Retail, consumer and logistics
At Browne Jacobson, we partner with retail, leisure and logistics clients to help them put the customer experience at the heart of their service. Shared values around diversity and inclusion and environmental responsibility enable us to connect our clients to issues that matter to them. From promoting inclusion and social mobility to overcoming supply chain issues; innovation and understanding are cornerstones of our work.
We are active within the growing sectors of fashion and beauty, logistics, retail, sports and leisure, restaurants bars and hotels. We work with other sector specialisms in the firm to support our clients intersect with the banking and fintech, hospitality and leisure, manufacturing, energy and health sectors as well as with national and local government agencies.
Our decades of experience in the retail sector sees us acting for household names on the UK high-street but also for emerging challenger brands in the Sector and for international luxury brands that have driven market and fashion trends for many years. We are increasingly involved in UK food retailing, including the logistics supply chains that have grown as fundamental parts of modern multi-channel retail.
With a reputation for supporting clients large and small, we are used to working with niche brands that growing quickly, and have supported some of our longest-standing clients for >30 years in a market largely un-recognisable from those early days.
We operate with a level of pragmatism and straight-forward manner and advice that enhances our client’s operations and stands us apart from our competitors. This, allied to our sustainability and social value credentials has never been more appropriate than in today’s post-pandemic economic climate.
Our Sector teams will bring collaborative energy and fresh ideas to our client’s in-house teams, and will help our clients make new valuable and sustainable connections in the Sector – come and see what it is like to work with us.
Related products, services and sectors
Non-executive director
Suzanne Harlow
Non-Executive Director – Retail, Consumer and Logistics
"We’ve appointed several industry-aligned Non-Executive Directors to our sectoral groups. Suzanne Harlow is the Non-Executive Director of our Retail, Consumer and Logistics sector group. Suzanne was previously Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of RSL Awards and global lifestyle brand Jack Wills. Suzanne brings extensive experience within retail covering fashion, home and premium beauty brands, both in the domestic and international markets, to support the firm and its lawyers in driving the Retail, Consumer and Logistics sector strategy."Find out more
Key contacts
Roland Gray
Partner
Emma Roake
Partner
Caroline Green
Senior Partner
Cat Driscoll
Partner
Sarah Parkinson
Partner
Suki Tonks
Partner
Nigel Lyons
Partner
Rachel Lyne
Partner
Claire Burns
Legal Director
Faye McConnell
Senior Associate
Kevin Lawson
Partner
Susan Voice
Partner
What others say...
"They provide quick responses and they deliver on promises."
"The practice has the experience and flexibility to partner with a large multi-national organisation with an extensive and varied national property portfolio and work with the systems and governance appropriate to the environment."
"They are always professional. The sharing of information seemed to work."
Latest insights and events
Legal Update
Utilising prime retail sites to improve the health of our nation
Legal Update
A new era of opportunity for high street regeneration?
Opinion
Practical points from High Court ruling that Tesco has infringed Lidl’s IP rights in its famous yellow circle logo
Legal Update
Pitfalls for retailers to avoid when offering access to ‘buy now, pay later’ products
Press Release
Browne Jacobson’s Manchester dealmakers advise Spatial Global on its acquisition of Heathrow based freight specialist Hollyport Logistics
Opinion
Supreme court rules on retail tenant's service charge bill
Published Article
Consumer duty part 3 - 'The drill-down' into the 'cross-cutting' rules
On-Demand
The UK's green agenda - the outcomes of COP27 and actions since COP26
Press Release
Browne Jacobson’s retail lawyers advise Wilko on its strategic £48m sale and leaseback of Nottinghamshire distribution centre to DHL
National law firm Browne Jacobson has advised long standing retail client, Wilko on the sale and leaseback of its Nottinghamshire distribution centre in Worksop to logistics specialist DHL for £48m.
Press Release
Suzanne Harlow joins Browne Jacobson as Non-Executive Director
Law firm Browne Jacobson is pleased to announce that Suzanne Harlow has been appointed Non-Executive Director of its Retail, Consumer & Logistics sector.
Legal Update
Is this the end for free returns?
Earlier in the year a number of fashion retailers, boldly announced the introduction of a charging fee for returning any product purchased via their online store. Yet, despite this commercial, and perhaps somewhat controversial decision, at least one major fashion giant that adopted this approach has recorded ‘historic highs’ in its September profits. Browne Jacobson partner, Cat Driscoll who heads up the firm’s commercial team in Manchester and is also head of its Fashion & Beauty sector discusses whether this change has put the average consumer off and whether the days of free returns are long gone.
Published Article
AI generated designs on retail products
Every AI will have its own terms of use. DALL·E 2’s Terms of Use dated 3 November 2022 specify that as between a user and Open AI, a user owns their prompts and uploads. Open AI also assigns to the user all rights in any images generated by DALL·E 2 for that user (subject to the user complying with those Terms of Use, and to a licence to use inputs and output to develop and improve the services).
Published Article
Consumer duty part 2 - 'The drill-down' into the 'cross-cutting' rules
Published Article
Luxury brands and sustainability – The challenges and solutions
Legal Update
The Retained EU Law
Created at the end of the Brexit transition period, Retained EU Law is a category of domestic law that consists of EU-derived legislation retained in our domestic legal framework by the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. This was never intended to be a permanent arrangement as parliament promised to deal with retained EU law through the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill (the “Bill”).
Press Release
Browne Jacobson appoints its first Non-Executive to Chair to support its corporate sector strategy board
Press Release - Careers
Browne Jacobson strengthens its UK&I commercial practice with hire of new retail & consumer specialist partner
Browne Jacobson has bolstered its commercial practice in the UK with the appointment of commercial contracts and international trade specialist, Emma Roake, into its City-based London team.
Opinion
Cameras in convenience stores: a potential hornet’s nest..?
Legal Update
Merger and Acquisition trends in the specialist lending market
Opinion
Court of Appeal overturns “fire and re-hire” injunction
The Court of Appeal overturned the “fire and re-hire” injunction, finding that there was nothing in the express contractual provisions preventing Tesco from giving the notice to terminate employment in the usual way.
Opinion
80% hours for 100% pay? That’ll do nicely
As has been widely reported this week, some 3,000 UK workers are taking part in a six month trial to assess the viability of a four-day working week without any reduction in their normal pay.
Legal Update
The Omnibus Directive is almost here
Amongst the measures being introduced are new rules on online reviews, price reduction promotions, enhanced rights for free digital consumers, GDPR-style fines and information requirements on online markets.
On-Demand
Building Safety Bill – what’s coming and how will it affect you?
In anticipation of the adoption of the Building Safety Bill, our specialist compliance and regulatory team will give an overview of the measures proposed in the Bill.
Opinion
Right to Work Checks: Changes from 6 April 2022
From 6 April 2022, right to work checks on all migrant or settled prospective employees must be online and checks on British or Irish nationals will be manual (free) or digital (charged for).
Legal Update
W (No.3) GP (Nominee A ) Ltd and another v J D Sports Fashion Plc (Nottingham County Court, 22 October 2021)
The County Court refuses the landlord’s request to include a turnover rent in a statutory lease renewal.
Legal Update
Employment Tribunals 2022-23 – What to Expect
The Presidents of the Employment Tribunals England and Wales and Scotland have issued a new road map for 2022-23, providing an update on the resourcing challenges faced by employment tribunals and the steps put in place to address these.
Opinion
Government’s proposals for dealing with pandemic rent arrears finally reach the statute book
The Commercial Rent (Coronavirus) Act 2022 was finally passed yesterday (24 March) and comes into force immediately.
Press Release
Browne Jacobson broadens its construction offering with appointment of nuclear and renewable energy specialist
Browne Jacobson has broadened its national construction and engineering offering with the appointment of construction partner Zoe Stollard into its Birmingham office.
Opinion
Covid-19 rent arrears – the questions that remain
The Government appears set to announce plans on ‘living with Covid to restore freedom’. With the success of the retail and hospitality sector key to recovery, what protections will be on offer to tenants to deal with Covid-19 rent arrears?
Opinion
Are whistleblowers entitled to keep their employer’s confidential documents?
In Nissan v Passi, the High Court recently considered the issue of an employee retaining confidential documents belonging to his former employer in the context of the employer’s application for an injunction seeking the return of such documents from the employee.
On-Demand
Levelling up white paper strategic briefing
The levelling up white paper sets out a set of 12 priority ‘missions’ to be pursued by national and local government in the years to come. With measures covering regeneration, communities, connectivity, education, R&D, employment, and health.
Opinion
High Court injunction granted to prevent “fire and rehire”
The High Court has granted an injunction against Tesco preventing the dismissal and re-engagement (‘fire and rehire’) of employees in an attempt to remove a contractual entitlement to enhanced payment terms.
Legal Update
Macey v Pizza Express (Restaurants) Ltd [2021] EWHC 2847 (Ch)
A landlord did not demonstrate the requisite intention required to oppose a statutory lease renewal underground (g).
Legal Update
Stonecrest Marble Ltd v Shepherds Bush Housing Association Ltd [2021] EWHC 2621 (Ch)
Where a lease provides a comprehensive scheme of repair and insurance, the court will not imply terms to cover any gaps in that scheme.
Press Release
Browne Jacobson advise Sephora on its acquisition of Feelunique
Browne Jacobson’s corporate finance lawyers have advised omnichannel prestige beauty retailer Sephora on its acquisition of Feelunique.
Press Release
Browne Jacobson completes acquisition of UK stand-up paddleboard leader Red Paddle Co for the Myers Family Office
Our corporate finance team have advised the Myers Family Office, on its purchase of Vian Marketing, the holding company for leading stand-up paddleboard business, Tushingham Sails which is best known in the market for its Red Paddle Co brand.
Published Article
What are the implications of the recent Tesco equal pay ruling?
Opinion
Dealing with Covid Rent Arrears – an overview but no specifics
Following on from our recent article on the release of the updated Code of Practice for dealing with commercial rent arrears that have accrued throughout the pandemic, we continue to highlight what the overall principles seek to ensure - fairness and proportionality for both landlords and tenants across each step of the arbitration process.
Published Article
Tipping the balance: Assessing patent infringement
In July this year, four years to the month after its introduction into UK law in the Supreme Court’s seminal judgment in Actavis v Eli Lilly, the court handed down its latest decision applying the ‘doctrine of equivalents’.
Opinion
Status and Substitution
In Stuart Delivery Ltd v Augustine, the Court of Appeal was asked to consider the principles governing when the ability to appoint a substitute negated the obligation to personally perform work.