Harris Hagan

History

Harris Hagan was established in May 2004 by Julian Harris and John Hagan, both experienced gambling lawyers. From the outset, the firm set out to be a niche practice dedicated entirely to the gaming sector – a positioning that remains unique among City of London law firms. Its growth has been organic, driven by a philosophy of being “a business within the gambling industry, which happens to be a law firm”, as stated on its LinkedIn profile.

Practice Areas

The firm’s core practice areas are licensing, where it has unrivalled experience in making licence applications to the Gambling Commission and its predecessor, the Gaming Board, for both land‑based and online operators; compliance and enforcement, advising on regulatory obligations, handling investigations, and negotiating settlements; commercial and corporate work, including structuring transactions, drafting software licence and white‑label agreements, and advising on mergers and acquisitions with regulatory sensitivity; and training, providing tailored programmes for executives and board members covering responsible gambling, anti‑money laundering and other compliance topics.

Market Position

A distinguishing feature is the firm’s close relationship with the UK Gambling Commission, built over decades. Harris Hagan is frequently engaged by operators facing complex regulatory challenges, and its lawyers are noted for “excellent knowledge of the requirements of the Gambling Commission” (Chambers UK 2026). The team has also been active in industry bodies such as IAGA, IAGR, IGRG and IMGL. The firm is consistently ranked in Band 1 by Chambers UK and recognised by The Legal 500, reflecting its strong market position and long‑standing client relationships.

Recent Developments

In February 2026, Harris Hagan launched Hawkbridge, a separate advisory firm led by the same partners (John Hagan, Bahar Alaeddini and David Whyte). Hawkbridge provides independent strategic advice on regulatory, commercial and governance matters to gambling businesses, regulators and investors, reflecting the growing complexity of the global gambling environment.

Key People

The firm is led by Managing Partner John Hagan, who is described by Chambers UK as “the leading gaming industry legal practitioner active today”. Partner Bahar Alaeddini is praised by The Legal 500 as being “at the top of her profession”, and Partner David Whyte is recognised for his in‑house experience and pragmatic advice. The team also includes associate Jessica Wilson and other fee‑earners. Julian Harris, co‑founder, is no longer listed on the current team page and is not active in day‑to‑day leadership.