Osborne Clarke is recognised as one of the leading full service law firms operating in the leisure sector. We act for a wide range of clients with outlets across Europe, whose interests include pubs, clubs, hotels, restaurants, casinos, sports and golf clubs, museums, exhibition halls, and theme parks, as well as the lenders and equity providers that finance the industry.

We are one of the country's leaders in licensing law. Our work as a member of the Advisory Group to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (currently responsible for the reform of licensing law in England and Wales), and our role as advisers on strategic issues affecting the licensed and entertainment markets, puts us at the heart of the sector.

Our licensing team dealt with the renewal of 10,000 Justices licences attaching to properties owned by the UK's leading pub companies and is now handling the necessary applications for conversion and variation of licences under the new Licensing Act 2003.

We act as business advisers to growing companies within the sector, working as part of their in-house team to advise on structure, funding for growth, and the strategic acquisitions and disposals of both companies and properties or land. We are also increasingly advising lenders and equity providers on acquisition finance and corporate lending issues.

We also have extensive experience and are recognised as among the market leaders in advising sports clubs and professional bodies on a range of issues, including intellectual property rights, corporate structures, sponsorship, media and venue contracts, and employment issues.

Examples of our recent experience include:

• advising the owners of more than 10,000 licensed premises with licences to be converted under the Licensing Act 2003.
• advising Close Brothers Growth Capital on the provision and restructuring of finance to A to Z Restaurants (owners of Aubergine, Memories of China, L'Oranger, Alloro and others).
• acting for The Royal Bank of Scotland on lending to the purchasers of a chain of health clubs.