Profile
Julian Harris
020 7002 7636
Julian co-founded Harris Hagan with John Hagan in May 2004. He came to specialise in this sector representing the Gaming Board for Great Britain (the then British regulator) for five years early in his career.
Specialising in all aspects of online and land-based gambling law, and with over 30 years’ experience of gambling law, Julian is recognised as a leading gambling lawyer by operators, suppliers and regulators throughout the world. He advises many of the world’s largest land-based and online gambling businesses (B2C and B2B), as well as many start-ups, investors and leading law firms. Julian has extensive gambling legal, regulatory and licensing experience advising on legal classification, non-remote and remote operating licence applications, casino competitions and premises licensing, personal applications, change of corporate control applications, transaction due diligence, corporate investments and transactions, complex group restructuring and the rationalisation of group licences. He also has extensive compliance and enforcement experience advising on general compliance and reporting requirements, compliance assessments, regulatory investigations, corporate evaluations, operating and personal licence reviews and developing associated remedial compliance programmes and action plans. Julian has also advised a number of government and regulatory authorities on the drafting of gambling legislation (primary and secondary).
In his spare time, Julian enjoys vintage cars, vintage wines, photography and shooting.
Magdalene College, Cambridge, 1977
Law Society of England & Wales, 1980
Senior Statesperson, Chambers UK 2024
Hall of Fame, The Legal 500 2024
Band 1, Chambers UK 2023
Hall of Fame, The Legal 500 2023
Band 1, Chambers UK 2022
Band 1, Chambers Global 2022
Hall of Fame, The Legal 500 2022
Band 1, Chambers Global 2021
Band 1, Chambers UK 2021
Hall of Fame, The Legal 500 2021
Band 1, Chambers UK 2020
Star Individual, Chambers Global 2020
Leading Individual, The Legal 500 2020
Hall of Fame, The Legal 500 2020
“Julian is knowledgeable and experienced.” Chambers UK 2024
“His presence alone is reassuring and his ability and dedication to his clients are almost without parallel.” Chambers UK 2023
“Julian Harris has a wealth of experience and is able to guide clients through complex issues. He understands not only the regulatory requirements of the industry but also appreciates business restraints; he is always able to provide solutions which meet not only the regulatory requirements but also reflective of clients’ business environments. He is focused on delivery and works as an integral part of clients’ teams ensuring that excellence is the outcome.” The Legal 500 2023
“He is above anyone else in terms of knowledge.” Chambers UK 2022
“extremely good at dealing with regulators”. Chambers UK 2022
Draws wide-ranging praise as “amazing,” “phenomenal” and “a legend” in the field. Chambers Global 2022
“highly experienced” and his “knowledge in the UK market is highly regarded and he is the go-to option for this field”. The Legal 500 2022
“Julian Harris and John Hagan are considered as top professionals and their experience in this sector is simply unparalleled.” The Legal 500 2022
London-based Julian Harris offers a wealth of experience advising a broad range of operators and regulators on complex international gaming and gambling law issues. Chambers Global 2021
“Julian has a wealth of experience and is able to guide clients through complex issues; he is particularly skilful at creating solutions which are designed to provide an effective business framework going forward.” Chambers UK 2021
“a heavyweight veteran in the field.” The Legal 500 2021
“Highly experienced” The Legal 500 2020
“Julian Harris’s knowledge in the UK market is highly regarded and he is the go-to option for this field.” The Legal 500 2020
“Draws wide-ranging praise as “amazing,” “phenomenal” and “a legend” in the field.” Chambers Global 2020
“Extremely good at dealing with regulators” Chambers UK 2019
“Very widely respected” Chambers UK 2018
“A legend in the business” Chambers UK 2017
International Association of Gaming Advisors (President, 2012/13 and present Counsellor)