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Sports

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Game-changing advice from the heart of the action.

Mishcon de Reya’s Sports Group delivers winning strategies for the world’s biggest sporting moments. We’ve handled some of the highest-profile sports cases in recent years, combining deep legal expertise with real-world sports experience. This includes acting for and against Premier League and Championship football clubs and various Formula 1 teams, including in a claim against McLaren on behalf of three-time IndyCar champion Álex Palou, which The Lawyer recognised as one of its Top 20 Cases for 2025.

Our team includes some of the most experienced sports media rights and commercial lawyers in the field. Our multidisciplinary team advises on complex disputes between clubs, players, agents and regulators, as well as sports media and commercial arrangements, other commercial contracts, intellectual property protection and exploitation, data regulation and governance. We bring a global outlook to every matter, with over 70% of our work spanning international borders.

From football and motorsport to esports and boxing, our clients include governing bodies, leading media rights owners and sports data owners, sports broadcasters and media organisations, sports agencies, elite athletes, professional gamers and leading investors. Whether resolving disputes, securing commercial deals, exploiting and defending valuable rights or navigating regulatory challenges, we are more than legal advisers - we’re trusted partners.

If you’re looking to stay ahead of the game, get in touch - we’d love to talk.

Our key services

  • Disputes, Regulatory & Compliance

    Our dispute resolution specialists handle the highest-profile disputes in the global sports sector, from contractual disagreements to regulatory challenges. We provide expert advice on navigating the sports industry’s complex regulatory landscape. We specialise in financial fair play, multi-club ownership, overdue payables and third-party ownership.

    • Advice on regulatory frameworks and matters, including financial fair play and multi-club ownership
    • Compliance with financial fair play rules
    • Claims between clubs, players, sponsors and governing bodies
    • Acting for and against governing bodies in matters concerning field-of-play decisions
    • Advice to various stakeholders, including rights holders, teams and governing bodies, concerning women’s sport
    • Disciplinary and governance support
    • Representation before disciplinary bodies
    • Employment contract disputes
    • Health and safety regulations
    • Internal and regulatory investigations

  • Media and commercial transactions, projects and transformations

    Our lawyers have decades of experience helping clients capture and maximise the commercial value of their enterprises. We often work on the transactions, projects and transformations that generate the revenue on which sport ultimately relies.

    • Transactions, projects and transformations in sports media, commercialisation and technology, particularly for organisations innovating through their products and services
    • Sports media rights globally, sponsorship and other commercial arrangements
    • Establishment of OTT and other IP-enabled sports media and consumer platforms and services, including their territorial expansion
    • Advice across multiple jurisdictions on sponsorship, endorsement and other commercial partnerships, particularly at the intersection of sport and betting
    • Brand ambassador agreements
    • Capture, handling and exploitation of all forms of sports data, including the supply of low-latency sports data to the betting and gaming sectors
    • Specialist media regulatory advice for sports business owners, particularly in relation to sponsorship, branding and virtual overlays in sports broadcasting
    • Adoption and use of new technologies in sport and sports media, including AI and blockchain

  • Brands & Intellectual Property

    We offer comprehensive legal support for commercial transactions and intellectual property matters, ensuring that your brand and assets are protected and fully utilised.

    • Image rights, licensing and advertising clearance
    • Brand management, including advice on the creation and protection of assets
    • Protection and exploitation of sports data

  • Corporate, Transactional & Real Estate

    We assist with major investments, acquisitions and corporate transactions within the sports industry, helping to ensure compliance and strategic alignment.

    • Mergers and acquisitions of sports assets
    • Major investments in football clubs, Formula 1 and IndyCar teams, and a variety of other sports teams and leagues
    • Complex cross-border joint ventures and partnerships
    • Corporate structuring and finance
    • Tax advice on sports transactions
    • Investment in sports technology and start-ups
    • Contractual arrangements between teams or clubs and sports stars
    • Real estate and planning matters

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