Walker Morris advises on acquisition of Nottingham Forest

19th May 2017

Sports law team advises on second football club acquisition in three days

The Walker Morris Sports Group has advised NF Football Investments Limited (ultimately owned by Evangelos Marinakis and Sokratis Kominakis) on its acquisition of Nottingham Forest Football Club, marking the second football club acquisition the Walker Morris team has completed in three days.

NF Football Investments has bought 100 percent of the Club’s shares from previous owner Fawaz Al Hasawi.

The EFL has approved Marinakis’ and Kominakis’ joint takeover which will also see Nicholas Randall QC and Ioannis Vrentzos join the senior management team alongside Samantha Gordon, who has been with the Club since January as the Club’s finance officer.

Marinakis, the current President and owner of Olympiacos FC, and now the new majority owner of Nottingham Forest FC, has close ties to England. He attended high school and university in England and started his successful career in international shipping in London before he bought the Greek champions in 2010.

Marinakis said.

“What we have achieved in national and European football with Olympiacos FC, we want to duplicate with Nottingham Forest. Forest is one of England’s oldest clubs and one with a proud history of national and international excellence. Our objective is to bring back the glory days. We are football people to the core and we love and know the game. Our team has demonstrated that we know how to create success in football by having won title after title with Olympiacos in Greek football.”

David Hinchliffe led the Walker Morris team which comprised: Owen Ormond and Christian Slinger.

David Hinchliffe commented:

“We are delighted to have advised Evangelos Marinakis on this successful acquisition of Nottingham Forest FC. He has achieved a successful track record at Olympiacos FC and is keen to achieve success at Nottingham FC.

“This acquisition is the second within three days that we have advised on and is further demonstration of the national reputation we have established in football cub acquisitions.”

Earlier this week the Walker Morris Sports Group advised on the acquisition of Reading FC. This latest club acquisition is the sixth acquisition the Group has advised on in over a year having previously advised on the acquisitions of Bolton Wanderers FC, Leeds United FC, Crystal Palace FC and Bradford FC.