Nick Grant > Payne Hicks Beach LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile

With the acquisition of Solesbury Gay‘s sports team in October 2022, Payne Hicks Beach LLP continues to grow its full-service sports practice. The team is headed up by disputes specialist Mark Gay, who advises a wide-ranging roster of governing bodies, motorsport teams, and individual athletes on a range of disciplinary, contractual, and commercial disputes. Jonathan Gatward takes on employment, IP and sponsorship arrangements for an array of clients, with a particular specialism in the sailing space. Dominic Crossley heads up the dispute resolution, privacy and media law teams, while Hanna Basha notably advises footballers and boxers on privacy and defamation issues. James Townsend works on intersecting sport and employment law matters. Legal director Nick Grant is also recommended.

The crime department at Payne Hicks Beach LLP, which sits within the wider disputes resolution practice, regularly advises high and ultra-high net worth individuals in a variety of criminal cases such as sexual assault, harassment, drugs offences, and cross-border crimes. The ‘utterly exceptional‘ Mark Jones leads the team, with support provided from Hanna Basha, Nick Grant, and associate Henry Watkinson.

The Payne Hicks Beach LLP defence and investigations group is regarded as being at the ‘forefront of innovation in this sector’, offering in-depth expertise in serious fraud matters and financial crime proceedings. Practice head Mark Jones is a ‘very impressive fraud lawyer’ who specialises in complex criminal investigations brought by the SFO and FCA since his arrival from Blake Morgan LLP in September 2022. Paul Dorrans focuses on fraud and financial crime issues, while Hanna Basha handles privacy and media-related work. Nick Grant and Henry Watkinson are also noted.