Stephen McGowan

Mr McGowan, who heads up the licensing team in Scotland, is an expert in licensing law in relation to alcohol but also specialises in advising businesses on civic licensing and gambling.

Mr McGowan recently retained his status as a “leading individual” for licensing in the Legal 500 and is Band 1 lawyer in Chambers. Last year saw the publication of his fifth and latest book on this specialist area of law, McGowan on Alcohol Licensing Law in Scotland, which is now the standard academic text on the subject, and was published by Edinburgh University Press.

Mr McGowan said: “I am delighted to be re-accredited, especially given the assessment is conducted by my peers in this space, colleagues at the licensing bar who I respect and admire. The accreditation is an honour, but is built on the trust our clients put in us to deliver for them and their businesses, and the support of my colleagues at TLT for which I am very grateful.”

John Paul Sheridan, partner and head of location in Scotland commented: “This is an area of law that can be incredibly complex with many nuances. We have a leading licensing team in Scotland that is committed to delivering result-driven and impactful outcomes for clients. Most recently the team retained its Band 1 ranking in the 2023 Chambers directory and was also highly ranked in the 2023 edition of the Legal 500.

“The accreditation of our lawyers is a significant asset to the services we provide to our clients and I’d like to wish Stephen, and the whole licensing team, congratulations on this well-earnt recognition.”