Sports Law

Our highly regarded sports practice have a combined experience of over 10 years working for sports organisations, in addition to their respective careers in private practice, giving them a unique insight into this sector.

The team has extensive experience advising sports governing bodies, regulators, clubs and athletes on a wide range of commercial, branding and technology issues in sport as well as on the rules and regulations, anti-doping, corruption, sports-related disputes and litigation (Jason Torrence). Additionally, our Wealth Management team led by James Appleby, provides holistic financial planning advice to athletes as they move through their career and transition into their post-playing career.

We see ourselves very much as an extension of our client’s in-house legal team and we pride ourselves on being able to understand the goals and unique challenges faced by clients operating at all levels in the business of sport.

Call our specialist solicitors on 0808 231 1320

Our approach is personal and friendly. Clients recognise us for our ability to understand the scale and scope of projects which, in combination with the depth of our expertise, means we can quickly identify the issues at play, zeroing in on what’s feasible and what isn’t, saving them time and money.

We are known for supporting clients in the following areas:

Disability sport: we work for international federations and international organisations for sport and the disabled. We have an in-depth understanding of the challenges and opportunities for organisations that are part of the Paralympic Movement. Our unique insight derives from prior experience working as in-house counsel at the International Paralympic Committee and advising International Para Sport Federations.

Professional and amateur clubs: focused on the firm’s wider strategy of supporting our local communities, we act for a number of regional sports clubs including in rugby and cricket.

Athletes: reflecting the firm’s full service legal and wealth management offering, we act for athletes and sportspeople, advising on long-term financial planning in addition to legal advisory services that support an athlete's personal and business interests. We look at our sports clients' personal financial matters in the round and aim to create a bespoke wealth strategy that delivers throughout a player’s career and prepare for their future aspirations as they transition to post-play.

Sports Governing Bodies and International Federations: we also act for a number of international sports federations and national governing bodies, attending events such as the

2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo and the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games, where we advised on a range of legal and operational issues, including brand protection, broadcasting and sponsorship. 

We cover the following industry disciplines:

Regulatory

• anti-doping
• governance including meeting UK Sport and Sport England requirements
• anti-corruption
• finance, insolvency and organisational structures
• disciplinary including suspensions
• arbitration and dispute resolution

Commercial

• media rights, both traditional broadcasting and digital media,
• sponsorship and marketing
• technology
• eSports
• employment (including discrimination claims and settlement agreements)

Individuals

• wealth management
• private client including wills, family, and residential or commercial property investment

Key clients include:

• International Paralympic Committee
• Essex County Cricket Club
• Bishop’s Stortford Rugby Club
• British Canoeing
• Wethe15
• World Para Athletics
• World Para Swimming
• World Para Snow Sports
• World Para Powerlifting
• World Para Shooting Sport
• World Para Ice Hockey 

We also advise a number of community, grassroots and amateur clubs and events across the East Anglia region as part of our community giving agenda.

We work with price certainty and a combination of fixed fees or retainer arrangements wherever possible. We will always aim to tailor our service to your needs.