How can we help?
To access legal support from just £145 per hour arrange your no-obligation initial consultation to discuss your business requirements.
Sectors
Sports Lawyers
Sports law solicitors
We offer legal advice and representation to national governing bodies, international federations, sports clubs, and athletes in any sport, whether amateur or professional.
If you need expert legal advice on a new contract, agent agreement, legal dispute, IP rights, merchandising, sponsorship, broadcasting, or player immigration matters, we can assist you.
We understand the importance of protecting the reputation and interests of those we represent. Everything we do and recommend will be done so with confidentiality and your reputation in mind.
Our sports solicitors can offer a range of strategies to resolve your matter. When it comes to sports law disputes, we are strong advocates for alternative dispute resolution methods in the first instance, as these can lead to amicable resolutions which are realised faster, with less cost, and without long term damage to relationships; a key reason why many clients seek our services.
Our offices are in Sheffield, Birmingham, Cambridge, Manchester and London if you require a face-to-face meeting, but we typically work remotely to keep our overheads low which enables us to offer our innovative pricing packages.
Our services to sports businesses cover
What our sports lawyers do
Our sports law solicitors not only possess expertise in the latest sports law, but also understand the industry; including its structures, regulations, challenges, pressures, trends, and developments. With this knowledge, we provide smart, pragmatic, insightful and tailored law services for any sports industry stakeholder.
Our team is here to help you achieve your ambitions and realise your vision of success. Because we are a full-service law firm, sports teams, clubs, organisations, and individuals who seek our services automatically benefit from our holistic legal expertise in the areas of immigration, commercial and contract law, intellectual property, litigation and contentious disputes, corporate governance and transactions, and employment law.
As a sports law firm, our solicitors can advise and represent you in a wide range of sporting legal matters including:
- sports contracts
- sports agents agreements
- sports contracts disputes and litigations
- sports merchandising/sponsorship, and broadcasting
- sports IP rights
- sports immigration (Tier 2 Sportsperson visas and Tier 5 Temporary Worker – Creative and Sporting visas)
Sports governance matters
Sports governance is particularly robust within the UK and is strictly upheld. We can advise and represent you in relation to any matters involving a sports governing organisation, whether for a specific sport, such as the Football Association, Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), or an overarching body such as the International Olympic Committee (IoC), or the Commonwealth Games Federation. We specialise in resolving complex sports disputes such as complaints, disciplinaries, investigations, and suspensions.
Legal advice for sports clients
Expert drafting of sports agreements
Expert contract/agreement drafting is essential in the sports industry, to ensure the proper protection of individuals, clubs, teams, sponsors and other organisations. By taking the time to draft an agreement which meets both your immediate and longer-term needs, you can be assured that regardless of what then eventuates, all scenarios have been taken into account. We will consider possibilities such as injury, early termination, bonuses, performance, and legal obligations. We can assist with drafting:
- agreements for appearances by players
- agent contracts
- agreements with broadcasters, event managers and promoters
- brand rights
- club and employment contracts
- club constitutions
- columnist’s agreements
- commercial agreements
- endorsement and merchandising agreements
- image rights agreements
- player transfer agreements
- presenter’s agreements
- sponsorship agreements
Testimonials
What our clients say
Harper James provides my small growing business with a scalable, reliable, team-oriented approach to legal advice. Whenever we face a problem, I know that Harper James are there to provide helpful and cost-effective advice, to scope out the options, make clear the costs and risks, and give me the information I need to make decisions.
Bryn Richards
CEO,
Aeristech
As a University spin-out getting the right team of lawyers to support our emerging business was fundamental and the team are always available to provide us with the invaluable guidance and support we require.
David Hodgson
CEO,
Amalyst
Our longstanding relationship has enabled us to get deals over the line quickly and efficiently, with minimum fuss or kickback from opposing lawyers representing the companies we’re investing in. I find the legal team at Harper James efficient, smart and personable. Speed is of the essence for early stage investing and Harper James recognises this and acts accordingly.
Kieran Hill
COO,
Ascension Ventures
The team at Harper James have demonstrated time and again that they have a deep understanding of the issues facing entrepreneurial businesses and their funding.
Charles Smith
Director,
Interpac Limited
They adopted a proactive approach to overcoming issues, and their knowledge of the sector and investors and preparedness to identify novel solutions has proved extremely beneficial.
Charles Smith
Director,
Interpac Limited
Harper James swiftly solves problems with a minimum of fuss. I strongly recommend them and they are a pleasure to work with.
Jean de Fougerolles
CEO,
Ascension Ventures
Harper James provides my small growing business with a scalable, reliable, team-oriented approach to legal advice. Whenever we face a problem, I know that Harper James are there to provide helpful and cost-effective advice, to scope out the options, make clear the costs and risks, and give me the information I need to make decisions.
Bryn Richards
CEO,
Aeristech
As a University spin-out getting the right team of lawyers to support our emerging business was fundamental and the team are always available to provide us with the invaluable guidance and support we require.
David Hodgson
CEO,
Amalyst
Our longstanding relationship has enabled us to get deals over the line quickly and efficiently, with minimum fuss or kickback from opposing lawyers representing the companies we’re investing in. I find the legal team at Harper James efficient, smart and personable. Speed is of the essence for early stage investing and Harper James recognises this and acts accordingly.
Kieran Hill
COO,
Ascension Ventures
The team at Harper James have demonstrated time and again that they have a deep understanding of the issues facing entrepreneurial businesses and their funding.
Charles Smith
Director,
Interpac Limited
They adopted a proactive approach to overcoming issues, and their knowledge of the sector and investors and preparedness to identify novel solutions has proved extremely beneficial.
Charles Smith
Director,
Interpac Limited
Harper James swiftly solves problems with a minimum of fuss. I strongly recommend them and they are a pleasure to work with.
Jean de Fougerolles
CEO,
Ascension Ventures
Sports solicitors with sector expertise
Our senior solicitors have been recruited from top 100 UK law firms or international businesses, and many are passionate sportspeople themselves. Our team comprises multiple practice areas, so whatever legal advice you need, we have a solicitor with the relevant sector experience, able to deal with your needs quickly and cost-effectively.
Our lawyers come with a rich and varied history in sports sector legal advice. Some of their previous work within the sector includes:
- Hiring sports players, particularly football players and motor racing drivers, from overseas
- Resolving director and shareholder disputes for major sports clubs, especially football clubs
- Acting for a global sports equipment company on its commercial partner agreements
- Acting for sports personalities working as ambassadors for large brands
Pricing plans
Legal support designed
to fit your business needs
Our three transparent pricing packages are designed to give you the widest possible access to high-quality legal advice, whatever the size and nature of your business:
City
Straightforward access to senior solicitors at a competitive rate.
An affordable solution for businesses needing one-off legal support. Receive ‘City’ partner-level expertise at a fraction of ‘City’ prices.
Enterprise
Have legal peace of mind for £215 per month with additional support from £145 per hour.
A monthly subscription legal support package specifically designed for start-ups and smaller businesses.
On-Demand
Providing you with priority access to a dedicated panel of highly experienced solicitors.
Fully account managed quarterly subscription service for businesses with more complex legal needs.