Leo Charalambides > Francis Taylor Building > London, England > Barrister Profile
Francis Taylor Building Offices
FRANCIS TAYLOR BUILDING, INNER TEMPLE
LONDON
EC4Y 7BY
England
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Leo Charalambides
Work Department
Licensing
Gambling
Environment including Statutory Nuisance
Planning
Property
Local Government
Position
Leo is an expert local government barrister who is regularly instructed to act on behalf of local authorities, public bodies, and professional and law clients in a wide array of legal challenges.
Leo is highly regarded as a leading figure in Licensing Law, a Fellow of the Institute of Licensing and the Editor of the Journal of Licensing. As a nationally recognised licensing specialist, Leo has developed a strong reputation as a knowledgeable and skilled advocate who boasts a portfolio of clients including highly recognisable international brands as well as family-run businesses. He has a proven track record of success and is highly sought after by individuals and businesses looking for skilled, innovative, and successful legal representation. He appears at first-instance before licensing committees and magistrates’ courts throughout England and Wales. On appeal he appears before the First and Second Tier Tribunals, the High Court and the Court of Appeal.
Career
Called 1998; Inner Temple.
Memberships
Leo is a fellow of the Institute of Licensing (2012) in recognition of his work on the Journal of Licensing, his contribution to the London Region and his wider contribution to the world of licensing.
Education
MA (Lon); LLM (Lon).
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Licensing
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 1Leo Charalambides –Francis Taylor Building ‘Leo is extremely thoughtful and articulate and prepares very well.’
Francis Taylor Building is ‘one of the premier sets in the context of alcohol licensing and has excellent strength in terms of some of the leading juniors around.’ The set houses barristers who represent nightclubs, bars, restaurants, casinos, betting shops, and major festivals, among others. Gerald Gouriet KC chiefly acted in gambling licensing matters in 2024, but represented Veezu Holdings Limited as an intervener in Uber Britannia v Sefton MBC, a case concerning if private hire platforms who accept bookings are required to themselves enter into a contractual obligation with the passenger to provide the journey. Also of note is David Matthias KC, who is adept at representing local authorities with licensing policies, and has a great deal of experience in this area. Another key name to note is Jeremy Phillips KC, whose ‘knowledge of premises licensing is immense‘. The set’s deep bench of juniors includes Leo Charalambides whose ‘knowledge of areas around licensing, such as the public sector equality duty’ stands out, whilst also specialising in licensing. Charalambides recently led a challenge in the High Court by a south London nightclub to the lawfulness of holding a remote licensing hearing, during which its premises license was revoked.