Sarah Taylor

Practice Areas

Sarah is a licensing and hospitality expert with over 13 years’ experience advising businesses and individuals on all aspects of licensing law, licensing strategy and the impact of insolvency upon licensed premises.

She has particular expertise in contentious licensing applications and has repeatedly obtained new premises licences and extended hours within challenging Cumulative Impact Zones across the UK, including premises licences for large-scale developments within central London.

Throughout her career, Sarah has developed relationships with many of the statutory authorities which often results in expedited and pragmatic solutions to allow licences to be granted. Where a hearing becomes necessary, she represents clients at hearings before Licensing Sub-Committees across the country.

Sarah represents a wide range of clients including national pub and restaurant operators, hotels, entertainment and live music venues, nightclubs, café chains, landlords and developers.

Career

Sarah qualified as a solicitor in 2012. Prior to joining Keystone Law, she worked at the following:

Gambling Commission

Poppleston Allen

Professional Memberships

Award for Personal Licence Holders (APLH)

Sarah is a Certified Executive Coach

Experience

Dealt with all aspects of licensing work for a leading UK pub operator with approximately 1,800 premises.

Advised a leading UK pub operator upon the licensing implications of the acquisition of another pub company.

Advised upon the licensing applications required for the Commonwealth Games 2022.

Advised upon contract provisions and leases for an international hotel chain.

Obtained licences for a multi-venue, large-scale development within Camden’s Cumulative Impact Zone including successfully representing the applicant at a hearing where the applications had attracted representations from the authorities and local residents.

Successfully defended a review of the premises licence for a flagship Camden pub (located within Camden’s Cumulative Impact Zone) to retain the 2am licence after the Metropolitan Police had sought to reduce the hours to 11:30pm.

Defended a review of the premises licence for a Hampshire pub which was initiated by local residents and sought to curtail the use of a newly refurbished beer garden.

Represented a leading holiday park operator at a summary review hearing following a death at a park. Successfully negotiated an agreed position with Sussex Police which allowed the premises to continue to provide entertainment for families visiting the park pending the full review hearing.

Successfully defended a review of the premises licence for a pub which was alleged to have persistently sold alcohol to underage children.

Secured variations of the hours for several pubs located within Westminster’s Stress Area to enable the premises to sell alcohol at earlier times on weekends.

Dealt with various pre-application advice meetings for operators of a multi-site development located within Westminster’s Stress Area.

Represented a well-known London premises at a meeting with the Metropolitan Police following an alleged firearms incident.

Defended a review of a Loughborough nightclub’s premises licence to retain the licensed hours after Leicestershire Police sought to reduce the hours.

Secured a premises licence for a large hotel development at Bankside, London.

Secured the renewal of a heavily contested Sexual Entertainment Venue Licence in Birmingham City Centre.

Secured the renewal of a Sexual Entertainment Venue licence in Maidenhead which faced opposition from local residents.

Advised upon applications for new Sexual Entertainment Venues in Cheltenham.