Opens in a new tab

Licensing

Expert licensing lawyers for hospitality, leisure and retail

Licensing lawyers

Our licensing lawyers support businesses at every stage of the licensing journey. We’re here to help your business succeed with the right licence in place.

We advise on alcohol, entertainment and gambling licences. We also handle pavement licences and wedding venue approvals.

Our advice is practical and grounded in real world experience. From independent operators to national brands, our focus is on compliance and protecting your premises.

We handle contentious applications, variations, reviews and enforcement matters with confidence and care. Our specialists understand the pressures of running a venue and act quickly when deadlines matter.

We also work closely with our Commercial Property, Corporate and Employment teams. So you receive joined-up legal advice, all under one roof.

Contact our Licensing team

Please give as much detail as possible, so we can give you the best-possible legal advice right away.
Restaurant St Bains - client of our licensing team
Castle Rock Brewery - licensing law client
Notts County FC - client of our licensing team
Big Penny Social - a bar chain licensed by our team
Ever So Sensible bars and restaurants - one of our licensing clients
Notes - licensing client
DHP Family - hospitality client

Latest Licensing reviews

August 19, 2026
We worked with Jo to make changes to our premises licence, and I genuinely couldn’t recommend them more highly! Jo was always available to answer any questions we had and made what could have been a complicated process feel incredibly straightforward. They handled everything for us, kept us updated throughout, and made the whole licence change completely stress-free. We felt in very safe hands from start to finish and wouldn’t hesitate to work with Jo again.
- Meg Geraghty
February 13, 2026
Jo is confident and concise with her knowledge and experiences with Licensing.
- BIIAB course attendee
February 13, 2026
Jo was warm, welcoming and spoke very clear. It made the course much easier to understand under her guidance. Thank you for a very informative and educational day which I thoroughly enjoyed.
- Licensing course delegate
March 5, 2025
I was very lucky to have been passed onto this company specifically Jo Soar, they/she were absolutely amazing in every way. They responded and acted immediately to help resolve my case, to anyone looking for solicitors I highly recommend these from someone who regularly uses solicitors I have never received such a fantastic service. Just want to add Jo is the best solicitor I have ever come across and I thank her for her fantastic service.
- Keith Smith
October 17, 2024
It has been a genuine pleasure to work with Jo, whose expertise and dedication to the field of licensing law is second to none. At Ever So Sensible Restaurants, we have always prided ourselves on delivering exceptional drinking and dining experiences, and Jo has played an instrumental role in helping us navigate the complexities of alcohol and entertainment licensing. Her in-depth knowledge of the hospitality sector, coupled with her practical experience advising independent businesses, makes her an invaluable partner. Jo's approachable and professional manner is matched by her attention to detail, ensuring that our licensing matters are handled efficiently and with care. I would not hesitate to recommend Jo to any business in the leisure, retail, or hospitality industries. Her professionalism, knowledge, and genuine passion for her work make her a trusted advisor and a standout leader in her field. We are fortunate to have her expertise at our side
- Ever So Sensible
October 17, 2024
Jo and the team at Rothera Bray are a critical part of our project team on any licensing matter at our existing or new sites. They bring a high level of expertise, collaboration, and sound advice. They communicate brilliantly with us as a client and with responsible authorities to reach our desired outcomes. Their advice on approach, what can be pushed back on and what can be overcome is invaluable, we cannot them recommend highly enough.
- Big Penny
October 17, 2024
We have worked with the licensing team for many years, mainly with Jo, Lesley, and Caroline, who have consistently supported us with all our licensing matters. Their expertise and guidance have been invaluable, helping us navigate the complexities of licensing law while allowing us to pursue creative ways to enhance the customer experience and maximise profit.The team is not only efficient but also serves as a critical friend, ensuring our ambitions remain compliant. Their training opportunities have also been a great asset, with many of our team successfully completing their personal licence courses. We highly recommend Rothera Bray for their outstanding service and commitment.
- Motorpoint Arena / National Ice Centre

Get in touch about your premises licensing needs

Our experts are ready to help. From Personal Licence training to applications and enforcement, we’ll guide you confidently through every step.

Contact Us

Latest Licensing news

licensing"}],"useQueryEditor":true,"signature":"5a35718fc269cc2f732bb2c8a24433cb","user_id":2,"time":1787559982,"post_status":"publish","orderby":"date","order":"DESC","ignore_sticky_posts":true,"tax_query":[{"taxonomy":"department","field":"term_id","terms":[32],"include_children":true}],"paged":1}" data-original-query-vars="[]" data-page="1" data-max-pages="5" data-start="1" data-end="3">