Our Firm

Phil Crier

Consultant

I qualified as a solicitor in 1983 and started my legal career in the Magistrates’ Court service before entering private practice in 1988.  I gained considerable experience in the early years as a criminal and licensing lawyer working in Nottingham. In 1996, I joined Edge Ellison’s Licensing Team in Birmingham and have specialised in the field of alcohol and entertainment licensing and betting and gaming ever since.

In October 2000 I joined Blake Lapthorn as Head of Licensing and in 2013 set up my own licensing firm, PBC Licensing Solicitors, where I continued to specialise in the licensing field before joining John Gaunt & Partners as a consultant in October 2024.  

During my career, I have represented clients in many high-profile and complex licensing cases including opposed new licence applications and revocation and review proceedings.

I have a particular expertise in the licensing of outdoor music festivals and live music venues in all parts of the country and have acted for the UK’s premier live music promoter and operator for nearly 30 years. I have also represented many corporate and private clients in relation abatement notice proceedings and appeals under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and other regulatory cases.

I have spoken at national licensing conferences and advised the British Institute of Innkeeping on the NCPLH course.

In the field of gambling regulation, I have acted for a range of national and private clients in the betting and gaming industry over many years, including a national Bingo operator, Betting companies, Holiday Park operators and a national operator of Adult Gaming Centres within motorway service areas. I also coordinated the licence applications required by clients before implementation of the Gambling Act 2005 and advise on regulatory aspects in relation to lotteries, prize and skill competitions and sales promotions.

Case Studies – Live Music Event/Festivals

Advising and representing clients in relation to numerous licensing applications and related proceedings for outdoor music concerts or events, including  

  • Hard Rock Calling, Hyde Park
  • Live Sites London Festivals (during the 2012 Olympics) – Hyde Park, Victoria Park, Trafalgar Square
  • Download Festival
  • Wireless Festival
  • Creamfields Festival
  • Eleven Arches, Bishop Auckland – Kynren historical performance shows
  • The Patron’s Lunch (The Queen’s 90th birthday celebrations on The Mall, London)
  • Henley Royal Regatta
  • Rewind Festival
  • Chepstow Racecourse

Other Recent Case Studies

  • Advice and representation for an amusement park and entertainment complex in Margate for an expedited and full Review of their premises licence in 2024. Extensive negotiations with the authorities led to a successful outcome before the licensing sub-committee with revised agreed conditions being imposed on the licence.
  • Advice and representation for a prominent nightclub in Vauxhall for a new premises licence for a Food Garden attached to their venue and for a subsequent new licence for their club licence and associated applications.
  • Advice and representation for a pub operator successfully opposing a Police application to revoke the premises licence.
  • Advised and represented a private client in relation to breach of abatement notice proceedings for a clay pigeon shooting site in Oxfordshire
  • Advised and represented corporate clients in relation to a successful appeal against breach of abatement notice proceedings for an outdoor music site in Cardiff.
  • Acting for a leading UK motorway service operator in relation to several Adult Gaming Centre premises applications
Back to Our Team