Harbottle & Lewis LLP maintains a strong presence across the sports sector, with expertise spanning sponsorship and commercial agreements, regulatory and governance advice, and reputation management. The firm is regularly instructed by both rights holders and global brands on sports marketing matters, including major sponsorships, licensing and merchandising deals, and commercial programme structuring. Recent mandates include assisting Diageo on its inaugural sponsorship agreement with the Premier League. Player-side work continues to be a strong aspect of the offering, with the firm advising on player and driver contracts, alongside endorsement deals for high-profile names including Kai Havertz and Tyrone Mings. Bob Mitchell has deep sector knowledge, which allows him to counsel clients on both commercial and regulatory issues. Michael Lister leads the practice alongside Mitchell, whilst associate Sam Purkiss is an important part of the team.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Always available, very considerate, excellent knowledge which they make understandable and easy to follow. Always make me aware of options and potential costs so never unpleasant surprises.’
‘Michael Lister's advice and counsel goes above and beyond what one would expect. But Michael works with such exceptional knowledge that we can work in a very clear and transparent way, yet fully comprehensive. This makes us, as a business, more trusted with our clients which is vital for us. He has taken the time to really understand who we are and want to be, and is now invaluable to our business.’
‘Very responsive, very detailed, very good at explaining facts in layman's terms.’
Key clients
- Liverpool Football Club
- Professional Cricketers’ Association
- Nissan Formula E
- Team England Player Partnership (England Men’s Cricket Team)
- Cricket West Indies
- British Equestrian
- Welsh Cycling
- F1 Driver Oliver Bearman
- Professional footballer Tyrone Mings
- Professional footballer Kai Havertz
- Professional footballer Che Adams
- Professional footballer Orel Mangala
Work highlights
Providing complete legal support to the Nissan Formula E racing team throughout Season 10 of the Formula E Championship.
Advised the England Men’s Cricket Team on significant renegotiations of the agreements governing the players’ remuneration and employment terms and conditions.
Advised Diageo (Guinness), a brand traditionally associated with rugby, on its first global football sponsorship as it became the Official Beer and Official Non-Alcoholic Beer of the Premier League.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Mike Jones
Sam Purkiss
Practice head
Bob Mitchell; Michael Lister
Other key lawyers
Sam Purkiss