Sports Clubs & Clients

When it comes to sports law, our Sports Group are second to none.

We’re known for our expertise in the sector and have extensive experience working in-house at Premier League and Football League clubs.

We use our understanding of the challenges and opportunities sports clubs face to shape our legal advice and assistance.

Over time we’ve built up a strong network of professional connections in the sector, which not only helps us, but benefits our clients as well.

If we don’t have all the answers, we usually know someone who does. In the right circumstances, we can help clubs connect with people who may have something to offer in terms of: corporate finance, investment, new commercial partnerships, and outsourcing opportunities.

Our teams have a great deal of experience working for sports clubs and are highly sought after for our knowledge across the full spectrum of legal issues facing clubs and athletes.

Our core areas of work include:

Sports regulation, governance, and integrity

We have extensive sports regulatory knowledge, including rules and regulation compliance, doping and betting, representation agreements, transfers, and sport-specific regulatory issues (such as consumer credit and health and safety).

Visit our Sports Regulation, Governance and Integrity page.

Sports brand protection, licensing, and image rights

Protecting and maximising your brand is crucial. We manage your trade mark and design portfolio to enhance commercial opportunities and provide global monitoring to safeguard against infringement. Our team handles high-value intellectual property disputes when enforcement is necessary.

We help teams and athletes capitalise on the global market through IP licensing for merchandise. We enable athletes to monetise their image through brand deals and endorsements. For sports teams, we facilitate the commercial use of athletes’ image rights through sponsorship and content agreements, ensuring tax risks are mitigated and interests protected.

Visit our Sports Brand Protection and Licensing page here.

Visit our Sports Image Rights and Endorsements page here.

Sports commercial, technology, partnerships, and sponsorship

We assist clubs with all types of commercial contracts, from kit supply and catering, to official supplier and sponsorship deals. We’ve also got experience handling third-party events like boxing and music concerts.

Visit our Sports and Commercial Law page here.

Visit our Sports Partnership and Sponsorship page here.

Our Technology team have experience assisting with implementing various technologies, from the sport-specific – such as eTicketing, injury tracking and player analysis software – to back-office, such as payroll and HR systems.

Visit our Sports and Technology page here.

We also help clubs comply with competition law, which has become an increasingly important and litigated issue in recent years. Competition issues can arise in various commercial dealings, such as the sale of replica football kits and other branded merchandise, and when producing and transmitting sports content.

Visit our Sports and Competition Law page here.

Sports employment and immigration

As well as all general employment and HR issues, we have significant experience in the sports-specific employment matters, from drafting contracts and bonus schedules for head coaches and managers, players and support staff, to advising on player and staff disciplinaries and disputes.

Visit our Sports Employment, Playing & Coaching Staff Contract Negotiation page here.

We handle all general immigration issues, as well as obtain governing body endorsements and sportsperson visas for players and coaching staff.

Visit our Immigration, Visas, and Governing Body Endorsements page here.

Sports litigation and arbitration

We deal with all types of sports-related disputes – in sport-specific regulatory and disciplinary commissions and arbitration, as well as the courts – such as breaches of the rules, transfer fee and agent’s commission disputes, and player/coach disputes with their club (or former club).

Visit our Sports Litigation and Arbitration page here.

Sports transactions, funding, and finance

We’re known for supporting the purchase and sale of football and other sports clubs.

Visit our Sports Transactions and Acquisitions page here.

As well as advising on acquisition financing, we also advise sports teams on general corporate facilities, grant facilities, asset-backed borrowing (including receivables financing), and transfer contract financings.

Visit our Sports Funding and Finance page here.

Sports construction, real estate, and stadium development

Whether it’s a new stadium, training complex, pitch, court or track – or ancillary works like a club shop or office – we can advise on every aspect of the project, from obtaining relevant planning permissions to preparing all necessary conveyancing and construction contracts.

If there’s a dispute, such as a pitch problem, defective design/works, delays or late payment, we have extensive experience acting for clients across the various dispute resolution platforms.