Sports Law

People often refer to us as “sports lawyers.” This is a strange phrase as there is very little law which is specific to sport. For the majority of sports, and particularly the commercial aspects of it, the same laws apply as to every other business and industry.

What is specific to sport is the application of the law to it. Image rights are a great example of this. English law does not recognise “image rights” as a specific form of intellectual property that protects a sports stars image. Instead, we take other forms of intellectual property and legal rights and combine them to protect our clients’ rights.

This is where we have a distinct advantage over many other solicitors. Having worked in sport, and in particular in motorsport, for many years we have a deep understanding of our clients’ aspirations and anxieties when it comes to legal and commercial matters. We take a flexible and creative approach to the law to ensure that their needs are met.

We regularly advise on:

• Sponsorship agreements
• Protection and exploitation of image rights
• Contracts between teams and riders/drivers
• Management agreements
• Sports related disputes