Mr Simon Leaf > Mishcon de Reya LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Mr Simon Leaf

+44 20 3321 6683 [email protected] View profile

Work Department

Innovation: Commercial, Technology and Sport

Position

Partner

Career

Simon is an experienced commercial Partner with a particular focus on the Technology and Sport sectors, where he leads the firm’s offering, and is consistently recognised in these areas across the legal directories and beyond.

Simon specialises in advising clients (ranging from fast-growth start-ups to internationally listed companies, as well as governing bodies, Middle Eastern and African governments, major clubs, sponsors, intermediaries and athletes) on a range of transactional, IP and regulatory issues – including in particular, clients operating in the advertising, retail, property (including facilities management), healthcare and crypto industries.

He is widely seen as an expert in his field and consequently is often featured in the national and international press – including making appearances on Sky News, ITV and BBC, as well as being quoted across all of the major national news titles. Simon also recently co-authored the chapter on Financial Regulation in the leading Football Law textbook “Football and the Law” published by Bloomsbury Publishing.

Simon is a mentor for the start ups taking part in MDR Lab and historically acted as semi-professional football referee; officiating on National Conference, Premier League Under 23 and Football League Reserve team matches.

Through Mishcon de Reya’s membership of Sport Resolutions Pro Bono Service, Simon assists individuals without charge before Sport Resolutions panels and other NGB tribunals.

Technology / Sports Technology

Simon has a breadth of experience advising on strategic transactions, often cross-border in nature. He has a long history of advising fast-growth SaaS/AI-led businesses on a range of commercial, IP and IT law matters. In particular, he has worked on several high profile proptech, adtech, retail, leisure, esports and betting & gaming deals.

Recent highlights include advising a fast-growth Swedish technology SaaS company on a number of its most important commercial agreements opposite its key customers and assisting several FTSE 100/S&P 500 companies on major IT outsourcing, global networks and data centre contracts.

Simon completed secondments with Dell and Tesco whilst at his previous firm.

Sport

Simon regularly works on significant broadcasting matters, image/digital rights agreements, sponsorship arrangements and international transfers.

Recent experience includes acting on what has been reported as boxing’s first ever billion dollar deal, negotiating a major Premier League sponsorship contract for a fast growing African country, advising a high-profile player on reportedly one of the top three largest contracts in Premier League history  and assisting on multiple F1-related matters (including negotiating a naming rights deal for a major F1 team and a range of commercial/drivers contracts for a number of drivers).

On the regulatory side, he advises clients on an array of issues including Financial Fair Play, Third Party Ownership and Intermediaries Regulations, as well as several governing bodies and other non-sports clients on a wide selection of commercial law and privacy-related matters.