Corporate Finance and Structure

Giving intuitive advice on finance, governance and structure requires an appreciation of the unique issues affecting business within sport.

In the last year we have provided corporate advice to household names across sport involving transactions totalling over £100m, leading governing bodies and over 30 professional football, rugby, cricket and motorsport teams.

We work closely with our clients to identify and realise their objectives. Our track record demonstrates we enable deals to be completed, identify effective structures for operating a business and protect our clients when implementing our recommendations.

We have also created new clubs, events and competitions both nationally and internationally, often as joint ventures with major rights holders. Utilising our contacts we assist in providing finance and commercial solutions and also retain in-house tax expertise.

Our substantive experience extends to advising on all operational aspects of a business including directors' duties, shareholder agreements and the potential liabilities that need to be dealt with. When a problem arises our experience dispute and regulatory teams come to the fore in ensuring we proactively manage it with you.

Recent examples:-

• Advising the board of a leading professional football club on their duties as directors, ascertaining funding requirements and utilising our network of contacts to identify potential providers and investors
• Working on the creation of a new funding product targeted at the sports industry, making introductions, advising on substantial asset purchases in excess of £60,000,000
• Providing a detailed report to an Olympic governing body on its structure, relationship to members and compliance with funding criteria
• Advising clubs, members' bodies and unincorporated associations on restructuring options, financing and putting in place rules and regulations to govern their operation
• Assisting in identifying, negotiating and then concluding investments in a wide range of sports teams and businesses

Contact: Simon Thomas