Sports Law

Contentious sports work: contract and media rights disputes

Our dispute resolution and sports lawyers act for athletes, agents, clubs and rights holders in high-value, high-stakes disputes over the contracts and rights that drive value in modern sport, including:

• Player, athlete and intermediary contract disputes— termination, breach, restrictive covenants and disputes over signing-on fees, bonuses and image rights clauses.
• Image rights and media rights disputes— disputes between athletes, clubs, agents, broadcasters and sponsors over the ownership, exploitation and value of image and media rights.
• Agent and representation disputes— disputes between athletes and their agents or management companies over commission, exclusivity and duty of care.
• Transfer and contract negotiations— negotiating and, where necessary, litigating the terms of player and executive contracts, including the securing of improved terms and reputational protections in the context of wider disputes.
• FA Rule K arbitration and sports arbitration— representing players, managers and agents in football’s principal arbitration forum, as well as before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and other sport-specific tribunals.
• Disciplinary proceedings and appeals— representing players, coaches and managers before clubs, leagues and governing bodies, and on appeal.
• Sponsorship and brand deal disputes— advising on the breakdown of sponsorship, endorsement and commercial partnership agreements.
• Anti-doping and integrity disputes— advising athletes on UK and international anti-doping procedures and disciplinary consequences.

We advise both individuals (athletes, coaches, agents, managers) and the organisations on the other side of the table (clubs, agencies, governing bodies and regulators), giving us a genuinely 360-degree view of how these disputes are run, negotiated and won.

Crisis and Reputation Management and Criminal Defence

Kingsley Napley’s sports practice is built on foundations that most competitor sports teams don’t have in-house: one of the UK’s most established reputation management practices and a nationally ranked criminal litigation team.

When a sporting career is threatened by an allegation, an investigation, a leak or a criminal charge, timing and coordination matter more than in almost any other context. We advise on:

• Reputation management and media law— pre-emptive and reactive strategy, injunctions, defamation, privacy and harassment claims, and managing coverage across traditional and social media.
• Crisis management— coordinated, discreet handling of fast-moving situations involving athletes, coaches, clubs and governing bodies, working alongside PR and communications advisors.
• Criminal defence— representing athletes, coaches and officials in criminal investigations and proceedings, including driving offences, and handling parallel disciplinary and criminal processes.
• Internal and regulatory investigations— advising individuals and organisations facing investigations by clubs, leagues, governing bodies or regulators, including safeguarding matters.
• Immigration, extradition and cross-border issues— for athletes and executives facing international legal exposure.

This combination, contentious sports lawyers working alongside reputation, media and criminal specialists under one roof, means clients get one coordinated strategy rather than instructing multiple firms against the clock.

Private Client Services for Sporting Individuals and their Families

Sporting careers are short, earnings are front-loaded, and family life is often played out under scrutiny. Our private client team, working hand in hand with the sports team, advises on:

• Estate and wealth planning, and structuring for peak-earning years
• Image rights agreements
• Pre-nuptial, post-nuptial and cohabitation agreements
• Divorce and separation, including confidential and sensitive proceedings and arrangements for children
• Immigration applications for players, coaches and their families relocating to or from the UK
• High-value residential property transactions
• Tax advice for internationally mobile sporting clients

Who we act for

• Professional athletes, coaches, managers and officials across football, motorsport, athletics and other Olympic and professional sports
• Agents and management companies
• Football and sports clubs, leagues and academies
• Governing bodies and regulators, including on disciplinary schemes, rules and governance
• Broadcasters, sponsors and brands operating in sport
• Families of high-profile sporting individuals

Recent work

• Acting for internationally renowned motor racing drivers across contracts with racing teams, media rights, regulatory matters and personal issues arising from their careers.
• Advising a prominent Premier League footballer on the negotiation and finalisation of his club contract.
• Acting for football agencies in disputes and negotiations with their client footballers.
• Representing football managers and footballers in disciplinary proceedings and FA Rule K arbitration.
• Advising a football industry figure on employment negotiations and reputational protections in the context of a high-profile scandal.
• Representing sporting professionals, including footballers and Olympic athletes, in confidential divorce proceedings and related financial and child arrangements.
• Advising high-profile sporting individuals on high-value residential property purchases and sales.
• Advising directors and boards of leisure and sports companies on safeguarding and regulatory compliance.
• Advising sporting professionals on UK anti-doping procedures and related disciplinary risk.
• Advising governing bodies on the drafting of rules, disciplinary schemes and governance arrangements.
• Acting in a landmark Supreme Court case establishing the law on cheating at gambling (Ivey v Genting Casinos).