Sports

High performance in sports requires high performance legal advice.

We’re proud to work with many of the world’s best-known teams, leagues, federations, athletes, sports businesses, sponsors and marketing agencies.

We combine a deep understanding, expertise and passion for sport with an ability to deliver. This enables us to secure, protect and maximise our clients’ most valued assets - their athletes or players, managers and key staff, and their commercial rights and IP.

Navigating the sports industry’s complex framework of rights requires specialist knowledge, a strategic approach and commercial focus.

Our energetic, approachable team has extensive industry experience, coupled with a pragmatic, problem solving mindset.

We advise rightsholders and other key stakeholders on sector specific issues in football, rugby, motorsport, golf, tennis and many other sports, including:

Transfers and work permits
Sponsorship and media rights
Regulatory issues and sports disputes
Events and merchandise licensing
Athlete image rights
Ambush marketing

In addition, we can also advise you on general employment, immigration, IP, data, consumer, tech, corporate and tax matters.

Sports sponsorship, media & commercial rights

We’ve advised on some of the most high-profile and complex commercial deals in sport. Our expertise includes sponsorship, sports media/broadcasting and technology, merchandise licensing, ticketing, hospitality, data management and exploitation, gambling, gaming, supplier agreements and sports marketing. Navigating the complex layers of rights in the sports industry can be challenging; we advise rightsholders at all levels and assist brands and their marketing agencies when they invest in sports events, teams and athletes. This ensures you can maximise opportunities and avoid pitfalls.

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Player transfers & regulatory

With years of experience working on some of the most high-profile deals in European football, we know the challenges that player transfers and the transfer window present to clubs and agents. Whether you’re a club or an agent we can help you to secure transfer targets and negotiate and structure deals on both sides of the transaction. Our experience also includes working in rugby, F1 and other sports on contracts for players, drivers and athletes. We can advise you on issues related to athlete and coaching staff moves - in football and other sports - including immigration, image rights, agents’ agreements, and the regulatory and commercial disputes that arise out of these highly competitive moves.

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International recruitment & immigration

Whether you’re a football club, an agent, an international federation or an individual player with dependents, we can support you on all aspects of your immigration to the UK and your global travel. From domestic league play to pre- and post-season tours and international fixtures, our experience in this sector allows us to quickly assess eligibility and to spot any issues before they develop into problems. We provide end-to-end UK immigration support for players, their families, and supporting staff, as well as practical advice to clubs to ensure that they comply with all immigration rules.

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Employment in sports

From managing high earning talent to handling the employment status and rights applicable to a casual ‘match day’ workforce, our employment team can advise clubs, governing bodies and sports agencies on all issues relating to their people. Competitive advantage doesn’t just come from results on the field or the track - it also requires a coherent employment strategy, forward thinking policies, a positive culture, and effective management of employee relations. We can advise you on all of these matters, as well as manage any disputes before Employment Tribunals, governing bodies and the Court of Arbitration for Sport. In addition, we also provide a great value helpline service for HR teams.

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Sports disputes

Our extensive experience covers commercial claims relating to sponsorship contracts, agreements with agents, high profile employment disputes and the misuse of confidential information. We have litigated claims through the High Court and a wide variety of arbitral institutions, and can advise you on domestic and international arbitration in sport specific tribunals such as the Court of Arbitration for Sport and FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber. With an in-depth understanding of regulatory compliance and disciplinary investigations for alleged regulatory breaches and on-field misconduct, we have successfully represented numerous athletes in front of sporting regulatory bodies. Our specialist lawyers can also help you with IP disputes, defamation, criminal and harassment matters.

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IP & image rights

Sports is an IP-rich industry. We support sports brands to manage their trade mark, design, domain name and patent portfolios, and with implementing efficient filing strategies; we also provide watching services and deal with oppositions. Our IP litigators’ sports experience covers high-profile copyright, trademark and passing off disputes. Our approach is proactive – dealing swiftly with pirates and counterfeiters among others. Expert advice is available for athletes, agents and clubs on the protection and exploitation of image rights. We also support brands and rightsholders with ambush marketing issues, and related specialist matters such as Rule 40 of the Olympic Charter.

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Data & analytics

Data and analytics are increasingly essential in sports management. Our experts can advise you on the commercial and data privacy aspects of complex uses of data and data sharing. We provide support in relation to leveraging athlete data to enhance performance, protecting athletes’ privacy and commercial rights, and direct marketing and advertising to fans.

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Sports investments, deals & takeovers

Investors, clubs, athletes, rightsholders and management teams come to us for the full spectrum of corporate transactions. From the takeover and sale of sports clubs to joint ventures, fundraising rounds, endorsement-for-equity deals, and innovative finance structures, we can provide you with bespoke, commercial advice that is relevant to the sports sector.

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Sports investigations

Reports of sexual harassment, homophobic bullying and racism can severely damage your reputation, your relationships with sponsors and fans, and your retention of talent. If such reports arise, you need rapid, effective investigation and crisis management to deal with the issue and prevent it reoccurring. Our investigations team has the experience to help you investigate complaints quickly, thoroughly and sensitively - demonstrating that you’re taking them seriously and dealing with them appropriately.

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