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Sports

Specialist advice for the sports sector

Our significant work with high profile sports clubs has earned us an international reputation in the sector – particularly in rugby, football, golf, and cricket.

Our key lawyers have strong sporting backgrounds and maintain their links with sporting clubs, professional sportsmen and women, and governing bodies throughout England and Wales.

We are legal advisors to Cardiff City FC, Pontypool Rugby, Glamorgan Cricket Club, and Wales’ regional rugby team. We are also appointed to both the UK Anti-Doping’s and the Gambling Commission’s legal panels.

The issues we represent our clients in are diverse, meaning we have high expertise in all areas, both contentious and non-contentious.

Expertise

We advise clients on a wide range of sport and leisure issues, including:

  • corporate transactions
  • commercial and regulatory
  • player transfer agreements
  • player contracts
  • interpretation of the laws of the game
  • interpretation of governing regulations
  • agency agreements
  • media/TV rights advice
  • interpretation of international selection policies
  • sponsorship/stadium agreements
  • governance structures
  • board disputes
  • intellectual property licensing agreements
  • intellectual property disputes
  • ticketing
  • broadcasting agreements
  • data protection
  • player disciplinary tribunals
  • employment law including Equality Act advice
  • immigration
  • real estate developments

Experience

  • Acting as Cardiff City FC’s sole legal advisor. Advised on a vast array of legal issues, including: all aspects
    of employment law advice, training ground acquisition and property damage, player transfers,
    internal investigation, litigation with former owner Sam Hammam, dealing with a grievance to the Welsh FA,
    shareholder litigation, dealing with all issues arising from the plane crash that
    killed Emiliano Sala.
  • Acting as sole adviser to UK Anti-Doping on information law matters.
  • Advising the Gambling Commission on a wide range of complex and non-complex regulatory and licensing cases, complex contractual arrangements and public law.
  • Advised Praga on all aspects of their expansion into the UK and then using the UK as the launchpad for their expansion into other jurisdictions such as Saudi Arabia (included commercial, intellectual property and employment advice).
  • Acted for an international insurance company in High Court litigation against a Championship football club. The £2 million claim centred on allegations of breach of contract and defamation, and was settled before trial, resulting in a significant recovery for our client.
  • Acting for the Cardiff Arms Park Redevelopment company about its project. Our Senior Partner also chairs it.
  • Assisted the former England Captain with his retirement from professional rugby as a result of a career ending knee injury.
  • Negotiated the exit of Jonah Holmes (Wales International Rugby Union Player) from Leicester Tigers to a Welsh regional rugby team and therefore retained his eligibility to play for the Welsh national team.
  • Acted for all the regional rugby clubs in Wales in their negotiations with the Welsh Rugby Union over funding. We acted for them all when taking loans from the WRU during Covid.
  • Acted for Glyndwr Uni when it bought The Racecourse, in Wrexham.
  • Acted for a WRU international player in a dispute with a Gallagher Premiership Rugby team in respect of an unlawful deduction of wages during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Helped an Australian international player to recover a six-figure loan.
  • Acted for a German dressage horse breeder in a breach of contract dispute with a horse trainer in the UK.

The leading firm in Wales for sports law. Incredible connections and commitment to their clients.

Legal 500 UK
2023

Capital Law is well resourced and so is able to react quickly to requests. The firm is also cost-effective without compromising on quality.

Chambers UK
2022