The sports industry has undergone a significant transformation over the last two decades. Just as revenues, commercial opportunities and investment into sports have grown, so too has regulatory scrutiny, fierce competition at boardroom level and, ultimately, legal disputes.

Clubs, players, agents, governing bodies, broadcasters, sponsors, and investors all operate within an interconnected environment where commercial and sporting pressures and regulatory obligations frequently collide. In the football industry, for example, the last 5 years has seen a significant increase in the number and complexity of disputes, both between clubs and their governing bodies and between clubs themselves.

Our team can leverage our extensive experience in commercial arbitration (Band 2, Legal 500) together with our deep knowledge of the sports sector to deliver outstanding results for clients faced with regulatory and contractual disputes. The team’s experience includes acting for a Premier League club in regulatory/disciplinary proceedings, advising on jurisdiction disputes in relation to the FA Rules and bringing an appeal to the decision of a sporting body to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. We have also recently published thought leadership in conjunction with Secretariat in connection with legal and expert accounting/valuation issues that arise in sports disputes.