Football

Our expert football lawyers provide strategic advice on branding for clubs, managing trade mark selection, brand consistency, kit identity, rebranding exercises, and brand protection measures. Whether drafting identity guidelines, opposing infringing uses, or advising on co-branding initiatives, we combine sector-specific insight with intellectual property expertise to elevate global identities while guarding reputation and revenue potential.

• Acted for Peter Davies who claimed to be the copyright owner of the club’s distinctive angular wolf’s head logo.
• Advised on perimeter advertising agreements for online gaming companies.
• Advising on image rights agreements for an international footballer playing in the English league.
• Advising a Premier League footballer in relation to possible defamation/breach of personality and image rights arising from his pictorial image in a Sony PlayStation game.
• Drafted image rights agreements for an international footballer playing in the English league.
• Represented the MLS (Major League Soccer) in trade mark matters, including trade mark clearance; trade mark filing; prosecution; and maintenance matters.

Our team advises on all aspects of commercial property in the football sector, from stadium developments to training facilities and mixed‑use schemes. We support clubs, investors, and developers on acquisitions, disposals, leases, financing and operational issues, and planning applications, delivering pragmatic solutions aligned with long‑term sporting aims.

• Acted for Tottenham Hotspur Football Club in connection with the redevelopment of its existing stadium in Tottenham and the development of a new training ground in the Green Belt in Enfield.
• Acted for Fulham FC on the redevelopment of its training ground.
• Represented Millwall FC which was seeking to redevelop its stadium and was threatened with a CPO of surrounding land.
• Advised on the relocation of Wimbledon FC to Milton Keynes football team to a new stadium requiring planning permission.

• Acted for Tottenham Hotspur Football Club in connection with its application for a new Women’s Training Facility in the Green Belt in Enfield including an associated judicial review claim.
• Advised a major Premier League club with planning on its sports complex around its stadium.
• Advised the London Borough of Haringey on planning and compulsory purchase matters for re-development of the White Hart Lane stadium and comprehensive urban regeneration by Tottenham Hotspur Football Club including new 56,250-seat stadium, 200 residential units and 150-room hotel.
• Acted in the acquisition of a new training ground facility for a Premier League football club and dealing with the refinance of it.

Our football lawyers regularly advise on employment in football, including contracts and transfers for clubs, players, and intermediaries. We draft and negotiate player agreements, coach deals, agent mandates, loan structures, and compensation arrangements under FIFA, FA, EFL and league rules. With deep industry knowledge, we support smooth transactions, compliance with transfer windows and sell-on clauses, and dispute resolution safeguards.

• Drafted employment and commercial contracts for international football managers and players and acted for football intermediaries in regulatory and commercial disputes.

• Advised various international footballers on their contractual arrangements including: Alexsandar Mitrovich with Fulham FC; and Tal Ben Hain with Bolton Wanderers.

• Advised leading Premiership footballer Christian Eriksen in relation to his contracts with Tottenham Hotspur FC, Brentford FC, and Manchester United FC.

• Lead lawyer for Portsmouth FC and Ipswich Town FC over several years.
• Acted for Sam Rush, Derby County FC, Former Managing Director in bringing proceedings for breach of contract in the High Court for compensation of £6m, for unfair dismissal in the Employment Tribunal and defending counterclaims for over £7m based on alleged breach of fiduciary duty and misconduct.

• Acted for and attended before the French Football Federation on behalf of an international footballer Eidur Gudjohnsen who had not been paid by his former French football club.

• Acted for agents Jacques Lichtenstein and Ronny Rosenthal in a High Court claim against Arsenal FC in relation to the transfer of Gilberto Silva.
• Acted for the Football Association and provided regular advice on management contract issues associated with FA staff.
• Acted for Aston Villa defending the club against a claim brought by the former chief executive.
• Advised a Premier League football club on various handbook reviews and contractual issues.
• Acted for Graeme Souness in relation to his manager contracts with English and foreign football clubs.
• Advised the former manager of a Premier League football club in relation to unfair dismissal and breach of contract claims in a case that ran for three years, and was fought in the Employment Tribunal, Employment Appeal Tribunal, County Court, High Court and Court of Appeal.
• Advised a former Premier League footballer in relation to the termination of his playing contract due to injury.
• Advising a Sporting Director on their exit from a Championship club.
• Advised a senior physiotherapist on their exit from a Premier League club.
• Advised on the employment aspects of a transaction involving the acquisition of a Football League club in administration.

• Acted for four long-serving senior members of a Premier League football team’s coaching staff on the termination of their employment following the high-profile departure of former manager.

• Represented a professional footballer in claims made in the FA tribunal on the wrongful termination of his contract and claims for loss of earnings.
• Advised a former Chelsea football manager in a high-profile promotional dispute.
• Advised a senior doctor on joining and leaving a Premier League club.
• Advice to two Premier League football teams on the departure of their managers and their support teams.
• Advised a Premier League football club on various handbook reviews and contractual issues.
• Acted on the contractual agreements between football players and their agents (representation contracts and mandates) and the associated FIFA and FA Intermediary Rules.

Navigating complex constitutional documents and stakeholder agreements requires specialist support. Our team drafts governing documents, league regulations, constitutions, stakeholder, and promoter agreements. We advise on governance compliance, voting protocols, disciplinary structures and rule modifications, ensuring legal robustness, competitive fairness, and alignment with domestic and international sporting bodies.

• Acted for leading football, managers, officials, intermediaries and footballers in regulatory disputes and hearings including enquiries into corruption in football and all consequent reputational management issues.

• Conducted internal investigations in relation to football agency arrangements.
• Conducted a corporate tax offence advisory and risk assessment for multi-jurisdiction football representation agreements.
• Designed compliance policies for a football club.
• Advised on bribery risks involving complex structures for payments to player agents.
• Advised three prominent football agents in the Lord Stevens/Quest inquiry.

Defamation matters can have a significant impact on the reputation of football teams, players, and sponsors. We advise clients on pre-publication review, media strategy, takedown notices, injunctive relief, and defamation claims, mitigating reputational risk. Acting swiftly under time pressure, we protect brands, manage media exposure, and resolve disputes, backed by our cross‑practice capabilities in football, media, and reputation law.

• Acted for leading football, managers, officials, intermediaries and footballers in regulatory disputes and hearings including enquiries into corruption in football and all consequent reputational management issues.

• Acted for a leading football manager in a libel action resulting in the highest recorded award of damages by a jury against a national newspaper.
• Acted for leading football managers, officials, intermediaries and footballers in regulatory disputes and hearings including enquiries into corruption in football and all consequent reputational management issues.

• Acted for footballer Christian Eriksen on reputational management matters.
• Provided reputational advice to a prominent ex-footballer during high-profile divorce proceedings.
• Acted for the wives and partners of managers, footballers and other football individuals in relation to personal matters arising, including reputation management issues.

Representing players, clubs and officials before governing bodies and tribunals in disciplinary and doping matters, our football lawyers handle regulatory investigations, sanctions and appeals, providing advice tailored to football law frameworks and protecting careers, reputations, and competitive integrity.

• Advised a football club in relation to a charge of misconduct and the threat of exclusion from the league, which was successfully defended at a subsequent league disciplinary hearing.
• Acted for leading football, managers, officials, intermediaries and footballers in regulatory disputes and hearings including enquiries into corruption in football and all consequent reputational management issues.
• Advised a football club in relation to a charge of misconduct and the threat of exclusion from the league, which was successfully defended at a subsequent league disciplinary hearing.

Working swiftly to assess risk, protect reputations, and resolve disputes efficiently, our dispute resolution lawyers cover contractual, disciplinary, doping, intellectual property, and transfer disagreements. We guide clients through negotiation, arbitration, tribunal and court proceedings with sport‑specific acumen. Whether representing a club, a player, or governing body, we calibrate strategy to preserve relationships, mitigate reputational damage, and deliver commercially sound outcomes.

• Advised the former manager of a Premier League football club in relation to unfair dismissal and breach of contract claims in a case that ran for three years, and was fought in the Employment Tribunal, Employment Appeal Tribunal, County Court, High Court and Court of Appeal.
• Acted for agents Jacques Lichtenstein and Ronny Rosenthal in a High Court claim against Arsenal FC in relation to the transfer of Gilberto Silva.
• Acted for and attended before the French Football Federation on behalf of international footballer Eidur Gudjohnsen who had not been paid by his former French football club.

• Acted for Graeme Souness upon termination of his manager contract with Newcastle FC.
• Advised on numerous commercial contract disputes across a wide range of industries and sectors, including banking, built environment, fashion, film & TV, fine art, fitness, football, healthcare and publishing.
• Acted for former West Ham, Blackburn Rovers, and Charlton player Matty Holmes in proceedings against Kevin Muscat and Wolverhampton Wanderers for a career-ending tackle in a 4th Round F.A. Cup replay that broke Holmes’ leg and effectively ended his top-class playing career. Settlement was at the time the second highest in British football and legal history.

Our leading football lawyers advise on event agreements, including venue hire, broadcast, and sponsor coordination. We structure agreements to define deliverables, risk allocation, intellectual property, and termination rights. Managing obligations for security, catering, infrastructure, insurance and contingency planning, we help hosts deliver world-class events on time, on budget, and compliant with all stakeholder obligations.

• Negotiated a VIP hospitality agreement for Tokyo 2020 and also an agreement for the operation of Team GB House.
• Advised a US hedge fund to set up and run a new sports and media company with Sir Bobby Robson to engage 35 sports legends across 5 different sports to support a financial and data objective, and sponsoring the victorious Ashes series in 2005 and Martin Johnson’s testimonial at Twickenham.

Our family lawyers advise footballers, managers and their families on sensitive family law matters, including divorce, financial claims, and children issues. Our approach combines discretion with technical expertise, recognising the unique challenges faced by individuals in the public eye and delivering tailored, pragmatic solutions.

• Advising professional footballers in relation to pre-marital agreements, so they can agree before they marry how their assets are going to be divided should their marriage end in divorce.    
• Secured a settlement for a husband from a Premier League football club regarding asset protection, divorce and financial settlement.

• Advised and represented professional footballers in relation to Schedule 1 Children Act proceedings, where the parties are unmarried but have a child together.
• Advised on divorce and Schedule 1 claims for several footballers (footballers getting women pregnant, not marrying them, then receiving a claim for a house and top-up maintenance from the CSA).
• Advised and represented professional footballers in relation to the division of their finances on divorce, including assets worth in the tens of millions with complex business structures and foreign properties.
• Advised numerous ex-football players/managers in relation to divorce and children matters.

Our team provides advice on financial services issues affecting football clients, including regulatory compliance, investment structures, and financial arrangements. We work closely with players, clubs, and advisers to manage risk, ensure transparency and support long‑term financial security within a regulated environment.

• Provided tax advice to a premier league player to reduce UK tax burden and increase non-taxable earnings.
• Acted for Premier League footballers in relation to personal advice on guarantees for secured loans they used to purchase property.
• Advised on disputes with HMRC concerning its attempts to tax ‘disguised remuneration’ and what it regards as tax avoidance schemes. This has included disputes where current and former professional football players and managers were among the taxpayers involved.
• Advised a Premier League football player and sport pundit’s then fiancée on a bank guarantee.

Advising on image and personality rights requires deep knowledge of athlete representation, brand monetisation, and privacy protections. Our specialist team drafts and negotiates endorsement deals, licensing, image assignments, and personal branding contracts. We safeguard players’ likenesses, prevent misuse, and optimise commercial potential through tailored frameworks aligned with league and union regulations.

• Advising on image rights agreements for an international footballer playing in the English league.
• Advising a Premier League footballer in relation to possible defamation/breach of personality and image rights arising from his pictorial image in a Sony PlayStation game.
• Drafted image rights agreements for an international footballer playing in the English league.

Our football lawyers provide strategic advice on intellectual property, including trademarks, design rights, database protection, broadcasting rights, and data ownership. We advise on branding, kit designs, infringement action, licensing, and digital rights management. With extensive experience in rights enforcement and monetisation, we help clubs and players protect their intellectual assets globally.

• Advising a Premier League footballer in relation to possible defamation/breach of personality and image rights arising from his pictorial image in a Sony PlayStation game.
• Advising a prominent, London-based, professional soccer club on trade mark protection and infringement matters.
• Advised on the construction of a court order and the right of a party to change their behaviours after a passage of time concerning trade marks. Arsenal FC v Reed   EWHC 781 (Ch).
• Acted for Peter Davies who claims to be the copyright owner of the club’s distinctive angular wolf’s head logo.
• Represented the MLS (Major League Soccer) in trade mark matters, including trade mark clearance; trade mark filing, prosecution and maintenance matters.
• Advised 888.com on its UK business since 1995, including the earliest Premiership football shirt sponsorship, numerous sports sponsorship deals, advertising regulation and IP matters.

Our lawyers advise on acquiring, managing and protecting real estate and luxury assets, from luxury homes and high‑value cars and art to yachts, jewellery, collectibles, and crypto assets. Combining commercial insight with confidentiality, they structure ownership, negotiate purchases, manage risk and safeguard value, ensuring players’ most prized assets are protected throughout their careers and beyond.

• Acted for a young Premier League footballer on the purchase of a home for him and his family near the club’s training ground.
• Acted for the buyer in the new build of a 35m Italian superyacht.
• Advised on the sale of multiple high-profile artworks through the use of digital non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
• Advised Sorare in relation to the production of NFT football tokens and their use as collectibles, including regulatory issues arising.
• Acted for an international collector in connection to the acquisition of an extensive collection of arms and armour.
• Advising a sports-focused blockchain company that enables sports and entertainment companies to engage with their target audience by tokenising their rights and issuing non-fungible tokens.
• Provided legal counsel to a blockchain start-up that is combining sport and non-fungible tokens to create an asset-backed platform for the creation and sale of NFTs based on sporting events.
• Advised a blockchain-based football trading platform as to whether crypto tokens issued by the platform constituted financial securities.

As experts in commercial contracts, our football lawyers deliver strategic guidance to clients on sponsorship, advertising, and merchandising agreements, including naming rights, kit partnerships, venue branding, and digital promotions. We structure deals to define rights, deliverables, payment, royalties, territory, distribution, sales channels, quality control, intellectual property usage, and exit mechanisms. With deep awareness of advertising codes and regulatory frameworks, we shape partnerships that align brand exposure with integrity and commercial value.

• Acted for the Spanish sponsor of a leading Premiership football club.
• Advised a former Chelsea football manager in a high-profile promotional dispute.
• Acted for an online gambling company in relation to a claim arising from breach of a perimeter advertising rights agreement at Copa America 2021.
• Advised on commercial contracts for videogame/app development, platform publishing deals, agency and distribution deals, merchandising, and marketing contracts.
• Advised a former Chelsea football manager in a high-profile promotional dispute.
• Advised a high-profile foreign national in relation to an Ambassador Agreement with a Premier League Football Club. Drafted and negotiated the agreement and advised on sponsorship rights.