Onside Law

About

Provided by Onside Law

Onside Law was founded in 2005 to provide pragmatic, responsive and commercial legal advice to sports clients, based on genuine sports industry expertise.The firm is a true specialist sports law boutique with 90% of the firm’s work arising from the sports industry, working with some of the world’s highest profile sports clients on the highest profile sports matters.Operating out of London, Lausanne and Sydney, the firm combines unrivalled in-house experience with first class legal expertise to offer a personable and practical service.Onside law was the first firm to offer this blend of actual sports experience with technical legal expertise and the loyalty and growth of its client’s base demonstrates its success.

Main Areas of Practice

Commercial

The firm’s commercial work has been the bedrock of its success and growth.With unrivalled experience across all commercial aspects of the sports industry the firm acts as Trusted Advisor to talent such as Jude Bellingham,Jannik Sinner and Tommy Fleetwood, advises leading clubs throughout the world such as AC Milan, as well as a vast array of governing bodies including the England and Wales Cricket Board, RFU and World Rugby.With a bespoke Major Events team working on the world’s biggest sports events, and specialists operating in areas such as sponsorship, the growth of women’s sport and the convergence of digital media throughout sport, the firm is at the forefront of the most complex and high profile commercial transactions.

Key Contacts: Oliver Hunt ([email protected]) and Jamie Singer ([email protected])

Corporate

Onside Law’s corporate team has grown significantly in recent years, to reflect the growth of investment in sport.The firm’s corporate team is made up of experts with technical expertise recruited from the some of the best known City firms blended with the firm’s unparalleled knowledge of the sports industry.The firm’s advice covers acquisitions, private equity and venture capital, founder exits, funding rounds, ownership structures and corporate governance. A recent example includes acting for the ECB in the sale of eight Hundred teams for over £550 million in arguably the most prominent corporate deal this year, having originally advised the ECB on all aspects of the creation of The Hundred.

Key Contacts: Simon Thorp ([email protected]) and Ben Hanglin ([email protected])

Regulatory & Governance

Onside Law’s specialist Regulatory team deals with all aspects of sports regulation and governance, including the drafting of regulations, acting on disciplinary matters, anti-doping, safeguarding and integrity.Examples of the firm’s work includes seconding a senior lawyer to the Cricket Regulator, and having advised Jannick Sinner in the WADA case securing a no fault judgment at Tribunal, the firm defended the appeal of that Sport Resolutions decision brought by WADA at the Court of Arbitration for Sport culminating in negotiating a settlement agreement with WADA.

Key Contacts: Jamie Singer ([email protected]) and Ross Brown ([email protected])

Dispute resolution

The firm provides a full service dispute resolution service to clients throughout the sports industry across a multitude of jurisdictions, with extensive experience in the High Court, arbitrations, the FA’s Rule K, CAS andthe FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber.A recent example includes acting for the British Basketball Federation in its dispute with Super League Basketball.

Key Contacts: Chris Walsh ([email protected]) and Stevie Loughrey ([email protected])

Employment

The firm’s employment department operates across non-contentious and contentious matters, advising on employment agreements, dismissals, redundancies, and grievances.The firm has extensive experience in relation to sports governing body “central contracts” and often applies its employment law expertise in football transfers advising on player agreements, image rights structures and manager contracts.Recent highlights include advising Jack Grealish on his loan to Everton, and advising Heart of Midlothian FC on a range of employment matters.

Key Contacts: Oliver Hunt ([email protected]) and Alex Clarke ([email protected])

Other Practice Areas

Onside Law offers specialist teams in Technology and Digital Media (key contact: Adam Leadercramer- [email protected]),Intellectual Property (key contact: Sophie Wilkinson- [email protected]), Broadcasting (key contact: James Tobias- [email protected]) Competition Law (key contact: Jon Morgan- [email protected]), Data Protection (key contact: Sophie Wilkinson- [email protected]), Major Events (key contact: Leon Farr- [email protected]).and Women’s Sport (key contact: Harriet Leach- [email protected]).

Example Clients

ECB,World Rugby, FIA, RFU, LTA, UEFA, British and Irish Lions, AC Milan, West Ham United, Leeds United, Ryder Cup Europe, Six Nations, Formula E, Baller League, England Netball, Sir Andy Murray, Jannik Sinner,Jude Bellingham, Jack Grealish, Phil Foden, Jordan Pickford, Tommy Fleetwood, Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose, Shane Lowry, England Netball, Dom Solanke, Red Bull Racing F1 team, Two Circles,

International Work

Given the global nature of sport, we work across multiple jurisdictions, throughout Europe, the USA and Asia.We have offices in:

London, U.K.

642 Kings Road

London

SW6 2DU

+44 (0)207 384 6920

Key contact: Karen Baring - [email protected]

Lausanne, Switzerland

Boulevard de Grancy 39

1006 Lausanne

Switzerland