Fladgate has a wealth of experience within the sports sector and of advising in relation to global sporting events. Our lawyers combine a commercial approach with an ability to deliver solutions that work. Our experience encompasses a wide variety of sports and we advise on the full range of legal issues that arise. Our sports clients are drawn from the motor racing industry (including teams and drivers in Formula 1, A1 GP, World Rally, Cart, Indy Car and Moto GP), cricket, football, golf and cycling.

Our significant industry experience and insight equips us to provide realistic advice and to anticipate problems rather than to merely respond to them. Many of the transactions in which we have been involved have been high profile, but we are equally used to dealing with the more routine aspects of business.

Our advice covers a wide variety of matters, including image rights, sponsorship, merchandising and other commercial arrangements, broadcasting and web rights, disputes handling, fund-raising, online business activities and governing body regulatory issues.

In relation to world games and other sporting events, we have considerable experience of acting for rights holders or hosts – in respect of single venues or events with venues in multiple cities or countries.

Event management has become a specialised area of law with its own intricacies. Our experience and expertise include advising on setting up the organising committee, hosting agreements (between the governing body and the host) and host venue agreements (between the host and venue owners), bidding process and protocol, broadcaster agreements, sponsor agreements, supplier agreements, licensing and merchandising issues and counterfeit merchandise, ticketing, ticket revenue (including Official Travel Agent agreements), unauthorised ticket sales, ticket conditions as well as ancillary issues such as security and insurance. Our lawyers have acted as lead legal advisers on two world events.