TLT lawyer earns liquor licensing accreditation

Stephen McGowan, partner and head of licensing (Scotland) at TLT, has received a specialist accreditation from the Law Society of Scotland in liquor licensing law in recognition of his extensive and wide-reaching skills and experience in this area.

Mr McGowan is one of only seven solicitors in Scotland who hold the status and the first to be accredited since 2011. At 38, he is believed to be the youngest solicitor to have been accredited by the Law Society of Scotland in this specialism.

Mr McGowan founded TLT’s Scottish licensing team in 2012 and has represented some of the region’s best known liquor brands and licensed venues in some of the industry’s most significant and complex cases. He is chairman of the Institute of Licensing Scotland region, vice president of licensed trade charity The Ben and former chair of the British Institute of Innkeeping Scotland. He holds the first ever personal licence issued by the Glasgow Licensing Board and is the only solicitor to have given evidence to the Scottish Parliament on both alcohol and gambling laws.

Tom McEntegart, partner and head of TLT in Scotland, said: “Licensing is a complex area of the law and one that Stephen has dedicated his life and soul to, to the benefit of his clients and colleagues. We are extremely proud to have someone like Stephen here at TLT and I am sure I speak for everyone when I say what a pleasure it is to work with him.”

Mr McGowan added: “Most people know that licensing is a real vocation for me, so I am genuinely honoured to have been awarded this accreditation and very grateful to my peers and colleagues, past and present, who have supported me in my career. This recognition also reflects the support of the fantastic team at TLT and is for them as much as it is for me.”