Retail, Leisure and Hospitality Lawyers
Legal advice for operators, brands and investors across the UK’s retail, leisure and hospitality sectors.
At JMW, our experienced team of retail, leisure and hospitality lawyers advises a diverse range of clients across the UK, from high street retailers and national restaurant groups to boutique hotels, wellness brands and private members clubs. We act for many household name retailers and hospitality operators to help them manage risk, unlock growth and achieve their commercial goals.
We provide full-service legal advice across all aspects of the retail, leisure and hospitality sectors, including business acquisitions, franchising, employment matters, lease negotiations, real estate development, planning issues and commercial contracts. Our specialist solicitors also work closely with both landlords and tenant-operators to support site acquisition, development agreements, lease renewals and ongoing property management.
Additionally, our team offers support in reputational areas - including crisis management, regulatory defence and business crime - and helps clients manage incidents on-site and protect confidential information or brand reputation.
Whether you’re scaling a fast-growing franchise or managing legal risk across a national property portfolio, JMW’s retail lawyers and hospitality solicitors provide pragmatic advice rooted in deep sector knowledge and commercial awareness.
To speak to a specialist about our legal services for the retail, hospitality and leisure sector, call us on 0345 872 6666 or complete our online enquiry form to request a call back at your convenience.
Our Services for the Retail, Leisure and Hospitality Sector
Our retail, leisure and hospitality lawyers provide legal advice across the full lifecycle of a business - from start-up and site acquisition to franchising, growth and operational risk management. We work with retailers, landlords, hospitality groups and leisure operators across the UK, delivering clear, commercially driven solutions.
We understand the pressures facing operators in these fast-moving sectors, from lease negotiations and employment matters to consumer-facing issues, brand reputation and regulatory change. We work closely with our clients to provide joined-up legal services tailored to their commercial priorities.
Our key services include:
Real Estate and Development
We act on acquisitions, lease agreements, and development projects across high street retail, leisure destinations, hotel sites, and licensed premises. Our work includes site acquisition, development agreements, lease renewals, asset management, and landlord and tenant disputes.
Corporate and Business Transactions
Our corporate team advises on business acquisitions and disposals, joint ventures, tax structuring and group reorganisations. We support everything from the sale of independent retailers to the UK expansion of global hospitality brands.
Commercial Contracts
We draft and negotiate a wide range of commercial agreements, including supplier terms, service-level agreements, and B2B commercial contracts for retail and hospitality clients. Our team helps protect commercial relationships and reduce risk across multi-site operations.
Franchising and Licensing
Our solicitors support brands with franchise agreements, licensing models and expansion plans, acting for both franchisors and franchisees. We’ve helped several high-growth businesses build scalable legal frameworks for UK and international growth.
Employment and HR Support
Our employment lawyers advise on employee relations, restructuring, bonus schemes, and workforce policies. We also offer training on key legal topics such as equality and diversity, as recently delivered to regional teams at Travelodge.
Immigration and Workforce Planning
We support hospitality and retail businesses with visa sponsorship, Skilled Worker visa applications and immigration compliance, to enable operators to recruit and retain the right workforce.
Business Crime and On-Site Incident Response
We are one of few national firms with an in-house business crime team that supports clients through incidents involving health and safety, licensing breaches or allegations of misconduct. We act quickly and discreetly to manage risk and reputation.
Dispute Resolution and Litigation
Our retail and leisure team advises on commercial disputes, tenant disputes, landlord and property issues, and contract breakdowns. We offer early, strategic advice to avoid escalation and protect long-term business relationships.
We act for some of the UK’s most well-known retail clients and hospitality brands, offering sector-specific advice that reflects your operating environment and your commercial priorities.
Why Choose JMW?
In a sector where timing, customer experience and brand protection are critical, our clients value clear advice and strong working relationships. We know that legal issues often arise under pressure - during business expansion, regulatory change, operational disruption or reputational risk - and our role is to respond quickly, decisively and commercially.
Our retail, leisure and hospitality team is built around long-standing client relationships. We are regularly brought in early, not just to resolve problems, but to prevent them. Clients rely on us for honest input, structured thinking and solutions that reflect their internal pressures and external responsibilities.
We don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach. For some clients, we work alongside an established in-house legal function; for others, we act as their primary legal partner across multiple business areas. In every case, we prioritise consistency, access to senior people, and advice that moves with your business.
We are independently ranked by Chambers UK and the Legal 500, and known for delivering legal support that’s grounded in the commercial realities of the retail, leisure and hospitality industries.
Meet the Team
David Frankland is a Partner in JMW’s Real Estate Commercial team and acts for hospitality operators, hotel groups, restaurant brands and pub companies on property acquisitions, disposals and development. He is described by Legal 500 as a leading partner and has over 20 years’ experience advising clients on high-value site transactions and portfolio growth.
David has acted for some of the UK’s most established names in the leisure and hospitality sector, including advising on the sale and acquisition of hundreds of pubs, flagship restaurant sites and national rollout programmes. He is the lead lawyer for Greene King and continues to support clients with complex development agreements, joint ventures and long-term asset management strategies.
Read more about David’s experiences and credentials.
Our Retail, Leisure and Hospitality Work
We work with clients across the full spectrum of the retail, leisure and hospitality sector - from national brands and public companies to high-growth independents and private investors. Our work spans bricks-and-mortar retail, food and beverage, licensed premises, hotels, wellness spaces, holiday parks and more.
Explore some of our recent work with high-profile clients below:
Retail
- Frasers Group - We provide ongoing commercial advice to Frasers Group, including support with key supplier contracts and operational matters across its UK retail operations. Our work supports their legal and procurement functions in securing robust and commercially viable agreements.
- LWC Drinks Limited - We acted on the acquisition of GBC Holdco Ltd, including complex pre-completion steps and a demerger of the Glamorgan Brewery business. Our team managed all aspects of the transaction to meet a fixed timetable within 12 weeks of instruction.
Leisure
- Greene King - We act for Greene King and its subsidiaries, one of the UK’s largest pub and leisure businesses, advising on development, asset and business purchases. Transactions include single-site and portfolio deals, as well as company share purchases.
- Nando’s Restaurants - We supported Nando’s in refreshing its core employment documentation - including contracts, policies and procedures - and advised on a high-value management bonus scheme aligned to the company’s internal leadership framework.
- 92 Degrees - We advised on the legal documentation for this fast-growing coffee brand’s franchising model, including franchise agreements and a multi-unit structure to support national expansion. We continue to support the brand with ongoing franchising work.
- Wyld Sauna (Wild Wellness) - We acted for the tenant/operator of the UK’s first floating sauna by securing a lease at Prince’s Dock, Liverpool. This unique project involved bespoke legal structuring with the site owner, Peel Group, and reflects our experience in emerging leisure formats.
- Schofield’s Bar / Atomeca - We advised on venue leases in Manchester’s Spinningfields district for both Schofield’s Bar and its sister venue, Atomeca. Our support included lease negotiation and ongoing operational legal matters.
Hotels
- B&B Hotels - We acted on the European hotel chain’s first UK site at Heathrow Airport, providing legal support across real estate, employment and corporate matters to establish their UK presence.
- Travelodge Hotels - Working with the Travelodge People Team, we delivered legal training to regional operational managers across the UK, focused on equality law and employee relations to reinforce the client’s workplace EDI commitments.
- UK Resorts Limited - We advised on the acquisition of a holiday park, identifying and resolving a number of title and commercial risks through practical, solution-driven advice tailored to the leisure sector.
These examples reflect our ability to adapt to the varied needs of retail, leisure and hospitality clients, whether that involves fast-moving site acquisitions, long-term expansion planning or responsive legal action when problems arise.
Talk to Us
No matter your requirements, our retail, leisure and hospitality lawyers offer clear, commercial legal advice that supports your growth and protects your business.
To speak to a solicitor who understands the demands of your sector, call JMW on 0345 872 6666, or complete our online enquiry form and a member of the team will be in touch promptly.
