Francis Taylor Building

Licensing Gambling Regulatory and Environmental Disciplinary Mediation

Jeremy Phillips KC is one of England and Wales’ leading licensing and environmental lawyers who offers the highest levels of expertise and advocacy as a barrister following, uniquely, an equally successful career as a solicitor  in leading international law firms. His practical experience leading a firm and then teams is a critical addition to his legal work at the Bar. He is also a Band 1 Licensing Silk. “Jeremy is first-class. His knowledge of premises licensing is immense.” [Legal 500, 2025]

Licensing - Editor-in-Chief of Paterson's Licensing Acts (the only work of reference in the field) and a General Editor of Smith & Monkcom - The Law of Gambling he has been recognised for the past three decades as a leader in both fields. Over that time he has appeared before local authorities to the Court of Appeal, advising upon and determining novel issues arising in numerous important licensing applications relating to gambling, taxi, alcohol & entertainment legislation in both the UK and overseas.

Disciplinary  - Jeremy chairs or has sat upon a number of disciplinary panels in both the  Professional or Sports sectors, including: LTA ( Disciplinary Division, Safeguarding Division and Registration Appeals Divisions of the Judicial Panel)  | Sport Resolutions UK Mediation Panel and Safeguarding Case Management Programme (SCMP) & Legal Advice Service | The Football Association’s Judicial Panel | The Referees’ Association | British Equestrian Foundation (Legally Qualified Chair) and the Teaching Regulation Agency Professional Conduct Panel. He has also represented parties in connection with disciplinary proceedings brought before the British Horseracing Authority, Archery GB, The FA Referees’ Association, Social Work England, Nursing & Midwifery Counsel, Solicitors’ Disciplinary Tribunal and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants etc.

In  2025 he was appointed by the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) to perform the function of Senior Independent Panel Member on appointment of the next Chair of the Board for UK Sport.

Regulatory & Environmental - representing leading companies, the Environment Agency, HSE, Marine Management Organisation and local authorities in inquests and prosecutions concerning a range of waste, food, health & safety and breach of licensing offences, in relation to due diligence and criminal confiscation issues.

Jeremy is also an authority on statutory nuisance abatement appeals and prosecutions, having dealt with a wide range of major Abatement Notice appeals and prosecutions throughout the country. He has particularly  specialised in nuisances claimed to have arisen from the proximity of housing to large-scale commercial operations or transport infrastructure. Publications in the field include: The Law of Regulatory Enforcement Sanctions - A Practical Guide - OUP (2011) and LexisPSL: Corporate Crime, Environmental Statutory Nuisance and Wildlife Crime (2017).

Advisory & Judicial Review - numerous High Court challenges on a wide range of public law issues ranging from: local authorities' Standards of Conduct  to Assets of Community Value (ACV); from the repayment of s.106 monies, to the sufficiency of Reasons. Contributions also to the work of the Law Commission, Department of Culture Media and Sport, Cabinet Office and former Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform, as well as the Bar Council, its Ethics committee and the Licensed Trade Charity (trustee/school governor).

Public Inquiries - various major footpath, TVG and planning Inquiries as well as objection to the £4.1bn Thames Tideway Tunnel infrastructure project, promoting rail crossing extinguishment orders (Network Rail) and representation of the Ramblers' Association in relation to the Bristol Bus Rapid Transit Scheme. Also, supporting the successful Weymouth Relief Road and South Devon Link Road and others.

Complex Mediations - including the multi-party multi-issue mediation which he devised arising from the Business & Enterprise Select Committee (BESC): Relationship Between Pub Companies and Lessees - Seventh Report of Session 2008-09. Resolution (both as mediator and mediation advocate) of major environmental litigation involving local authorities and national and international operators as well as smaller property disputes.  Head of FTB's Mediation Group.

Charity & Pro Bono – Jeremy has always allocated a proportion of his time for the benefit of others. As a KC he has been on the Bar’s Pro Bono Recognition List  since 2024. He has been the only lawyer-member of a large and well-established charity since 2015.

For more information, please visit https://jeremyphillipskc.co.uk/.

Qualified as a solicitor in London 1980; joint founder of Holt Phillips 1984; equity partner Eversheds following merger 1994; Osborne Clarke 2001. Leader of national teams in both firms. Called to the Bar 2004. Accredited mediator (CEDR 2007). QC 2018. Publications of note: Editor in-chief, ‘Paterson’s Licensing Acts’ (1997 to date); consultant editor – various, ‘Halsbury’s Laws of England’; contributor, ‘Gambling for Local Authorities’; co-author, ‘The Law of Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions’ and numerous other publications.

ALBA PEBA HSLA UKELA ARDL Trustee, Licensed Trade Charity (2015) Elected Bar Council (2015) and Ethics Committee (2016) King's Counsel (2018) Disciplinary Panel - Lawn Tennis Association (2019) International Masters of Gaming Law (IMGL) (2020) Sports Resolutions' Mediation & Development Arbitration Panels (2021) FA Safeguarding Review Panel (to October 2025) Police Misconduct Hearings for South Wales

Medieval and local history. Long-distance overland travel. Motorbike racing. Wildlife and gardening. Squash. Family.