Bird & Bird LLP maintains a strong reputation in the international sports sector, with a large, dedicated team of lawyers working full-time across the whole spectrum of contentious and non-contentious work. The practice is known for its deep bench of sports law specialists, including experts in regulatory disputes, disciplinary matters, commercial agreements, media rights, and governance issues. The firm acts for a broad range of major stakeholders, with notable clients including FIFA, World Athletics, World Rugby, and the Premier League. Robert Turner leads many of the practice’s major commercial mandates, acting as a relationship partner to Arsenal and Chelsea. The vastly experienced Jonathan Taylor and Max Duthie handle many of the team’s contentious mandates, which include some of sport’s most high-profile and complex litigations, including acting on all rugby disciplinary cases arising out of the Six Nations and Autumn Internationals. Craig Giles drives the firm’s thriving media rights offering and leverages business as well as contributing to significant sponsorship, event and commercial partnership transactions. Richard Bush is a safeguarding expert, whilst Andrew Danson has particular expertise in the gambling sector.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Bird & Bird is rightly preeminent in this sector It has assembled a tremendous team with vast experience from top to bottom, and has been involved in almost every major recent sports dispute in recent years.’
‘The breadth of knowledge throughout the team is impressive and enables them to provide a full-service offering, whether that's dealing with commercial matters or regulatory matters (contentious or otherwise). Their client care is superb. They are highly personable and always take the time to understand the wider context to any matter, meaning they are able to give pragmatic advice.’
‘Richard Bush's reputation in Sports law speaks for itself, but he does not take it for granted. He is always responsive and a pleasure to deal with. His client care is first class, making sure matters are dealt with in a timely manner and, where appropriate, allocating these to the right members of his team, or the wider firm.'
‘As a market-leading, large firm, Bird and Bird's Sport Practice exhibits an excellent level of personal client care and service, while displaying the highest level of legal intellect and quality. Other external legal advisers fail to deliver a service that is as responsive, practical, comprehensive or clever as Bird and Bird's Sport Practice.’
‘Robert Turner exhibits a highly intelligible and practical approach. He ensures work is turned around exactly when promised, while maintaining a high level of quality against tight deadlines. He ensures risks are adequately explained and makes other experts from Bird and Bird available when needed to address different subject matter. He provides a complete legal service.'
‘The anti-doping experience and knowledge from the team I work with have been instrumental to the build out of the program that I manage. Collaboration is key with this team, and they are always willing to research/discuss cases with us and give us guidance and support.’
Key clients
- Arsenal Football Club
- The Premier League
- The Football Association
- FIFA
- The English Football League
- DAZN
- Chelsea FC
- Rugby Football Union
- UK Anti-Doping (UKAD)
- International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA)
- International Paralympic Committee (IPC)
- World Athletics
Work highlights
Acting for Arsenal on a number of high value, global partnership deals, including acting for the club on the naming rights agreement for the club’s training ground with Sobha Realty, and acting for the club on the negotiation of its partnership agreement with Google for the promotion of the new Pixel phone.
Advising the Rugby Football Union on its long-term Professional Game Partnership with Premiership Rugby, the Premiership clubs and the Rugby Players Association.
Building on the successful defence of World Athletics eligibility regulations for the female category of competition regarding athletes with a Difference of Sex Development (DSD) before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and Swiss Federal Tribunal, intervening for World Athletics in the complaint brought by Caster Semenya against the state of Switzerland before the European Court of Human Rights (Chamber and Grand Chamber).
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Practice head
Jonathan Taylor KC
Other key lawyers
Max Duthie; Craig Giles; Andy Danson; Joss Hargrave; Richard Bush; Robert Turner; Lauren Pagé; Will Deller; Chris Lavey; Dr Saskia King; Lereesa Easterbrook; Connor Hume; Emma Drake; Chris Lavey