Sports


For us, sporting success is as much about good coaching, sound preparation and intelligent strategy as it is about medals, trophies and beating the competition.

The business of winning

We advise a range of sporting clubs, professional athletes and governing bodies on complex legal and regulatory issues which can affect sporting success, with a particular expertise in football, rugby, cricket and boxing.

We act for Cardiff City FC, Pontypool Rugby, Glamorgan Cricket Club, Welsh Prem teams and Wales’ regional rugby teams, and frequently represent URC and English Premiership players and coaches.

We are appointed to the UK Anti-Doping and the Gambling Commission legal panels, and we have links to UK and international governing bodies.

Expertise

  • Commercial agreements for professional sports teams and athletes
  • Transfer agreements and contracts
  • Player and club disputes
  • Sponsorship deals, image rights and intellectual property
  • Regulatory issues and disciplinary hearings
  • Media and reputation management
  • Exit negotiations
  • Sports immigration
  • Stadium and ticketing
  • Sporting premises

Our recent work

  • We acted for Cardiff City FC in their acquisition of Aaron Ramsey
  • We advise Cardiff City FC in its dispute against FC Nantes, in which Cardiff seeks reparation for the prejudice suffered as a result of FC Nantes hiring banned agent Willie McKay to oversee the transfer of Emiliano Sala and the organisation of the fatal flight
  • We represented Pontypridd United in a Disciplinary Hearing when the Club faced a 141 points deduction for player contract breaches. In an unprecedented decision, the club was sanctioned with a 6-point deduction, the remainder 135 points sought by the FAW being suspended

Meet the team

With a background in sports and connections with governing bodies, our Sports team has the specialist expertise and experience you need to get into a winning position.

Testimonials

  • We cannot recommend Capital Law highly enough! They recently assisted us with a complex matter involving the recovery of financial losses. Their advice was thoughtful, precise, and tailored to our situation. From the outset, we felt fully supported and reassured by their professionalism and dedication.

    The team at Capital Law delivered excellent results in a remarkably short timeframe, making what could have been a stressful process much smoother and more manageable. Their expertise and client-focused approach truly stood out. We are incredibly grateful for their help and would not hesitate to work with them again or recommend their services to others.

    Oldcastle Primary School

  • We have worked closely with Capital Law on a recent, particularly complex case involving multiple strands.  The team are highly competent and provide timely and easily understood guidance and responses.  They handled the case with professionalism and alacrity giving pragmatic advice and support throughout.  We would happily recommend them to other employers as a valuable business partner.

    Rebecca Morgan | Head of HR
    Johnsons Textile Services Limited

  • The Cornerstone Network engaged Capital Law to provide services to help the company prepare for the next phase in our development. Capital Law have provided superb support and guidance throughout the journey. The knowledge, understanding and care shown by Capital Law (Bo & Rachel) from the initial fact-finding stages, through consultancy and to the finished output has meant Cornerstone Network can continue with its exciting plans for the future with confidence and peace of mind. We are very happy to have Capital Law as an ongoing legal counsel resource knowing the depth of their knowledge of the financial services industry.

    Chris Caulfield-Jones | Group Director of Risk and Compliance
    Cornerstone Finance Group

  • I cannot thank Capital Law enough for their professionalism and attention to detail. This was one of the most stressful times of my life, and they were with me every step of the way, always ready to answer questions and offer guidance. I felt supported and reassured throughout.

    Mett Smart | Founder and Managing Director
    20/30 Labs

  • It has been a thoroughly enjoyable experience advising Mett on the sale of her business 20/30 Labs. We had the pleasure of working with Capital Law as sell side legal counsel – and were hugely impressed by the commercial and empathetic approach the deal team maintained throughout.

    Bradley Miles | Partner
    Anesi Advisors

  • Throughout the Sponsors Licence application process for AVK, the advice and support provided by James & Alex from Capital Law was invaluable and delivered in a timely and efficient manner to ensure that the challenges faced were dealt with smoothly and accurately, before they became a problem for the business.

    AVK-SEG Limited

FAW Best Practice - Rules & Regulations

Following a sharp increase in Clubs being penalised for breaches of FAW Regulations, we held a football conference where clubs gained insights from legal professionals specialising in sports law and connected with other clubs and professionals in the football community.