Sports Law
Paris Smith’s Sport Law team can assist on a wide variety of matters relating to sports clubs and athletes.
The team is led by Clive Dobbin, who sits as chair on the judicial panels for UK Athletes, the Lawn Tennis Association, the British Equestrian Federation, together with being a Legal Member on the National Panel for Sports Resolutions.
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Who we are
The Sports Law team is made up of specialist solicitors from across the firm who all have experience in working on sports related matters. A particular expertise the team has is in advising on disciplinary matters, advising both national governing bodies and individual athletes.
How we can help
Sports Clubs and Governing Bodies
We have extensive experience in advising on:
- Disciplinary cases against clubs and/or individual athletes/players
- Employment issues including:
- equality issues relating to sports clubs, including advising on the service provision aspects of the Equality Act 2010
- disciplinary matters
- performance management
- negotiating on exits of employees (including managers and senior executives)
- employment tribunal claims
- Immigration advice including advice on:
- right to work checks and illegal working
- restrictions on working in sports roles under particular visa types, including the student visa, graduate visa and youth mobility visa
- international sportsperson visa
- GDPR/Data protection
- Commercial agreements including sponsorship agreements and commercial supplier agreements
- Corporate matters including mergers, acquisitions and restructuring
- Corporate finance which includes the financing of sports clubs having advised on the re-financing of top tier sports clubs on a number of occasions.
- Property and planning including the purchase, sale or leasing of properties; the planning aspects of sports arenas, having advised on planning matters for both premiership football clubs and county cricket clubs
- Regulatory and governance matters
- Disputes
- Intellectual Property rights and Brand reputation management
Athletes/Employees
- Family matters specialising in all aspects of divorce and relationship breakdown, and private children cases
- Residential property include sale, purchase, remortgage, management of portfolios
- Trusts, Wills & Estates including Wills, Powers of attorney, Estate administration, succession planning, grant of probate, inheritance disputes
- Criminal issues for athletes/players
How we work with you
Whilst based in the South of England, Paris Smith acts for businesses and families throughout the UK. Technology has enabled us to provide a high level of service to our clients whether they are local to our offices or not. Our advice can be given in many ways:
- Over the telephone
- Via video conferencing
- In face to face meetings
We will talk through how you would like to be contacted and the best ways for us to meet in our early conversations with you.
Get in touch to speak with an expert.
Introducing your key contact
Clive Dobbin
Partner and Head of Employment & Sports
