Sport

Our thriving sports practice works with clubs, sporting organisations, public bodies, commercial operators and individuals across the industry.

Our team can advise on a range of matters, including: commercial law; data protection and privacy; employment; licensing; litigation, corporate, tax, tech, intellectual property and regulatory. We also specialise in brand management, strategic sponsorships and franchising.

Working side by side with the industry, we understand the commercial and legal issues that athletes, clubs and sports operators are faced with. Our lawyers take an industry-focused approach, offering pragmatic advice to make sure our clients can clearly navigate the way ahead.

Our team can also offer project based and flexible support for in-house legal teams and contract management teams on ‘business as usual’ transactions.

With a market leading Future energy team, we also have experience advising clubs with the development of their sustainability initiatives as they strive towards a greener future.

We work with clients not just as their lawyers, but as trusted partners.

Experience

• Acting as Data Protection Officer (DPO) for a sporting organisation to ensure data protection compliance and advise on developing data protection projects.
• Advised a client on an endorsement and ambassadorial deal involving a high profile sports personality.
• Advised a client in relation to their football sponsorship agreement.
• Acted for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games 2012 in relation to applications for all the non Olympic Park venues including Eton Dorney, Wimbledon, Lords and the Royal Artillery Barracks.
• Worked with a major bank on the refinancing of a leading English premier league football club.
• Licensing and other legal support to Ashton Gate: home to Bristol City FC and Bristol Bears, applications to vary the licence to increase capacity, permit stadium bowl events and allow off sales of own brand Bristol City and Bristol Bears merchandise.
• Added an entirely new stadium to the Murrayfield premises licence which allows the whole site to be used flexibly and allowing different spectator capacities for Scottish Rugby and Edinburgh Rugby games.
• Licensing and other legal support to Celtic and Rangers Football Clubs and the National stadium at Hampden Park.
• Legal partner to Forest Green Rovers football club.