Leisure and Retail

Complete range of commercial legal services for the retail and leisure sectors, including employers' liability, public and product liability claims, employment, debt recovery and health and safety matters.

With constant, high-level exposure to the public, the retail and leisure industries are subject to unique legal risks and responsibilities. Negative publicity can easily damage brands and reputations, with potentially severe financial consequences. The need for experienced, expert legal advice and support is therefore greater in these sectors than in most others.

Weightmans' Retail and Leisure teams are genuine specialists in these areas, based on in-depth understanding of the commercial environment and rock-solid expertise in every legal issue likely to affect retailers and leisure operators.

Our retail clients include national chains, department stores and supermarkets, while on the leisure side we represent organisations as diverse as global insurance companies, specialist underwriters and brokers, pub and club chains, hotels, zoos, football clubs, racecourses, gyms, sport centres, adventure play areas, and amusement parks.

Whatever the size or type of your undertaking, we provide the same personal, efficient, high quality service. Our first aim is to develop a full understanding of your business and systems, to ensure that claims are handled as efficiently as possible.

We assess each case from your business’ perspective and recommend the action that is in your best interests. We work closely with you and your insurers to help you achieve your objectives as cost-effectively and time-efficiently as possible.

We act on a wide range of legal issues including manual handling, upper limb disorders, slips and trips, occupational diseases, violent disorder, occupier’s liability, property damage and wrongful arrest cases.  As a major national legal practice, we work closely with our other departments, so that you have the best advice in associated areas such as employment, fraud, debt recovery, commercial and health and safety matters.

As part of our comprehensive service, we provide risk management workshops, legal update seminars and other topical training to help avoid problems and reduce the likelihood of claims.  We have published a practical, helpful book specifically relating to retail law, and regularly provide best practice advice to the leisure industry through leading insurance and specialist trade periodicals.

"We have worked with Weightmans over many years. They understand our business needs and objectives. They are trusted legal advisers"
Head of Risk Management, John Lewis  Plc