a portfolio of six, in Portland, Bedford and Rhu. Advised the client on the initial three disposals in Stratford upon Avon, Colchester and Dundee in 2018.
Safestay
Advised on the purchase of a 132 room/615 bed boutique hostel in Edinburgh’s Cowgate and then advised on its £18.4 million UK refinancing project with HSBC, and the sales and leaseback of Safestay’s hostels in Edinburgh and the Elephant & Castle site in London.
Licensing
Providing licensing advice to a variety of restaurant and hotel clients, including Dakota, Fraser Suites, The R&A, Turnberry and The Balmoral Hotel.
Azure Hotels Group
Acted for Azure Hotels Group in the acquisition of the business and assets of the Residence Inn by Marriott at Quartermile, Edinburgh
Azure Hotels Group
Acted for Azure Hotels Group in the acquisition of the business and assets of the landmark five star Radisson Blu hotel in Glasgow from administrators
Chardon Management
Acting for shareholders in the sale of this independent hotel management company with a portfolio of 32 UK hotels under management to US global operator
Fairmont
Acquisition of the St Andrews Bay and Resort (now Fairmont St Andrews)
Missoni
Advising on the site acquisition, construction, funding and subsequent sale of the Missoni Hotel, Edinburgh
Trinity Mirror
Advising on the development of the 143 bedroom Jury's Hotel, Cardiff