Athletes and former athletes need to capitalise on their commercial opportunities and public profile, whilst protecting their private lives. Those representing or working with sports talent need to know that their own deal-making skills are backed up with sound legal advice.
Athlete agencies and sports marketing companies frequently need a quick commercial solution to a legal problem. Whether you need regular or occasional ad hoc legal advice, we can provide you with the service you require. Often, the key is being able to identify a legal issue at an early stage. To help you identify issues before they escalate, we can deliver workshops on the major legal issues that commonly affect your business.
Our clients include athlete management and representation agencies, sponsorship activation, marketing and PR companies and sports rightsholders.
We can offer you specialist legal and commercial advice in relation to:
- Athlete representation and management contracts
- Selection, participation, disciplinary and regulatory issues affecting athletes
- Sponsorship, endorsement and merchandising agreements
- Image rights structures
- Media issues, from issuing press releases and public statements to prosecuting defamation and libel actions
- Rights sales agency contracts
- Sports marketing and consultancy agreements
- The acquisition and exploitation of commercial rights to sports tournaments and events.
Mick Hennessy, Director, Hennessy Sports
“Harbottle & Lewis knows the business of boxing inside out. They advise Hennessy Sports on all aspects of my business from representing my top boxers, including heavyweight world champion, Tyson Fury, to my broadcasting deals and have also advised on boxing regulatory and media issues. Whilst they do the legal work efficiently and effectively, they offer so much more than just bland legal advice on those issues. They go the full 12 rounds for Hennessy Sports.”
Angus Porter, Chief Executive, Professional Cricketers’ Association
“The Professional Cricketers’ Association has enjoyed a productive partnership with Harbottle & Lewis for a number of years. Central to the relationship is the Team England Player Partnership (TEPP), which safeguards and manages the collective rights of all the cricketers who play for the England team, and it is a measure of the regard the Harbottle & Lewis team are held in by the players that Bob Mitchell, a partner in the Sports and Sponsorship Group, has been elected by the players to serve on the TEPP Management Committee.”
Richard Bevan, CEO of the League Managers Association
“I have worked with Gerrard Tyrrell and Bob Mitchell of Harbottle & Lewis for many years and during that period they have provided advice on a wide range of issues both to the LMA itself and to our members. The consistently high level of performance and expertise which the firm extends, together with their sense of urgency, makes them ideal legal partners for our business. The LMA looks forward to continue working Harbottle & Lewis in the future.”
Professional Sports Group
We advised Professional Sports Group in relation to its appointment by the Boat Race Company Limited as the Oxford and Cambridge University Boat Race’s commercial, marketing and event management representative for the Race.
We advised PSG in relation to the development of a template Athlete Representation Agreement and Athlete Endorsement Agreement to be used by the Group’s athletes when entering into endorsement agreements with brands and in relation to the development of a template Event Management Agreement.
We advised PSG in relation to a number of commercial agreements entered into by its Team GB clients such as Jason Kenny, Alistair and Jonny Brownlee, Pete Reed, Fran Halsall, Shelly Woods and also Sir Matthew Pinsent.
