Licensing practice John Gaunt toasts new round of work

Sheffield-based niche licensing practice John Gaunt & Partners has picked up a trio of major appointments in quick succession.The firm has been named the exclusive national licensing solicitors for the whole of the acquired estate of Laurel Pub Company - the vehicle which now operates the sold pub estate of Whitbread, bought by Morgan Grenfell.

The comprises more than 800 managed houses and 1,500 leased properties.And following a review of Whitbread's legal panel for its retained estate, the firm has been confirmed as national licensing solicitors for its Brewers Fayre, Brewsters and Beefeater divisions.Following the pub sale, Whitbread conducted a review of its panel and slimmed it down from around six firms to just one - at the time, John Gaunt & Partners handled around 25% of Whitbread's licensing work.

Laurel Pub has conducted a similar but entirely separate exercise.

John Gaunt & Partners has also been appointed by Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries - which recently fought off a takeover from Pubmaster - to act on the whole of its managed estate.

The firm had held this role on a temporary basis.

The five-lawyer, 18-paralegal practice has lodged around 8,000 licence applications nationally in the last year.Neil Rose