Marcus Lavell

Marcus specialises in complex licensing matters, advising operators, developers, and entrepreneurs on premises licences, review applications, contested hearings, and strategic regulatory challenges under the Licensing Act 2003. 

• Advised the representative of a high-net-worth international client with regard to licensing issues prior to the multimillion-pound purchase of a landmark London property. 
• Worked to resolve a dispute between a client and a high-profile ‘celebrity-friendly’ premises in Mayfair and residents surrounding the venue, protecting the valuable premises licence. 
• Worked to secure late-night licences in the heart of Westminster City Council’s “stress area” (e.g. the iconic 50 St James’s and the successful post-production house, Molinaire, of ‘The King’s Speech’ fame). 
• Advised on numerous review applications in Westminster and each time found solutions that did not then require the licence to be revoked or an appeal to be made, thereby saving clients significant costs and ensuring business continuity. 
• Assisted in successfully resisting Westminster City Council’s judicial review of the Movida decision [2008] EWHC 1202(Admin). The subject of the judicial review was a landmark case under the Licensing Act 2003 establishing “exceptional circumstances” to a cumulative impact policy through the quality of the premises management proposal. The defence of this decision was on the radar of the licensing world. 
• Supported a client with day-to-day advice on licensing issues relating to the growing number of grocery delivery units in the UK. 
• Provided licensing advice in relation to extending the premises licence at a contested hearing. This was an application in a highly contested area with significant local residential opposition. 

Marcus is regularly involved in safeguarding matters in the education and sports regulatory spheres. This includes both addressing safeguarding issues as they arise, and developing policies and procedures to ensure best practice in safeguarding is developed, deployed, and enforced. Marcus advises education providers and national sports regulatory bodies. 

• Advised a national sports governing body in relation to the production of a new, effective and easily understood safeguarding policy complete with a suite of guidance documents. 
• Advised a national sports governing body in relation to alleged safeguarding breaches. 
• Advising various schools and colleges in relation to standards in the provision of education, including various safeguarding concerns and fitness-to-study matters. 
• Producing fitness-to-study policies and regulations for HE providers. 
• Representing students of HE providers in disciplinary matters.   

Marcus advises and represents athletes in sports from motor racing to showjumping, achieving industry–leading results for athletes who face disciplinary proceedings, or who are challenging rulings affecting competition results or team selection. 

• Successfully acted as advocate for a world class showjumper in disciplinary matter before the international governing body.  
• Successfully acted as advocate for a UK showjumper in a disciplinary matter before his national governing body. 
• Successfully acted as advocate for a racing driver and racing instructor who was facing having his licences revoked. 
• Successfully acted as advocate for a leading English Event Rider in having a team selection decision (for a European Championship) overturned. 

Marcus is a specialist licensing and regulation barrister of over 10 years’ call. He has particular expertise in advising on safeguarding disputes in schools and educational institutions. 

• Advised on the successful appeal of an expulsion from a leading public school. 
• Advising parents on school safeguarding issues. 
• Advising on SEN matters and reasonable adjustment requirements. 
• Advising clients on multiple allegations of assault and bullying. 
• Successfully defending an award-winning multi academy CEO against safeguarding allegations, including a successful (and rare) appeal by way of judicial review against a case management decision of the regulator (adopted by the SOS Education).  

Marcus advises hotels, restaurants, and leisure operators on licensing strategy, securing new licences, extending hours, and resolving contested applications while ensuring compliance and protecting business continuity in complex and high-policy environments.

• Took a leading role in the 24-hour licensing of several iconic international hotels in Central London Cumulative Impact Policy areas. 
• Successfully obtained a premises licence to show films and serve alcohol for independent arts cinema The Garden Cinema, located in Camden’s Cumulative Impact Policy area. 
• Assisted an adult mini-golf chain to obtain a premises licence in one of Islington’s Cumulative Impact zones. 
• Provided advice relating to a regeneration project in the redevelopment and restoration of a former shopping centre. The project will protect the site’s heritage and enhance the retail offer, whilst also helping to create a pedestrian-friendly Queensway. 
• Successfully secured a number of licences for the largest live development in Nine Elms for Thames City. This is a landmark redevelopment project that includes a newly created park. It will also house a prestigious hotel. 
• Successfully applied for and obtained a new sexual entertainment venue (SEV) licence against strong residential opposition. This is the newest SEV licence in the Westminster Stress Area and for a once-troubled venue that had its SEV licence revoked. 
• Secured an increase in hours against the Westminster Stress area policy for a 3am flagship restaurant. This is one of the rare grants against the licensing policy that started with a core hours premises licence and now the restaurant is able to trade to 3am. 
• Secured a new premises licence for the multimillion-pound redevelopment of one of Mayfair’s prime new development locations with an iconic 1 Berkeley Street address. Additional assistance was provided with the licensing strategy in respect of the proposed development and secured a new hotel premises licence for the hotel. 
• Assisted Gaucho with their expansion plans across the country including new licenses and variations for Cardiff, Liverpool, and Covent Garden. Some of the applications were located in Special Policy Areas where the presumption was to refuse. 
• Advised on the new Shiva Hotel, a development of a new 199-bedroom luxury lifestyle hotel in Marylebone, London. The premises was on the former brutalist-era Welbeck Street Car park and a new licence was required. 
• Advised and represented world-leading boutique hotelier in making a successful application to permanently extend use of highly contentious courtyard area. 
• Advised and represented a leading Covent Garden hotel in obtaining policy-beating later hours. 
• Advised and represented a leading hospitality entrepreneur group in opening new Pool House brand at 100 Liverpool Street. 
• Advised and represented a developer/owner of 56 Curzon Street, Mayfair, in the licensing of a prime hospitality unit. 

Marcus is a specialist licensing and regulation barrister of over 10 years’ call. He has particular expertise in representing leading sportsmen and women before their respective governing bodies as well as advising governing bodies on how to ensure their rules and regulations are legally compliant and appropriately applied.

• Represented a world top 20 equestrian sports competitor in a disciplinary hearing where he faced a three-month ban and significant reputational damage.  As a result of successful submissions, the proceedings were discontinued with no penalty or finding against the client. 
• Represented a national equestrian sports competitor in a disciplinary hearing where he faced a multiple-year ban and significant fine. As a result of successful submissions, no ban was imposed, and the fine was limited. 
• Successfully submitted that the selection carried out by a national governing body for a European Championship should be set aside, and a new team selection undertaken. 
• Drafted comprehensive safeguarding and welfare policies and procedures for national combat sports governing bodies. 
• Advised national governing bodies on safeguarding proceedings due to said bodies receiving complaints/details of safeguarding and welfare risks. 

Recognised by Chambers UK for Licensing 2023 – 2026

Recognised by The Legal 500  for Retail & Consumer 2026

Recognised by The Legal 500 for Licensing 2021–2026

Marcus holds the Freedom of the City of London