Sport and Sponsorship
Lawyers
Sport legal advice, from the ground up.
Behind the roar of the crowd sporting organisations need a future-proofed legal set-up that supports your venues, health and safety, marketing, technology, data and finance. We help some of the largest clubs, governing bodies, international brand sponsors and professional players to keep events, venues and teams stay ahead of their legal needs.
Our specialist lawyers cover all areas that affect your business and have worked on some of the world's most high-profile sporting events such as: the Olympics and Paralympics, FIFA World Cup, the Commonwealth Games, and the Rugby World Cup.
We don't just write contracts, we help navigate disputes, protect match officials, players and fans, and manage how you approach regulations when their rules change. From your day-to-day governance to the construction of new or expanded venues and stadia, our approach works with the satisfaction of you and your fans in mind.
We support sport businesses worldwide
4
4
11
130+
premier league football clubs
of the top sportswear brands
major stadiums
sports clients worldwide
We advised and represented four of the clubs that finished in the top six in the 2023/24 Premier League.
We have a track-record of continuously working alongside the largest brand sponsors of the sporting industry.
Work with the team that routinely advises on the construction, expansion and sale of sports stadiums worldwide.
We actively work with sport retailers, stadiums, sports clubs and governing bodies.
4
4
premier league football clubs
of the top sportswear brands
We advised and represented four of the clubs that finished in the top six in the 2023/24 Premier League.
We have a track-record of continuously working alongside the largest brand sponsors of the sporting industry.
11
130+
major stadiums
sports clients worldwide
Work with the team that routinely advises on the construction, expansion and sale of sports stadiums worldwide.
We actively work with sport retailers, stadiums, sports clubs and governing bodies.
- Revenue Generation
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We help you get all the right documents in place to monetise your sports assets efficiently. Our finance and consumer teams are well-versed in the sporting world and advise companies like yours to encourage fan revenue, branded merchandising agreements, manufacturing, season ticket funding and finance, and the terms and conditions that accompany your commercial offering.
- Property, Real Estate and Planning and Construction
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Ensure that your organisation's property portfolio is held and structured in a way that is optimised for FFP benefits and purposes. Our specialists advise you and draft new agreements that fit your needs.
Work with a legal team who are in regular contact with multiple top 6 premier league clubs, where we advise on stadium and training ground developments, procurement, expansion projects, health and safety, and ground share agreements.
- Investigations and Ethics
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Our 50-strong team of investigative lawyers guide sports governing bodies, players, match officials and clubs through the most sensitive and challenging matters affecting their operations. Our broad range of expertise covers bullying and harassment, financial and general crime, health and safety, environmental and regulatory misconduct.
- Compliance and Governance
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Weaknesses in your business governance leads to lost revenue, and unstable performance. Governance and Compliance is one of the most important areas to your future investors, and increasing focus for regulators and lawmakers. We help create and enhance your policies, to ensure a polished and accessible structure.
- Reputation and Information Protection
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Our Reputation and Information Protection lawyers help sports businesses and professionals protect and defend their reputation, privacy and confidential information. We will support you with strategic advice, crisis management, representation and, where necessary, litigation. We usually work collaboratively with PR and communications teams, to manage the crisis and/or ensure that the record is set straight after the event.
- Competition and Disputes
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Competition is at the heart of sport, whether you're a club, governing body or professional. Our competition law specialists are on hand to advise every step of the way with expertise spanning rights, regulation, data and investigations.
From commercial arrangements and challenges with suppliers and partners, to the interplay with sporting rules at all levels, to investigations by competition authorities across the globe, our team will remove any guess work and manage your competition matters from start to finish.
Disputes can arise at all levels, and the key to dealing with them is having the right team and game-plan. Our disputes lawyers help you to resolve conflicts, mitigate your risks, and fight your corner. We've advised sporting organisations, governing bodies and professionals on all manner of commercial, employment and competition disputes in the sports sector.
- Data Protection
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Review and prepare for the specific data vulnerabilities that affect the sport sector. We help you to protect fan information and ensure you are compliant with applicable rules around GDPR and data protection.
- Commercial Contracts
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Trust a commercial legal team who routinely works on RTM cards in the IPL auction process during mega auctions. We use our legal knowledge to help you retain players that are up for bidding.
Our knowledge of your sport means we understand the context of your next IPL auction, and can appropriately advise you and recommend legal tactics that will help you build a stronger team, and a more profitable business.
What we've done for our clients
Formula One Sponsorship
Advised BAT on its partner sponsorship agreements with McLaren Formula 1.
MacLaren x Redbull
Advised and represented Castore iin the negotiation of sponsorship rights for Formula 1 racing leans.
Adidas x Liverpool FC
Represented Adidas on the successful bid to become the new kit sponsor for Liverpool Football Club.
Professional Footballer Image Rights
Advises a Manchester City footballer on their image rights and sponsorship arrangements and insurance.
The Women's Rugby World Cup
Advised Salford City Council on Venue Hire Agreement (Manchester x Salford) for several Women's Rugby World Cup matches.
News and insights
Featured Insight
The Pitfalls of Selective Distribution: Lessons from the CAT's Judgment in Up & Running vs Deckers
Featured Insight
Honours even in first leg of Manchester City vs Premier League clash
Featured Insight
How football clubs calculate the 'transfer' value of young players who are out of contract
Key contacts
London
United Kingdom
Edinburgh, UK
London
London
Manchester, UK
France
Madrid, Spain
Madrid, Spain