Sport
Our specialist sports lawyers and financial experts have a detailed understanding of how the high pressure, fast paced sports environment works. Even more so, what the ever-changing requirements of being a responsible organisation means when it comes to staff, players, fans, venues, and organisational governance.
Recognised by the Legal 500 as a Tier 1 Sports Law Firm, we can advise on any changes in the regulatory environment or wider sports arena that may affect your organisation to help you comply and prepare. We will assist your business to proactively identify and avoid risks and take advantage of opportunities.
We are passionate about our own responsible business journey and will bring our expert knowledge and experience to help you achieve your sustainability and ESG goals. Whether you are managing a challenging situation and need board level advice or are starting your ESG journey and need assistance in putting in place foundational governance, we’ll build that understanding with you and guide you with clear, pragmatic advice.
We advise and support organisations, sponsors, agencies and athletes to create safe, sustainable, well governed environments where all participants from grass roots to elite level can enjoy sport, feel included and benefit from all the physical and mental benefits that it brings.
Latest Insight & News
We have selected a few topical issues below, but for more inspiration on your sector or area of interest, click through to our media library here.
How Can We Help?
A full suite of services to assist you in creating a safe and productive environment and ensuring that there are measures in place to prevent discrimination. We assist in creating and reviewing policies, providing assessments and training, while ensuring you meet your obligations as an employer and reap the benefits of a diverse and thriving work force.
Our multi-disciplinary team can assist in reviewing and creating of policies and advising on applicable regulations to ensure that all areas of your organisation or associated clubs and member structures show good practice and comply with legal and code of conduct requirements. The expertise spans financial reporting and tax considerations through to gender pay gap, modern slavery, and environmental permits dependent on your unique situation.
The Irwin Mitchell Real Estate team can advise on various areas across your portfolio, from managing of retail spaces, green leases and dispute resolution through to the environmental considerations when planning of a new stadium build, our experts will help to embed a responsible approach and ensure new projects are built sustainably.
Protection of your customers, members or fans data as well as ensuring no disruption to daily business activities is critical for all sports related organisations. With our cyber security assessment and support with training and compliance on data privacy and GDPR, our teams are well placed to ensure you have the measures in place to keep your data and systems safe.
We specialise in managing and protecting intellectual property including image rights, across borders and can offer a broad range of services including tax advice and implications and take down services across digital platforms.
Whether you are looking to resolve a tax matter, raise funds or restructure your organisation, our team can advise and help to assess the implications of different options to achieve the best possible outcome for all stakeholders.
To explore the wider range of services offered by Irwin Mitchell see our Legal Advisory Service Page.
Working With British Rowing
"We have been fortunate to receive excellent ongoing support and advice from the great team at Irwin Mitchell covering commercial contracts, policies relating to online and data privacy, employment law, sports facilities, and safeguarding. We recently switched all our legal work to Irwin Mitchell, and they really have hit the ground running.
The service has been swift, professional, and complete and the fact the team were contactable and helpful makes things all very easy.
Based on my experience so far, if anyone is considering a full-service law firm, then I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Irwin Mitchell."
Kenny Baillie
Director of Partnerships & Communications | British Rowing
Our Unique Partnership With England Rugby
We’re proud to be England Rugby’s official legal partner but more than that, we’re proud that our relationship extends to working in collaboration to help to grow the game across the country and address a real need within our communities.
The Irwin Mitchell Mentoring Club helps young people stay involved in rugby for longer and take the next step to progress in the sport.
35,000 - Total number of young people our mentors aim to support
Read more about our partnership with England Rugby
When people think of sport, their first thought is often of elite or professional athletes. But sport is far more than that – it unites so many different people at so many levels. ESG considerations are important to all, no matter how far removed you may be from the professional end of the spectrum. Personally, I volunteer at a local rugby club and a county football association, and have first-hand experience of seeing how positive changes enhance the sporting environment for so many people.
There’s a long way to go, though, and I’m delighted that environmental, social and governance issues continue to be a major focus for the industry.
View Tom's profile
Sustainability in business is about making a difference beyond short-term interests to build a better and fairer world for people and the planet with our finite level of resources. It doesn’t mean that business should not generate profit (far from it) but it’s long term value generation that will make the difference and comes from taking responsibility and having shared purpose at the centre.
When asked why this is important and urgent it brings to mind a quote from a film favourite - "There's a storm coming… batten down the hatches, because when it hits, you're all gonna wonder how you ever thought you could live so large and leave so little for the rest of us."
View Hannah's Profile
Contact Details
For all ESG enquiries, please contact Tom Barnard, Partner, by phone or email.
Sectors
Our specialist sports lawyers have in-depth knowledge of the sports sector, many of them coming from sporting clubs and organisations themselves. They bring this passion and experience to a broad spectrum of ESG related services tailored to this industry, from corporate governance and compliance to environmental planning of a new stadium to awareness training on Diversity and Inclusion. For more information visit our Sport Sector ESG page.
The manufacturing sector is at the forefront of both the challenges and opportunities of building a sustainable business. From energy and emissions and waste management to responsible sourcing and large diverse workforces and work environments, our multi-disciplinary team of experts can help with achieving both the short-term wins and long-term goals. For more information visit our Manufacturing Sector ESG page.
Whether you are a developer, investor or occupier, there are significant considerations to ensure that properties are built and operated efficiently and responsibly. Our expert legal teams can advise across multiple real estate sectors to assist you in complying with regulations and managing the environmental and social impact of any property or development. From implementing of green leases and issuing of environmental permits to sophisticated environmental planning expertise, the team can guide you to achieve your ESG goals. For more information visit our Real Estate Sector ESG page.
Consumer facing and retail businesses are often in the spotlight when it comes to being responsible businesses. Fair labour practices, hyper consumerism and waste, safe working environments, packaging and marketing claims are all in a day’s work for these businesses. Our diverse team of consumer and retail specialists can advise on how to anticipate and plan for ESG considerations in this fast-moving environment to protect your business and ensure sustainable growth. For more information visit our Consumer Sector ESG page.
