Oliver Harland

Oliver specialises in litigation, as well as advisory and contentious regulatory matters, for the sports sector.

Oliver’s recent experience includes acting for (i) The FA on the transfer of its ownership of the top two tier’s of women’s professional football in England to a new independent company (Women’s Professional Leagues Limited), (ii) Premiership Rugby (PRL) on the implementation of an independent Financial Monitoring Panel and associated regulations to monitor clubs’ financial stability, (iii) the Premier League to investigate the moves of young players between club academies, and (iv) an international rugby federation for various on-field disciplinary matters.

Other career highlights have included acting for the international governing bodies of tennis in relation to an independent review of integrity in tennis, The FA in relation to an independent review of alleged non-recent child sexual abuse in football and concurrent civil claims, and Sussex County Cricket Club in successfully reducing a sanction imposed by the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) following an allegation of ball-tampering.

Oliver has experience of working in-house, having been on secondment at the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) as a Regulatory Legal Adviser, where he was responsible for preparing and presenting the BHA’s case in respect of alleged breaches of the Rules of Racing. Oliver has advised the BHA on a major re-write of the Rules of Racing and he continues to advise the BHA on significant disciplinary proceedings before the BHA’s independent judicial panel.

Oliver takes a particular interest in issues related to sporting integrity and has written for LawInSport on the subject of how sports governing bodies and event organisers should regulate against competition manipulation. He also sits as an ‘arbitrator’ for the Sports Arbitration Moot, an annual sports law focussed mooting competition for law school students (organised in partnership with FIFA and various other stakeholders in sport).

2020 – Present: Managing Associate, Northridge Law LLP

2017 – 2020: Associate, Northridge Law LLP

2016 – 2017: Associate, Charles Russell Speechlys LLP

2013 – 2016: Associate, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

2011 – 2013: Trainee, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer