Michael Lister > Harbottle & Lewis LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Harbottle & Lewis LLP
7 Savoy Court
LONDON
WC2R 0EX
England

Work Department

Sport; Sponsorship; Advertising

Position

Michael is a Partner in the firm’s Sports Group and head of the Media and Entertainment Group.

He advises athletes and other talent, clubs and teams, the organisers of major sporting events and global brands on commercial agreements and regulatory issues. He has specialist expertise advising on playing contracts, sponsorship agreements, brand ambassador and endorsement arrangements and the licensing and exploitation of intellectual property, technology and media rights.

Career

Admitted as a Solicitor in 2009 having trained at Harbottle & Lewis; made Partner in 2017.

Memberships

  • Law Society
  • European Sponsorship Association

Education

  • The University of Birmingham
  • The College of Law

Leisure

Football, cricket, golf, tennis, squash and swimming; ECB Level II cricket coach

Lawyer Rankings

London > TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Sport

(Leading individuals)

Michael ListerHarbottle & Lewis LLP

Harbottle & Lewis LLP‘s workload regularly covers sports marketing and sponsorship. regulatory disputes, disciplinary proceedings, and reputation management issues – namely advising sports bodies on how to protect their privacy and information rights. Team head Bob Mitchell, regularly working in conjunction with Mike Jones, focuses on the intersection between sports, technology and entertainment. Mitchell is also a key contact for cricketers playing at the national level, who are seeking advice in relation to commercial, employment and disciplinary matters. Alongside Mitchell, Sam Purkiss advises both sponsors and sports entities, while Michael Lister focuses on athlete contract, sponsorship and endorsement arrangements. Dalton Odendaal is a key name to note for work concerning the hosting and staging of major sporting events, including merchandising, ticketing, and ceremonies.

London > TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Media: Advertising & marketing

Sacha Wilson and Michael Lister jointly co-head the ‘excellent‘ practice at Harbottle & Lewis LLP, which is known for its ‘very strong eye for detail‘.  The team is ‘incredibly knowledgeable‘ when it comes to advertisement production issues and ASA investigations, and regularly dispenses advice on adtech issues and sponsorship deals. Wilson is ‘second to none‘, and often gives ‘perfectly-pitched‘ advice to global brands and agency groups on ASA investigations and data privacy issues relating to adtech and digital media; and Lister assists a number of brand ambassadors and influencers with the negotiation of agreements. Andrew Terry utilises his longstanding expertise in IP to handle advertising and branding disputes, and often advises clients on ASA and Clearcast related issues. Rupam Davé joined the team from Deloitte Legal in April 2023, contributing his knowledge of technology contracting.