Sports Law

Ramsdens Sports Law team provide a wide range of services in the fields of both professional and amateur / grassroots sports supporting athletes, clubs, associations, and agents or governing bodies. We have dealt with household names, and are well-placed to offer legal support for a range of issues.

We also provide advice to clubs in relation to sponsorship and other commercial agreements, along with employment disputes, including proceedings under the Football League and FA Regulations, as well as Employment Tribunal and High Court actions.

Services for athletes

Our sports law team handles all cases with the utmost confidentiality, and we are on hand to guide you throughout a variety of legal processes, including:

• Transfer negotiations
• Intellectual property
• Personal endorsements
• Image rights
• Immigration services for players
• Media and entertainment
• Personal legal requirements
• Sports and other injuries
• Abuse in Sports Clubs

Services for clubs

• Commercial contracts, including sponsorship agreements
• Governance issues in relation to sporting bodies
• Employment law
• Litigation and dispute resolution

Services for amateur and grassroots sports clubs

• Ground development and planning

• Establishing charitable status
• Providing advice for sports clubs Directors and Trustees

Our experience

Previously we have:

• Advised International footballer and his agent on the terms of transfer and contract regarding his transfer from a French club to a Premier League club
• Acted on behalf of an international boxing coach pursuing a defamation claim

• Instructed to convert a football club from a company limited by guarantee to a company limited by shares

• Negotiated 4 year football club shirt sponsorship deal with an international media business

• Set up a football in the community foundation and dealt with the application for charitable status

• Acted for an international footballer involved in FA match fixing investigation

• Acted for Chief Scout at a Premiership football club in a bonus dispute

• Advised a Coca-Cola football league club on their new main sponsorship agreement

• Advised a fitness television channel on main sponsorship agreements

• Advised a football league club in relation to the dismissal of their manager and first team coach

• Advised a number of football clubs in relation to player transfer agreements

• Advised a semi-pro football club in relation to their stadium sponsorship agreement

• Advised a Super League rugby club about trademark issues involving badge and mascot

• Advised an ex-England test player on his departure from his county club

• Advised an international cricketer in his dispute with his club and league

• Drafted a new managerial contract for a football league club

• Negotiated image rights on behalf of a football club involving an England international player

• Negotiated the main sponsorship agreement for a Super League rugby club

• Recovered a six-figure sum on behalf of a football league club from a Premiership side relating to unpaid transfer fees