Hall Of Fame

Next Generation Partners

Rising Stars

Sport in Wales

Capital Law Limited

Leveraging the expertise of lawyers with significant sectoral knowledge based out of the firm's litigation, commercial, employment and finance practice groups, Capital Law Limited's multidisciplinary team provides 'practical and solution-focused' advice to sporting clubs, individuals and governing bodies across the gamut of their commercial, regulatory and litigation needs. Cardiff City Football Club remains a marquee client for the firm, generating instructions from a number of practice areas, including on the litigation front in relation to its long-running and high-profile representation of the club on all aspects arising out of the death of football player Emiliano Sala. David Lewis heads up the overarching group and continues to regularly advise a number of professional rugby clubs, as well as players and coaches, across a range of employment and disciplinary issues, including on contract negotiations and exit agreements.


Practice head(s):

David Lewis


Other key lawyers:

Chris Coughlan; Guto Llewelyn; Carrie Gwyther; James Williams; Jonathan Walsh; Rebecca Mahon


Testimonials

‘Their advice is easily understood, practical and solution-focused.’

Chris Coughlan is a talented lawyer with good technical and practical knowledge.’ 

‘James Williams has a very good understanding of our organisation and is frequently on hand to aid us when required.’

Key clients

Cardiff City Football Club Limited (CCFC)


Praga Cars UK Ltd


UK Anti-Doping


Glamorgan Cricket Club


Halpin Sports


Pontypridd Town Association Football Club


FSB Technology Limited


Peter Halpin t/a Halpin Sport Sponsorships


Pontypool Rugby Limited


Sam Moore


Work highlights


  • Advising Cardiff City Football Club on all aspects arising out of the death of football player Emiliano Sala, including the appeal to CAS, the appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, the civil claim brought by the family, the inquest, and a claim against its insurance broker.
  • Successfully defended Vincent Tan and Cardiff City Football Club at trial in an unfair prejudice allegation by a minority shareholder.
  • Advise the United Kingdom Anti Doping agency on their data protection obligations arising out of frequent and often complicated FOI requests.

Hugh James

Hugh James has a strong grounding in the sports arena and deploys a multidisciplinary approach on behalf of broad and varied client portfolio spanning many different sports and types of client, including clubs, governing bodies and individuals. Nurtured over the years by 'calm and sensible' team head Gerallt Jones , the Welsh Rugby Union remains a core client, with banking and finance partner Dominic Marshall  recently advising it on the refinancing of its £20m CLBILS emergency loan secured in October 2020.  'Hugely experienced and able' commercial litigator Tracey Singlehurst-Ward has a significant focus on sports mandates, and continues to spearhead the firm's work for the British Boxing Board of Control. In July 2023 the firm acquired Cardiff-based boutique Loosemores, taking on a team well-regarded for its work for a wide range of clients covering a range of amateur and professional sports. The 'knowledgeable and well-connected' Mark Loosemore provides 'highly commercial and thorough' advice to many Welsh governing bodies, including the Football Association of Wales (FAW), across a range of commercial agreements, relating to, inter alia, sponsorship, image rights and hospitality rights deals. On the contentious front, the 'very diligent' Karl Thomas has a strong track record advising on sports disciplinary cases and sports regulatory disputes. Drawing upon her governance and charities law expertise, 'very personable and helpful' solicitor Rebecca McCarthy is also a key member of the team and 'specialises in legal status for sports clubs'. 

Practice head(s):

Gerallt Jones


Other key lawyers:

Tracey Singlehurst-Ward; Peter Hurn; Richard Locke; Dominic Marshall; Martin Jones; Rhiannon Dale; Mark Loosemore; Karl Thomas; Siôn Tudur; Rebecca McCarthy


Testimonials

‘Staff are highly skilled in the areas we have required services from Hugh James – from help with modernisation, updating legal documents to settling disputes.’

‘Gerallt Jones is calm and sensible, with good experience and knowledge.’

‘Tracey Singlehurst-Ward is hugely experienced and able.’

‘In highly charged environments Tracey Singlehurst-Ward is a calming influence and the voice of common sense, always applying logic, whatever the situation.’

‘The exceptional Mark Loosemore is highly commercial and thorough in his approach and strategically guides the project through to completion. His experience is very valuable to any situation and he is prompt and clear in all communication.’

‘Mark Loosemore is hugely experienced, knowledgeable and well-connected.’

‘Karl Thomas is very diligent in dispute resolutions and mediation for the sports sector. Karl has worked closely and successfully in disciplinary matters with many of our members in the sports sector.’

‘Rebecca McCarthy is very personable and helpful. She specialises in legal status for sports clubs and has proved very helpful to the sports sector, always able to explain complex issues into easily understood language.’

Key clients

British Boxing Board of Control


Welsh Rugby Union


Welsh Gymnastics


Metro Bank


Cardiff Rugby


Celtic Manor Resort


Sport Wales


Welsh Athletics


Ryan Jones (former British & Irish Lion and Welsh rugby captain)


Run4Wales


Work highlights


  • Longstanding legal adviser to the Welsh Rugby Union. Over the last year, the firm advised on various finance and corporate governance matters, on club incorporations and the company’s AGM which resulted in considerable publicity because key proposals were voted down by member clubs.
  • Exclusive legal partner of the Cardiff Rugby region. In the last year, this has included advising on a wide range of issues including acting for players at disciplinary processes and lease matters at its home, Cardiff Arms Park.
  • Carried out a comprehensive review of the governance documentation for six National Governing Bodies (NGBs) forming part of Sport Wales. The reviews were undertaken for the NGBs for boxing, canoeing, golf, gymnastics, athletics and swimming.

Dolmans

Overseen by Adrian Oliver, Dolmans' sports team has developed a particularly strong reputation acting for national governing bodies/organisations across a range of their regulatory, governance and commercial arrangements. Oliver continues to act for core client Federation of Disability Sport Wales, including on the restructuring of the organisation's governance documents and on sponsorship arrangements. Herself formerly a successful Welsh international triathlete, Clare Hoskins has deep knowledge of the sector and is one of a number of practitioners within the firm's personal injury team that handles work for sporting individuals.


Practice head(s):

Adrian Oliver


Other key lawyers:

Justin Harris; Clare Hoskins; Peter Bennett; Philip Bradley; Nicola Edwards; Tom Harris


Key clients

Federation of Disability Sport Wales


Commonwealth Games Wales


Aled Davies


Work highlights


  • Continue to advise the Commonwealth Games Wales on an ad-hoc basis across various commercial, contractual and strategic and governance issues.
  • Advise the Federation of Disability Sports Wales on issues relating to directors and employees, attendance at board meetings, constitutional changes generally and drafting and review of contracts.
  • Continues to represent high-profile sports personalities from across the UK.

Geldards LLP

Geldards LLP's multidisciplinary sports team advises governing bodies and sports clubs across a myriad contentious and non-contentious matters. Team head Paul Hopkins has vast experience at representing sports clients in litigation and is also a director of the firm's wholly-owned subsidiary, EngageSport, a sports management company specialising in sports business solutions and management to brands, rights holders and professional athletes. Senior associate Bethan Walsh leverages her charity sector expertise to good effect on behalf of sports organisations on governance and constitutional issues.

Practice head(s):

Paul Hopkins


Other key lawyers:

Bethan Walsh


Key clients

British Boxing Board of Control Ltd


Engagesport LLP


Sport Wales


Federation of Disability Sport Wales


The Welsh Pony and Cobb Society


The Cardiff Rugby Charities


Work highlights


  • Advising British Boxing Board of Control Limited as a defendant in High Court proceedings issued by one of its licensed boxing referees.
  • Advising Cardiff Blues Benevolent Foundation on its acquisition of the Cardiff Blues Regional Development Trust.
  • Advising Engagesport on a range of projects and issues.

Harding Evans LLP

Leveraging the firm's full-service offering, Harding Evans LLP provides a one-stop-shop service to current and former professional rugby players across a range of private client, commercial and litigation matters. Under the leadership of Mike Jenkins, the firm also has an historically strong relationship with the Newport Gwent Dragons and continues to represent the club on an ad-hoc basis.


Practice head(s):

Ben Jenkins; Mike Jenkins; Daniel Wilde; Laura Selby; Wyn Williams


Other key lawyers:

William Watkins


Key clients

Sam Warburton (former British and Irish Lions Captain)


Dragons RFC professional rugby team


The Vale of Glamorgan Hotel Limited T/A the Vale Resort


Davies Warburton Limited T/A SW7 Academy


Work highlights


Morgan LaRoche

Primarily resourced by practitioners within the firm's business services team -   which is headed by William Barletta - and also able to tap into the expertise of lawyers within the litigation and property groups, should the need arise, Morgan LaRoche handles a range of matters for a growing roster of amateur and professional sports clubs, as well as governing bodies. Carmarthen-based corporate and commercial partner Christopher Evans is pivotal to much of the work handled by the group including on constitutional matters and governance.


Practice head(s):

William Barletta


Other key lawyers:

Christopher Evans


Work highlights


Thompson Darwin Limited

Cardiff-based boutique Thompson Darwin Limited has a strong grounding in sports law, with work spanning commercial and regulatory advice as well as on any litigation and disciplinary issues that may arise. Team head David Thompson continues to serve as de-facto in-house counsel to the Scarlets, acting for the regional rugby club across a range of matters, including on coaches’ and players’ contracts.


Practice head(s):

David Thompson


Key clients

Scarlets Regional Limited


Work highlights


  • The firm remains the in-house counsel for the Scarlets, and continues to provide day-to-day advice on all legal and commercial matters associated with operating an elite level rugby club.

JCP Solicitors

Led by the 'very personable and enthusiastic' Andrew Meech, JCP Solicitors' primary involvement in the sports arena flows from its longstanding relationship with Italian sportswear manufacturer, Macron, which continues to elicit a raft of instructions on kit and sponsorship matters.


Practice head(s):

Andrew Meech


Testimonials

Andrew Meech is personable and enthusiastic.’

Key clients

Macron SpA


Macron Sportswear UK Limited


Macron Retail Limited


Front Runner Events (previously known as Swansea Half Marathon)


Work highlights