Travlaw Legal Services Limited

Senior Partner: Matt Gatenby

Number of partners: 4

Number of other fee-earners: 10

THE FIRM

Travlaw enjoys an unrivalled relationship with the travel and leisure industry, serving UK and international travel companies, including tour operators and their insurers, airlines, hotels, online travel agents, flight consolidators, attraction and excursion providers, festival companies, cruise liners, villas specialists and trade bodies, both established as well as start-up enterprises. Travlaw has the largest dedicated travel and leisure law team in the UK holding over 120 years’ combined experience. The well-established commercial & corporate governance team has been at the forefront of advising on many regulatory changes affecting the travel industry in recent decades, including advising on the Package Travel Regulations 2018, the 2018 amended ATOL Regulations, Brexit, Covid-19, GDPR and the Payment Services Directive 2. In addition to drafting booking conditions, supplier agreements, agency agreements and other business crucial documents, they advise and guide their 500 plus travel and leisure clients in maintaining effective trade in the face of the new legislative landscape not only in the UK but also in Europe and worldwide through Travlaw’s International Travel Law Network (ITLN). Travlaw has also been involved in some of the notable corporate mergers and acquisitions in the industry and frequently advises their travel clients regarding corporate structure & governance, EMI schemes and shareholder agreements. Travlaw’s litigation team has for many years been trusted to act and advised on leading and precedent setting cases such as Milner v Carnival Plc (t/a Cunard) [2010] EWCA Civ 389, Noble Caledonia v Air Niugini (2017) EWHC 1095/1393 (QB), Emma Moore v Hotelplan Ltd (Inghams Travel) (2010) EWHC 276, HMRC v Secret Hotels2 [2014] UKSC 16, Lougheed v On The Beach (2014) EWCA Civ 1538 & Alli-Balogun v On The Beach Ltd & Ors [2021] EWHC 83 (QB), as well as defending and otherwise representing a variety of travel companies and their insurers against claims with a cross boarder element. Travlaw has been at the forefront of advising the industry on the impact of Covid-19 on all aspects its effects on business. The aviation litigation practice is well established, defending flight delay claims on behalf of airline clients. It provides legal advice helplines and holds seminars and training for clients. Travlaw often contributes to the trade media, including through leadership and opinions on industry issues as well as writing articles on legal issues affecting the industry. Travlaw regularly speaks at industry conferences, panel sessions, debates and seminars both overseas and in the UK.

The firm has an enviable relationship with key associations such as ABTA, ABTOT, AGTO, AITO, BTA, ITT and Ukinbound.

PRINCIPLE AREAS OF WORK

Commercial & Drafting 30%

Personal Injury 25%

Civil Litigation 25%

Corporate Crime 5%

Employment 10%

IP 5%

INTERNATIONAL The firm has its own ‘International Travel Law Network’ enabling clients to benefit from the excellent links Travlaw has with the likeminded firms in other jurisdictions. See www.ITLN.co.uk.

CLIENTS KKey clients include the Expedia Inc, Jet 2 Holidays, Awaze, Dnata, Travel Counsellors, On The Beach Ltd, Holiday Taxis, Southall Travel Ltd, The Travel Network Group, WorldVentures Holdings, Sunvil Ltd, Lotus Group Ltd, Truly Travel Group, Teletext Holidays Ltd, Travcorp Holdings, The Flash Pack, Great Rail Journeys, Clarity Travel Management, Hurtigruten Ltd, Hotelplan, Noble Caledonia, Abercrombie & Kent, ABTA, UKInbound, TMHCC, AIG, Liberty & various Lloyds Syndicates.

Associated Offices:

Madrid, Lisbon, Paris, Milan, Dusseldorf, Brussels, Vienna, Limassol and Athens.

Twitter: @TravlawLegal