Kingsley Napley represents high-profile individuals and their families across the world of sport - with tailored, strategic, award-winning legal advice when it matters most.
We advise professional athletes, coaches, managers, officials and senior executives at all levels of sport, and work closely with their agents, professional advisors and in-house legal teams
Few law firms can compete with our breadth and depth of expertise. We offer a full range of contentious and non-contentious services, ensuring comprehensive, seamless legal support from a discreet team who are as passionate about sport as they are law.
Our services include:
- Estate and Wealth Planning
- Disciplinary Matters and Appeals;
- Commercial Negotiations
- Contract/Image Rights and Disputes;
- Agent Disputes
- Sports Injury Compensation Claims;
- Estate Planning and Probate;
- Brand and Media Deals;
- Prenuptial and Divorce:
- Immigration Applications
- Criminal Matters and Driving Offences;
- Employment Contracts and Disputes;
- Reputation Management and Harassment;
recent work
- Acting for internationally famous motor racing drivers in respect of all aspects of their career including their contracts with their racing teams, media rights, regulatory matters and any personal issues arising.
- Acting for a prominent international footballer in respect of negotiations and finalisation of his contract with his premier league club.
- Acting for well-known football agencies in respect of their contracts with their footballers.
- Acting for football managers and footballers in respect of disciplinary proceedings.
- Acting for footballers, football agents and managers in respect of FA Rule K Arbitration proceedings.
- Acting for sporting professionals (most recently footballers and Olympic athletes) in confidential and sensitive divorce proceedings and in respect of financial arrangements for children.
- Acting for high profile sporting individuals in respect of high value residential sales and purchases.
- Acting for directors and boards of leisure and sports companies to help them meet their safeguarding and regulatory obligations.
- Acting for sporting professionals in respect of UK anti-doping procedures.
- Acting for regulatory bodies in respect of matters concerning their functions and operations, including disciplinary schemes and good governance arrangements.
- Acting for regulatory bodies in the drafting of their rules and regulations.
In the press
- 17 Nov 2017: New Law Journal – Ryan Mowat nominated for “Legal Personality of the Year Award”
- 16 Nov 2017: The Times: Ryan Mowat recognised as Lawyer of the Week
- 26 October 2017: Ryan Mowat and Katherine Pymont write for the Law Society Gazette: No place at the table for an honest cheat
- 26 October 2017: The Independent: Poker player loses £7.7 million in winnings after Supreme Court rules he cheated
- 25 October 2017: BBC News: Poker player Phil Ivey loses £7.7m casino case
- 3 Feb 2016: The Guardian: Sports Direct abandons legal case against Rangers
What clients and directories say
Ryan Mowat 'loves nothing better than turning a difficult case into a winner'"
Legal 500 UK, 2019
Covering 'a broad range of sports work', the team at Kingsley Napley LLP has 'a very deep understanding of the sector'"
Legal 500 UK, 2019
Group head Sue Thackeray has 'an unrivalled knowledge of motorsports', and 'marries a broad legal knowledge with a disarming manner – the other side doesn't know it's been hit 'til it's on the floor'"
Legal 500 UK, 2019
No-nonsense"
Legal 500 UK, 2019
Sandra Paul
Criminal Litigation
Criminal Defence and Police Investigations
Sexual Misconduct in the Workplace
Partner
Jemma Brimblecombe
Dispute Resolution
Partner
Melanie Hart
Dispute Resolution
Partner
Tim Lowles
Dispute Resolution
Sport
Reputation and Media
Partner
Ryan Mowat
Dispute Resolution
Partner
Connie Atkinson
Family and Divorce
Partner
Katie Newbury
Immigration
Partner
James Ward
Private Client
Partner and Head of Department
Bethan Owen
Real Estate
Partner and Head of Department
Melinka Berridge
Regulatory
Partner and Head of Department