Tony Schwartz

Tony Schwartz has extensive legal experience but his recognised expertise is liquor and gaming law.  He is a director and lawyer of Back Schwartz Vaughan where he heads the liquor and gaming specialists team.  His Back Schwartz Vaughan profile can be found here.

The cornerstone of Tony's expertise and recognition in the provision of legal services to the liquor, hospitality and gaming industries is his contribution to education and technical legal services as the principal author of the LexisNexis liquor licensing publication McDonald’s Licensing and Gaming Laws NSW textbook.  Tony has been the author of this publication since 1990.

Tony is passionate about not only providing accurate, prompt and cost-effective advice to his clients, but importantly finding practical solutions to suit their needs. Due to Tony’s unparalleled experience in liquor and gaming laws, he has built a solid reputation (dating back well over 40 years) acting for a long list of satisfied clients representing local, national and international businesses – that are operating in NSW (many who are repeat clients).  As a result, Tony is sought out by many hospitality industry operators, other legal firms, architects, interior designers and planning experts.

As one example, he has represented the interests of the Woolworth Group Limited since 1996 (and now the Endeavour Group Limited) in their significant portfolio of BWS and Dan Murphy’s stores and associated internet businesses.

Tony has and continues to act for key stakeholders in state significant developments, and other major CBD and suburban development sites, including office towers, shopping centres and sporting arenas to assist them with their liquor licensing needs.

He has significant experience in all types of liquor licence and gaming related applications, licence related authorisations, the community and local impact assessment process and the social impacts unique to the different types of liquor licences and authorisations that are available in NSW.  This experience pre-dates the current 2007 Liquor Act because Tony was involved in countless social impact assessments before the former NSW Licensing Court and/or Liquor Administration Board.  Therefore, his experience in this area is unmatched by any other legal advisor.

Tony regularly represents clients involved in proceedings, such as:-

• The review process before the NSW Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority, on matters arising from the imposition of conditions on licences as a result of applications made by public authorities and changes to the Liquor Act, challenges based on administrative law principles, disturbance complaints and defending prosecutions under the Liquor Act.
• The administrative review process from decisions of the Authority before the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
• Representing the interests of clients in the NSW Supreme Court.

Tony is a leader in the liquor and hospitality industry for providing practical and accurate advice for contemporary licensed businesses as the industry and related technologies continue to develop and evolve.

Publications and Editorial Contacts

McDonald's Licensing and Gaming Laws New South Wales, Looseleaf Contact: LN ML Publishing