Stephen McGowan

Stephen is an undisputed and passionate leading expert in this area, recognised at the highest levels of trade, local authority and Government. Stephen has appeared at virtually every licensing board in Scotland dealing with the most contentious applications and hearings on behalf of every conceivable type of licensing client across liquor, entertainment, sport, gambling, live music, arena and festival/event sectors.

Stephen won the Scottish Legal Awards “Lawyer of the Year” in 2024 and the Scottish Business Awards “Law Partner of the Year” in 2024. His team won the Scottish Legal Awards “Client Care” award in 2021 for helping clients through the pandemic. He previously won the Scottish Legal Awards “Rising Star” award in 2016 and the Legal Awards of Scotland prestigious “Chairman’s Award” in 2008.

Testament to his pre-eminent status in Scottish licensing is his track record of holding a number of prestigious offices and roles pertaining to the sector. 

• Accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a Specialist in Liquor Licensing since 2017 and a member of the Licensing Law Sub-committee since 2008
• He was appointed a board member of the Scottish Tourism Alliance in 2025.
• He was the Chairman of the Institute of Licensing (IOL) Scottish region 2016 to 2020 and remains a director of the national UK IOL board.
• He was the President of the Scottish Licensed Trade Benevolent Society (“The Ben”) from 2018 to 2020.
• He was the Chairman of BII Scotland from 2013 to 2016 and awarded Fellowship of the BII in 2015.

Stephen has chaired and sat on numerous Scottish Government working groups on licensing reform over many years. He is currently chairing the Civic Licensing Task Force which was established in 2025 and whose work is ongoing. He is also the only solicitor to have given oral evidence at the Scottish Parliament on both alcohol and gambling law.

Stephen is also the recognised leading author in the area of Scottish licensing law, having authored five books including the pre-eminent text McGowan on Alcohol Licensing Law in Scotland (August 2021). He contributes regularly to all manner of journals and trade publications and has spoken at all manner of events and been interviewed by news media on licensing matters.

Jurisdiction: Scotland