 In 2014 Portman claimed BrewDog to be in breach of their Code of Practice “for encouraging both anti-social behaviour and rapid drinking” through the labelling of the Dead Pony Club IPA, which they claimed placed “undue emphasis on the strength and intoxicating effect of the alcohol in the product.”

In March 2017, BrewDog threatened legal action against an independent pub based in Birmingham, England called "Lone Wolf", a trademark owned by BrewDog.A day later, after the story was reported in "The Guardian", BrewDog director James Watt confirmed via Twitter that the company had no issue allowing the bar to use the name "Lone Wolf", despite it having already rebranded as "The Wolf".The next day, further controversy arose over an alleged previous threat of legal action from BrewDog against a bar calling itself "Draft Punk".