Corporate Governance
United Kingdom
19 August 2025
Macfarlanes LLP fields a cross-departmental sports group co-led by Malcolm Walton and Howard Corney, with specialists across corporate, commercial, and disputes advising a range of high-profile stakeholders and investors in the sector. The team has been notably active in the past year with corporate matters including mergers, acquisitions, and financings. Notable highlights include advising Surrey County Cricket Club on the investment process for the Hundred Cricket tournament. Rosie Duckworth has a strong commercial contracts practice which focuses on advertising work, and led a team which negotiated a sponsorship agreement with Qatar Airways, on behalf of Premier Padel LLC. Richard Burrows is an important member of the team.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘The Macfarlanes team seems to work well with delegated instructions being given across the team, all with a partner quarterbacking.’
‘We have worked extensively with Howard Corney, a partner in their London office and have worked with him on a number of high profile sports and entertainment related transactions. He is always open to ideas and takes recommendations seriously. He trusts his advisers network and encourages cross fertilisation of his network all for the benefit of his clients.’
Key clients
- Oaktree Capital
- Genius Sports
- Premier Padel LLC
- Commonwealth Games England (CGE)
- Delia Smith and Michael Wynn Jones
- Qatar Sports Investments (QSI)
- Surrey County Cricket Club (SCCC)
Work highlights
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We advised Oaktree Capital as it assumed ownership of Inter Milan from Suning Sports International following the non-repayment of Oaktree’s €395m three-year loan to Suning that matured on 21 May 2024.
Advised Genius Sports on both the bidding process for the award of exclusive Official Betting Data collection and distribution rights for the English Premier League, English Football League and Scottish Professional Football Leagues for the next four seasons.
Engaged by Premier Padel to negotiate a title sponsorship agreement with Qatar Airways. This high-profile deal resulted in the rebranding of the tour as the "Qatar Airways Premier Padel Tour." The agreement encompassed a comprehensive suite of rights, including global naming rights, exclusive designations, and a significant rebranding initiative.
Practice head
Malcolm Walton; Howard Corney
Other key lawyers
Richard Burrows; Rosie Duckworth