Overview

The hotels, leisure and tourism industries comprise a wide range of owners and operators, all with different legal requirements. Businesses require legal advisers who understand the sector-specific issues they face and can deliver clear, effective solutions to often complex legal challenges.

We understand that our clients may need a wide range of legal guidance; from corporate, real estate, and licensing matters to employment, health and safety, and environmental law advice. Our hotels, leisure and tourism lawyers draw on a deep pool of legal expertise to shape dedicated, specialist teams around our clients and deliver the best outcomes.

Our advice covers all types of business in the hotels, leisure and tourism sectors including hotels, visitor attractions, holiday parks, restaurants, pubs and clubs, and garden centres. Contact our experts to find out more about the types of businesses with which we work.

Our team of dual-qualified lawyers advise in all three UK jurisdictions and we also act for international clients on investment and development opportunities in the UK market.

Areas of focus

Our hotels, leisure and tourism expertise includes the following:

  • Business and company transfers.
  • Financing.
  • Real estate, planning and licensing.
  • Employment and HR.
  • Family and estate planning.
  • Onshore and offshore tax structuring.
  • Fund set up and structuring
Experience

Acting for Darwin Property Management on the acquisition programme of its Darwin Leisure Property Fund – a £300 million+ fund investing in holiday and caravan parks in the UK.

Advising a wide range of visitor attractions including The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Royal Armouries, Windsor Castle, The Royal Parks, The Grand Pier, Weston-super-Mare.

Acting for a number of industry-leading clients including The National Trust.

Acting for a number of leading hotel groups on the acquisition, disposal and operation of hotels.

Acting on the sale of The Garden and Leisure Group to Terra Firma as well as investment sales and purchases for Garden Centre Property Development and Trading Plc.

Advising a number of major sports stadia and internationally renowned racecourses on a range of property, corporate, regulatory, licensing and gambling matters.

Meet the team
Richard Read

Richard Read Partner

  • Head of Real Estate
  • International Real Estate
  • Hotels, Leisure and Tourism
Rupert Weston

Rupert Weston Partner

  • Corporate
  • Hotels
  • Mergers and Acquisitions
Matthew Sims

Matthew Sims Partner

  • Real Estate Services
  • Retail
  • Real Estate
Mark Shepherd

Mark Shepherd Partner

  • Head of Private Equity
  • Corporate
  • Healthcare
Headshot of Chris Seaton

Chris Seaton Senior Partner

  • Senior Partner
  • Employment
  • Partnerships
Helen Scott-Lawler

Helen Scott-Lawler Partner

  • Head of Food and Drink
  • Commercial
  • Intellectual Property and Media
Gary Soloman

Gary Soloman Partner

  • Head of Planning and Compulsory Purchase
  • Regeneration and Highways
  • Compulsory Purchase and Compensation
Ian Salter

Ian Salter Partner

  • Head of Nuclear
  • Head of Projects
  • Environment
Robert Forman

Robert Forman Partner

  • Head of Scottish Real Estate 
  • Real Estate Advisory
  • Real Estate Investment
Katie Allen

Katie Allen Partner

  • Real Estate Finance
  • Hotels
  • Banking and Finance

Hotels, Leisure and Tourism

A close knit team who can cover all the key areas required in a hotel acquisition. A high degree of partner involvement means that issues get dealt with quickly and deal keeps moving. Whilst the team is Bristol based, they have sufficient strength in depth to hold their own against their London rivals.
Legal 500 2023

Key contact

Richard Read

Richard Read Partner

  • Head of Real Estate
  • International Real Estate
  • Hotels, Leisure and Tourism

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