Skip to main content

Insights & News

Search for Insights & News

  • How careful attention to warranties can avoid transfer nightmares

    18 January 2024

    This article outlines the importance of warranties in football transfer agreements.

  • Our inaugural Digital, Commerce & Creative Report is here!

    12 January 2024

    We are delighted to announce that we have published our inaugural Digital, Commerce & Creative Annual Report.

  • The new football agent regulations – where are we now?

    03 January 2024

    Those working in the football industry were given a Christmas treat over the festive period. Firstly, after many months of uncertainty and waiting, the FA finally confirmed on 21 December 2023 that the FA’s new Football Agent Regulations will enter into force on 1 January 2024 and will supersede The FA’s Working with Intermediaries Regulations.

  • Sports Q&A: Non-competes

    19 October 2023

    Our Q&A looks at the government's proposal on non-competes and what sports businesses should be doing about this now.

  • Sports Q&A: How is AI being utilised in Sport?

    30 May 2023

    The use of data in sport is a well-established practice: sports teams, institutions, and governing bodies have a long history of leveraging data science to enhance the performance of athletes and players, with the goal of achieving a competitive advantage and improving the quality of the game.

  • The new FIFA football agent regulations – What you need to know

    06 January 2023

    After much controversy and debate, the new FIFA Football Agent Regulations were finally approved by the FIFA Council on 16 December 2022 and will come into force on 9 January 2023 with the aim of reinforcing contractual stability, protecting the integrity of the transfer system and achieving greater financial transparency.

  • Sports Q&A: What is a DAO and how are they relevant to sport?

    26 September 2022

    Decentralised Autonomous Organisations (DAOs) are a creature of Web3. The theory goes that they are membership-led bodies, which can operate as decentralised corporations in the digital, blockchain-supported world, independent of real world regulation. The paradigm DAO is transparent and self-governing without outside government interference and no power held by any executive or management board. The reality is, currently, somewhat different (see further below).

  • What's the meaning of a football transfer?

    21 September 2022

    Those involved with football transfers will be familiar with sell-on clauses given that they are widely used in the world of professional football. The purpose of a sell on clause is simple.

  • Sports Q&A: FIFA's new football agent regulations - what do you need to know?

    27 June 2022

    Agents are always an important topic in football and especially so at the moment as FIFA’s new football agent regulations are imminent and set to impact all stakeholders who work within the football industry. In this month’s Q&A, John Shea outlines some of the key changes being proposed in order to ensure that agents, clubs, and players are ahead of the game.

  • Shipwrecking online pirates: we can’t wait for a change in the wind, we need to adjust their sails to force a change of course

    20 April 2022

    As life begins to return to some sort of normality after the huge disruption caused by COVID, we have been reflecting on how the swift imposition of lockdowns and other restrictions escalated what was likely to be a greater shift to the consumption of digital entertainment content via the internet and streaming services; both the legitimate and illegal kinds.

  • Sports Q&A: Conducting misconduct investigations

    12 April 2022

    In an increasingly complex legal and regulatory landscape, dealing with the intricacies of investigations can be fraught with difficulties, especially in a sports context. Often conducted under intense scrutiny, from the media and stakeholders, allegations need to be carefully and appropriately investigated to maintain your reputation and mitigate legal risk. In this Q&A we consider some of the key questions when conducting a investigation into your staff, coaches, officials or members.

  • Gambling Advertising: ASA and CAP move the goal posts for footballers and celebs

    06 April 2022

    Following an 18 month consultation period, the ASA today announced that it will be changing the rules when it comes to who can appear in gambling ads.

  • What should I look out for in a club sponsorship contract?

    16 March 2022

    Q: Our local rugby team has lost its shirt sponsor and we’ve been offered a deal if we can make a quick decision. What are the key things to look out for in a sponsorship contract?

  • Stephen O’Flaherty recognised in The Lawyer’s Hot 100 for 2022

    18 January 2022

    Lewis Silkin’s Stephen O’Flaherty has been named in The Lawyer’s Hot 100 for 2022, celebrating the most daring, innovative, and creative lawyers in the UK for the past year. Stephen is one of two associates to be named in this year’s list.

  • Sports Q&A - Transgender athletes: What do the IOC's new guidelines mean for sports organisations?

    13 December 2021

    In November, the International Olympic Committee released new guidance which says there should be no assumption that a transgender athlete automatically has an unfair advantage in female events. In this Q&A, Anna Bond and James Garmston dive deep into the new guidelines to ensure you fully understand what they mean for your organisation.

  • Sports Q&A - I've heard lots of noise about the Online Safety Bill, but is it relevant to sport?

    15 September 2021

    Q: I've heard lots of noise about the Online Safety Bill, but is it relevant to sport?

  • COVID-19 advice for corporate occupiers

    16 June 2021

    Commercial tenants – whether occupying offices, retail premises, industrial units or other property - face potentially existential questions arising out of their landlord and tenant relations, how to manage cashflow and outgoings as revenues dry up, premises shut down and uncertainty reigns.

  • Sports Q&A - I want to make alterations to my sports venue due to Covid-19 – do I need any third-party consent(s) for this?

    15 June 2021

    The answer is, maybe! This depends on a few factors, which are set out below.

  • Ambush Marketing: our guide to navigating the rules

    03 June 2021

    With 50 days to go, brands and advertising agencies are buzzing with ideas of how to capitalise on the world's focus finally shifting to the long awaited Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

  • Sports Q&A - What do clubs, agents and players need to be aware of regarding payments of agents’ fees?

    28 April 2021

    In recent years, HM Revenue & Customs (“HMRC”) have ramped up their investigations into the tax affairs of the football industry with a particular focus on the tax treatment of agents' fees. According to research by the accountancy firm UHY Hacker Young, the number of footballers investigated by HMRC rose dramatically in the tax year 2019-20, going up from 87 to 246 individuals, and the number of investigations into the tax affairs of football agents also increased substantially, more than doubling from 23 in 2018-19 to 55 in 2019-20.

Back To Top