The sports practice at Walker Morris LLP acts on the full gamut of matters, including sports employment and litigation work, as well as complex regulatory and immigration matters. Intellectual property cases, including IP portfolios and brand protection strategies are also a strength of the practice. Charlotte Smith leads the practice, with experience dealing with high-profile sports matters, spanning manager appointments, terminations, and sports litigation. Carly Thorpe acts on leading sports related construction disputes, including the extension of football stadiums. Sarah Ward has competition expertise, while Philip Scott is noted for his football finance knowledge.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘The team is a genuine extension of our in-house team. They have a good understanding of our business, priorities, risk appetite, personalities and objectives.’
‘Charlotte Smith is an invaluable source of support and advice. She responds quickly to queries and never sits on the fence.’
'The team at Walker Morris are very down to earth and have a really good grasp of the aims of our business. I would give particular credit to the Commercial team, who pick up a wide range of commercial and advisory projects given the breadth of work we do, and always deliver to a very high standard.'
'Put simply, the team at Walker Morris provide a quality service, with friendly and down to earth team members, at good prices. This is exactly what I value from external counsel and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Walker Morris for sport-related commercial matters.'
Key clients
- AFC Bournemouth
- Black Knight FC
- Burnley FC
- Leeds United FC
- Sheffield United FC
- Wrexham AFC
- Rotherham United
- Lucozade Ribena Suntory
- Blackpool FC
- Barbarian FC
Work highlights
Drafting and negotiating all construction documents for Leeds United's Elland Road redevelopment.
Acting for Premier League club AFC Bournemouth on head coach Andoni Iraola's new contract of employment.
Advising on sport immigration matters such as Wrexham AFC's sponsor licence and the appointment of its new President.
Lawyers
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Practice head
Charlotte Smith
Other key lawyers
Carly Thorpe; Sarah Ward; Philip Scott