Sports

“Fountain Court members are strong across the board, highly capable and quick to respond.”


Chambers & Partners

Fountain Court’s sports experience spans numerous practice areas and sports.

Our work covers commercial and financial disputes including as between clubs, players, agents, other intermediaries and commercial partners; employment-related cases including in relation to contractual disputes and discrimination; and regulatory and disciplinary matters and independent reviews and investigations, including in relation to safeguarding, governance and anti-doping.

Members have advised on and acted in cases in almost every sport ranging from football, rugby union, rugby league, boxing, motor racing and cricket to tennis, golf, athletics, swimming, show-jumping and polo. We also act for governing bodies and for commercial and media partners involved in contractual arrangements or projects in the sector.

As a leading commercial set law, we can draw upon our extensive experience across a range of areas including contractual law, employment, public law, competition, tax, insolvency, disciplinary/regulatory and civil fraud, and our outstanding advocacy and advisory expertise, to provide a full service offering to our clients in this space, across both litigation and domestic and international arbitration.

Members of Fountain Court hold, or have previously held, formal appointments within the sports law arena including the Football Association, the League Managers Association, the Rugby Players Association, the British Paralympic Association, the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Sport Resolutions and the British Association of Sport and Law.

Our work includes cases relating to:

  • Representing Carlo Ancelotti in his High Court dispute against Everton Football Club.
  • Representing Antonio Conte in his Premier League arbitration and Employment Tribunal dispute with Chelsea Football Club.
  • Acting on both sides of a high-profile dispute between a boxer and his promoter and the British Boxing Board of Control in relation to a positive VADA drugs test.
  • Defending Bernie Ecclestone in substantial High Court litigation involving allegations of unlawful means conspiracy and other economic torts in connection with the sale of Formula One to CVC.
  • Acting for Mamadou Sakho in proceedings against the World Anti-Doping Authority for negligence in connection with its allegations that he had taken a banned substance.
  • Advising a Premier League football club in respect of the FIFA Stadium Safety and Security Regulations, FA Crowd Management Measures and the Sports Grounds Safety Authority.
  • Acting as chair of the independent review into UK Athletics’ handling of allegations concerning the Nike Oregon Project and Alberto Salazar.
  • Acting for Rangers Football Club in a dispute concerning the matching rights of Sports Direct for future merchandising agreements.
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Sports Barristers

Timothy Dutton QC

Timothy Dutton CBE KC

Call 1979 | Silk 1998

Bankim Thanki KC

Call 1988 | Silk 2003

Mark Simpson QC

Mark Simpson KC

Call 1992 | Silk 2008

Jeffrey Chapman QC

Jeffrey Chapman KC

Call 1989 | Silk 2010

Akhil Shah QC

Akhil Shah KC

Call 1990 | Silk 2010

Paul Gott QC

Paul Gott KC

Call 1991 | Silk 2012

Richard Coleman QC

Richard Coleman KC

Call 1994 | Silk 2012

Stuart Ritchie QC

Stuart Ritchie KC

Call 1995 | Silk 2012

Anneliese Day QC

Anneliese Day KC

Call 1996 | Silk 2012

Clare Sibson KC

Call 1997 | Silk 2016

Adam Zellick QC

Adam Zellick KC

Call 2000 | Silk 2017

John Mehrzad KC

Call 2005 | Silk 2020

Simon Atrill

Simon Atrill KC

Call 2005 | Silk 2023

Louise Merrett

Call 1995

Deepak Nambisan

Call 1998

Niamh Cleary

Niamh Cleary

Call 2012

Max Kasriel

Max Kasriel

Call 2015

Ian Bergson

Ian Bergson

Call 2015

Samuel Rabinowitz

Samuel Rabinowitz

Call 2016

Francesca Ruddy

Call 2020

Sam Hussaini

Call 2022

Michael Brindle QC

Michael Brindle KC

Call 1975 | Silk 1992

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Contact our clerks

For more information on our experience or to discuss a particular case, please contact us.

Call:    +44 (0)207 583 3335
Email: clerks@fountaincourt.co.uk

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