Liz Ellen > Mishcon de Reya LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Liz Ellen

020 3321 7456 [email protected] View profile

Work Department

Dispute Resolution - Sports Law

Position

Liz is a Partner and Head of the Sports Group. Her practice is solely focused on sport, and her in-depth knowledge of the industry means that she is always able to provide her clients with the clear and decisive advice they require.

She is strategic and creative in her approach, and finds innovative solutions to complex issues. She is a specialist litigator but also a trusted advisor to clubs, athletes, rights holders and governing bodies, understanding how their legal situations fit within their public profile and wider business needs. She has expertise in fraud and corruption issues in sport, a strong regulatory knowledge and good commercial awareness.

Liz has represented clients in cases before FIFA, the European Boxing Union, the Basketball Arbitration Tribunal and the Court of Arbitration for Sport, as well as domestic tribunals such as the Football Associations of England, Scotland and Wales, the British Boxing Board of Control, the British Horseracing Authority and UK Anti-Doping. She also has significant experience of litigating cases through both arbitration and the High Court. 

Much of Liz’s work has an international aspect, including cross-border transfer deals and disputes, sports immigration and image rights structures. She has a particular focus on the Far Eastern sport industry and is often consulted by Chinese football clubs, Asian investors looking at European opportunities, and by clubs, players and agents seeking to do business in the Far East. 

Liz is a director of Women In Football (WIF), a member of the Beyond Sport Advisory Board, a founding member of Women In Sports Law (WISLaw), and a member of the British Association of Sport and Law (BASL). She was the only practicing lawyer to appear in the Independent’s inaugural list of “50 Most Influential Women in Sport“, in which she was ranked 13th. Since 2014, Liz has run the Mishcon Sports Law Academy – an educational course where aspiring lawyers can learn about a wide range of sports law issues from the lawyers who manage those cases. She is also a mentor for Kick It Out’s ‘Raise Your Game’ scheme. 

Career

Partner, Mishcon de Reya LLP; Associate, Mishcon de Reya; Solicitor, Mishcon de Reya; Member of the Football Association’s Agents Panel from 2007-2015

Memberships

Director Women in Football; Member British Association of Sport and Law (BASL); Women’s Sport Network

Education

Birkbeck College, University of London (Masters in Sports Management & the Business of Football); Kings College, University of London (Post Graduate Certificate in Sports Law); The College of Law (Legal Practice Course); School of Oriental & African Studies, University of London (Law LLB)