Sports

We have a wealth of experience in the sports sector, delivering commercially focused, practical solutions to a wide range of legal issues.

Our clients include sports professionals and teams, organising and governing bodies, and sponsors and agents. We have advised on a number of world games and other major sporting events and have considerable experience of acting for rights holders and hosts in respect of single venues or events with venues in multiple cities or countries.

Our industry experience and insight, allied to the commercial mindset that typifies our approach, enables us to provide our clients with pragmatic advice and, where possible, anticipate problems rather than merely reacting to them. We have been involved with many high-profile events and transactions, but we are equally at home handling the everyday aspects of the sports business.

We have supported clients on a range of a matters including:

  • Image rights and other intellectual property
  • Sponsorship
  • Merchandising and other commercial arrangements,
  • All kinds of dispute resolution including mediation, arbitration and litigation
  • Broadcasting and web rights
  • Fundraising
  • Online business activities
  • Event management
  • Governing body regulatory issues

Our sector experience spans a wide range of sports including motor racing, where we have advised teams and drivers in Formula 1, A1 GP, World Rally, Cart, Indy Car and Moto GP, and cricket, football, golf and cycling.

James Earl

James Earl

If you have any questions or queries please call James on +44 (0)20 3036 7300 or email jearl@fladgate.com

Fladgate maintains a broad-ranging involvement in the sports sector and continues to advise a wide array of sport clients on all their legal needs. Best known for its advice on sponsorship, image rights, IP issues and commercial transactions.

Chambers UK

Industries

Sports team

 

Just Don’t Do It: Nike’s LDNR campaign halted by UK IP court

Ben Milloy

Mind Your Words: Entire Agreement Clause fails to act as bar to misrepresentation claim

Fladgate continues with strong showing in Chambers UK 2019

“No-deal Brexit: civil and commercial cooperation” guidance published by the Law Society

Leigh Callaway, Gerald Brent

Fladgate LLP achieves across the board rankings in Legal 500 for 2018

Personal data: a global commodity subject to regional rules

Nothing beats a good TM LWYR – Nike’s questionable LDNR campaign

Fladgate advises Fore Fitness on the sale of 13 easyGym sites to The Gym Group

Fladgate sponsors number one UK event for the sports industry

Fladgate’s Sports Business Group announces its involvement in SportsPro Live 2018

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Fladgate sponsors number one UK event for the sports industry

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Now in its fifth year, SportsPro Live has established itself as the number one UK event for the sports industry and this year is set to be bigger and better than ever – with over 70 speakers and 600 attendees expected through the doors at the East London convention centre. This is the second year that […]

Fladgate’s Sports Business Group announces its involvement in SportsPro Live 2018

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Fladgate’s Sports Business Group is delighted to announce its sponsorship of SportsPro Live 2018. Now in its fifth year, SportsPro Live has established itself as the number one UK event for the sports industry that attracts many of the biggest influencers in sport. This is the second year that Fladgate has sponsored the event, which […]

Fladgate advises Gfinity on its acquisition of RealSM Limited

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Fladgate LLP has advised leading AIM-listed esports entertainment company Gfinity PLC on its acquisition of RealSM Limited, a sports media company which operates a fan-oriented digital sports media platform under the brand name RealSport. The consideration was c.£2.4m, to be satisfied by the issue of new shares in Gfinity. This acquisition supports Gfinity’s aim to […]

New panel win for Fladgate’s Sports Business Group

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The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) has invited Fladgate LLP to join its new legal panel following a competitive tender process. The legal panel will be comprised of four law firms which, together with in-house Legal Counsel Rod McKenzie, will service all of the SPFL’s diverse legal requirements. Alex Haffner, who will act as the […]

Fladgate continues to be highly rated by Chambers UK 2018

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Fladgate LLP has continued to be highly rated by Chambers Guide to the UK Legal Profession 2018, with a number of the firm’s partners ranked as leading individuals. Construction: Purchaser Lawyers ranked Gillian Birkby, Alan Erwin, Alan Woolston What the team is known for Well-regarded practice with a purchaser-side focus. Advises on high-value transactional and contentious matters […]

2017 Legal 500 ranks Fladgate across the board

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Fladgate LLP is delighted to have achieved across the board rankings in the recently launched 2017 edition of the Legal 500 Guide to the UK Legal Profession. The firm achieved 26 rankings, with 59 lawyers attaining 91 individual recommendations.  Commercial contracts Fladgate LLP enhanced its commercial contracts offering with the recruitment of James Earl, an expert in the […]

Fladgate advises on the sale of Sports Bar & Grill to Stonegate

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Fladgate LLP has advised the principal shareholder of Bar Holdings Limited on its acquisition by Stonegate Pub Company. Bar Holdings Limited operates five bars trading under the Sports Bar & Grill brand.  The acquisition provides Stonegate with entry into the transport hub market, with four of the five bars situated in major London transport stations. […]

Fladgate advises Gfinity on £6.25m placing

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Fladgate has advised AIM listed Gfinity PLC on the placing of 31,250,000 new ordinary shares in order to raise £6.25m. The proceeds of the placing will contribute towards working capital, establish the Gfinity Elite Series in the UK, contribute towards software development, enable further recruitment of quality personnel and also invest in broadcast technology. Gfinity […]

Competition and Markets Authority fines golf club manufacturer £1.45m for imposing an online sales ban

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The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the UK’s primary competition and consumer authority, has fined Ping Europe Limited (Ping) £1.45m for preventing two UK retailers from selling Ping’s golf clubs online. Although Ping had a commercial objective, imposing the restriction to promote in-store customer fitting, the CMA concluded that Ping could have achieved this through […]

Getting Neymar moving: the legal framework of a soccer transfer

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With Neymar’s world record move from Barcelona to PSG just one of a host of big-money soccer transfers this summer, Fladgate’s Alan Wetterhahn and James Earl explain the legal processes that make a deal happen. The numbers are mind-boggling. And that was the case even before Paris Saint-Germain paid a world record fee of €222 […]

Fladgate Sports Business Group advises on transfer of Alvaro Morata to Chelsea

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Fladgate LLP is delighted to have acted for striker Alvaro Morata in connection with his transfer from Real Madrid to Chelsea FC in a record transfer (in terms of deal value) for the club. A cross-firm team advised on various aspects of the transaction led by James Earl, Head of the Sports Business Group alongside […]

Fladgate strengthens competition and regulatory with partner appointment

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Continuing the trend of strategic recruitment that has been a consistent feature in recent years, Fladgate LLP is delighted to announce the appointment of competition, regulatory and commercial partner Alex Haffner who joins from Dentons. Alex has significant experience dealing with UK, EU and international competition and regulatory authorities and has been involved in a […]

Fladgate LLP is praised for ‘delivering real results’ and is best known in the sporting context for football and motorsport.  Litigator Mark Buckley and commercial partner Alan Wetterhahn are the key names. Clients include Gareth Bale and Sahara Force India F1 team.

James Earl, who is ‘well connected across the sector’, advised PEAK6 on its investment into AFC Bournemouth.

Legal 500

Commercial litigator Mark Buckley leads the team at Fladgate LLP, which acted for Media and Sport Management on a range of commercial and contentious matters. The practice also has notable experience in F1 work for clients such as Sahara Force India F1 team, and Russian Time, the GP2 Motor Sports team, which is a new client.

Legal 500

Fladgate LLP advises a broad client base on domestic and international contracts, such as acting for Media & Sport Management on “off-grid” racing events in Jerusalem and Moscow. Key partners include dual-qualified South African lawyer Grant Gordon, IP and technology specialist Eddie Powell and the multilingual Alex Kaufmann. Advice is “good, quick and practical”.

Legal 500

Fladgate maintains a broad-ranging involvement in the sports sector and continues to advise a wide array of sport clients on all their legal needs. The group is perhaps best known for its advice on sponsorship, image rights, IP issues and commercial transactions, especially in the motor racing industry. It has a long-standing relationship with the Force India Formula One Team, acting for it in High Court proceedings against Team Lotus F1 regarding an alleged case of copyright infringement. Mark Buckley is the head of Fladgate’s sports practice group.

Chambers UK

Headed by Mark Buckley, Fladgate LLP is best known for its Formula 1 work, and has recently been handling a number of disputes for Force India F1. Other high-profile work included advising Gareth Bale on his transfer to Real Madrid.

 

Legal 500

Motor racing remains the sport for which the Fladgate team is best known. Market sources value the team for its thorough understanding of sports rights issues, with “the outstanding quality” being the team’s “practical approach to challenges and to carrying out work”. Mark Buckley was described as “a heavy hitter with vast experience in the motor racing sector”.

Chambers UK

Fladgate LLP’s motor sports team is pursuing copyright infringement and design-related claims for Force One India. Mark Buckley heads the team.

Chambers UK

Alex Haffner of Fladgate LLP has recognised experience in media rights and broadcasting for governing bodies. He also advises on broader commercial and regulatory matters regarding international sporting events and sponsorship negotiations.

Chambers UK

Fladgate LLP bolstered its sports offering by hiring football finance and commercial expert James Earl and senior associate David Quinlan from Pinsent Masons LLP in September 2016. Earl, who is dual qualified in England and Australia, assisted London 2017 and London Championships with governance, financing, insurance and regulatory matters; both clients are the SPVs tasked with delivering the 2017 London IAAF World Athletics Championships and World Para Athletics Championships. He also acted for Ironman on its acquisition of a major UK endurance event. Other clients include Limelight Sports and Mahindra Racing. Litigator and arbitrator Mark Buckley and commercial expert Alan Wetterhahn are also recommended.

Legal 500

Fladgate LLP handles soft IP litigation across the media and sports sectors, with particular expertise in publishing and e-publishing. The team also advises on data protection and security, e-commerce, digital media and social media. It acted for Monster Energy on a number of marketing and advertising campaigns. Digital Cinema Media, Odeon Cinemas and Parkway Cinemas are also clients. IP, technology and commercial specialist Eddie Powell heads the team. James Earl, who joined from Pinsent Masons LLP in 2016, leads the sports group; corporate lawyer David Robinson handles capital markets and M&A in the technology and publishing sectors. Commercial lawyer Alan Wetterhahn is also noted.

Legal 500

Fladgate LLP’s ‘very good’ department provides ‘first-rate service’. Practice head Grant Gordon advised the shareholders of Swansea City FC on their sale of a majority stake in the club to Swansea Football.

Legal 500

  • Gareth Bale – world record transfer from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid.
  • England footballer – negotiating a Premiership player and current England footballer’s image rights contract with his club.
  • ICC Cricket World Cups 2003 and 2007 – contractual and commercial matters.
  • Leading football agency – FA arbitration.
  • Eddie Irvine – landmark judgment against TalkSport for wrongful use of a celebrities image to endorse products.
  • Crystal Palace FC – FA disciplinary and litigation matters (including the high profile High Court claim against ex–manager Iain Dowie).
  • Russian Time GP2 team – driver agreements.
  • Zanarini Management – sponsorship Agreements with Ferrari F1 team.
  • David Millar – rider agreement with Tour de France team.
  • Force India F1 team – various litigation, arbitration and sporting matters including an appeal to the FIA International Court in Paris.

Integrated

Our clients come to us to solve problems that are often complex and multifaceted. We draw together the multiple strands of a business or personal challenge into a coherent, integrated legal response that combines the knowledge and experience of experts in all the relevant fields.

Partner-led

We operate in small teams in which partners not only take the lead but also do a significant amount of the detailed work. Clients can be assured that the partners they engage and brief will remain closely involved in developing and delivering the advice as part of our close-knit, expert teams.

Experienced

Fladgate has a long heritage of delivering high-quality legal advice. We have been providing practical legal solutions to businesses and private clients for over 250 years. Today we are one of the UK’s top 100 law firms, with over 80 partners and a reputation for providing solutions that work.