Sport

Specialist solicitors for the sports sector

Our sports sector team is recognised as one of the largest and best in the United Kingdom, representing professional sports clubs, players, athletes and sports management companies. According to the Legal 500 2019, “The team provides a service that is ‘excellent, commercial and value for money’.”

The team comprises specialists from across Clarke Willmott who take a particular interest and have expertise in the sports sector, and provides a complete service for any organisation or individual operating within sport in the UK.

Our legal expertise

The members of our sports sector team include specialists in commercial, corporate, employment, litigation, intellectual property, and property. The team is led by Kevin Jones, who has over 10 years’ experience in this sector.

We provide practical, commercial solutions and offer extremely high service levels. Our work includes:

• Advising on the settlement negotiations and terminations of professional player contracts for many high-profile rugby and football teams.
• Advising sports agencies and player management companies on commercial, employment law and regulatory issues.
• Helping rugby or football players to achieve rapid exits from their former clubs – freeing them up to arrange a transfer or retirement on favourable terms.
• Advising an international rugby player on severance terms and guiding him through a high-profile disciplinary dispute with his club.
• Advising players and sports teams on image rights licences, player representation agreements, shareholder agreements and loan financing agreements.
• Advising sports professionals on intellectual property.
• Advising on sports injury compensation claims.
• Advising sports professionals and their spouses on divorce and other family matters.

Industry recognition

“Clarke Willmott LLP has ‘first-class expertise’ and ‘excellent service with response times that are second to none’.”  Legal 500 2019

“I have worked with the Sports Sector Team at Clarke Willmott over the last few years and have found them to be not only responsive and commercial to our needs, but the team also demonstrate a deep understanding of the business and the industry in which I operate. They are very much results orientated which I find to be extremely helpful when looking to navigate through tricky legal issues. With a strong emphasis on client care, the team are always a pleasure to deal with.” Gloucestershire County Cricket Club

Clarke Willmott has announced a new Business Club partnership with the Rugby Players Association (RPA), the representative body and collective voice of professional rugby players in England. Our sports sector team have agreed a partnership to continue to work closely with the RPA, providing specialist legal advice and services to the association’s 800 current rugby players and 400 former players.

Contact a sports sector specialist

If you require specialist legal advice, call us today for a free initial consultation on 0800 652 8025 or get in touch online. We are based in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, London, Manchester, Southampton and Taunton, are ready to discuss your case.