Simon Thorp > Onside Law LLP > London, England > Lawyer Profile
Onside Law LLP Offices
642A King’s Road
London
SW6 2DU
England
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Simon Thorp
Work Department
Corporate, Commercial
Position
Simon acts for a broad range of clients including investors, founders, business owners, sport’s governing bodies, teams, talent and entrepreneurs in the sport’s industry. Clients include ATP Media, England Netball, ECB, Two Circles, Ackerley Sports Group, Ellipse Data, Twenty First Group, Srixon, Engage Digital Partners and Gloucester Rugby.
Simon’s practice predominantly involves general corporate and commercial matters including share purchase, asset transfer, investment, shareholder and joint venture agreements, along with specialist due diligence, investment and structuring in sport recent examples being:
- the structuring and launch of a new professional netball super league in UK including tender process for interested clubs and potential equity for third party investors and clubs;
- advising ATP Media on the reorganisation of the commercial assets of ATP Tour, ATP Media and TDI Data in men’s tennis;
- advising Ackerley Sports Group (US) on its investment in a new commercial vehicle holding and exploiting all of South African Rugby’s commercial rights, including the Springboks;
- advising Ellipse Data on a commercial and equity transaction with Football Dataco (a joint venture company of the Premier League and English Football League);
- advising Sports Recruitment Group on a sale to Elevate Sports Ventures; and
- advising Gloucester Rugby on the release of Louis Rees-Zammit to the NFL pathfinder programme, amongst many other matters.
Simon is ranked as a leading sports law practitioner, in which he is described by commentators as “approachable, responsive and very practical in his approach and we are always impressed with his commercial understanding of our business needs. Commercially excellent with strong industry knowledge” and “adept at handling corporate work” (Legal 500) “He understands different types of acquisition and structures that we need to look at. He is very diligent and pragmatic” (Chambers & Partners).
Simon also assists his former university, Durham, on the development of their sport’s programme and infrastructure.
Career
2005 – Present: Founder and Partner – Onside Law
1999 – 2005: Associate Solicitor – Clifford Chance LLP
1997 – 1999: Trainee Lawyer – Slaughter and May
Languages
English
Education
1995 – 1997: College of Law
1992 – 1995: Durham University
Personal
Non-Executive Director – Gloucester Rugby Club
Lawyer Rankings
London > TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Sport
(Leading individuals)Sports boutique Onside Law LLP leverages its network of offices in London, Switzerland and Australia to advise clubs, players, managers, international federations and intermediaries on both contentious and non-contentious matters. Co-founder Oliver Hunt, regularly supported by associate Robin Cumming, is a key port of call for elite golfers and footballers in need of assistance on commercial and business mandates, including sponsorship deals, media, and image rights. Hunt also assists football clubs and competition rights holders. Chris Walsh, supported by newly promoted partner Ross Brown, are key advisors for the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), working with the organisation on a range of disciplinary proceedings and investigations. Brown – alongside Jamie Singer, James Tobias and Ben Hanglin – also support governing bodies in rugby and tennis on anti-doping and anti-corruption matters that reach the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The quartet also also works with clients in rugby on sponsorship and media rights arrangements. Co-founder and head of the corporate team Simon Thorp works with legal director Harriet Leach, who is a key adviser to a number of female sporting organisations. Specialist technology and digital media practitioner Adam Leadercramer supports on sponsorship deals. Data privacy and protection expert Sophie Wilkinson supports recently promoted partner Leon Farr on instructions from world governing bodies on the hosting and bidding arrangements for major events. Contentious instructions are chiefly handled by commercial litigator Stevie Loughrey.
Lawyer Rankings
- Leading individuals London > TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Sport
- Sport London > TMT (technology, media and telecoms)