Specialist Sports Lawyers At Irwin Mitchell Advise On Deal

Specialist sports lawyers at law firm Irwin Mitchell have advised Lewes FC on a ground-breaking three-year partnership with small business platform, Xero.

The partnership is the club’s largest and longest and it is designed to help the club to reach its objective of creating greater equality in the women’s game.

The announcement comes five years after Lewes FC became the first football club in the world to split its playing budget and resources equally between the men’s and women’s first teams.

Xero aims to go beyond traditional sponsorship and support and will work with Lewes FC on a range of initiatives to enable clubs across the country to improve financial viability.

Xero’s partnership investment will allow Lewes to hire new staff to focus on executing their strategy and to communicate the importance of healthy finances to the grassroots clubs community and the vital role it is plays in achieving an equitable playing field.

At the heart of the partnership is a belief that strong financial management has a direct impact on a club’s ability to fuel the pipeline for talent and increase recruitment from school age groups.

Thomas Barnard and Ted Powell from Irwin Mitchell’s sports sector team advised Lewes FC on the partnership.

Tom Barnard, partner and sport sector lead at the national firm, said:

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“We’re delighted to have supported Lewes FC on this innovative partnership. The club has made huge strides forward over the last five years becoming the world’s first gender equal club and this is another important milestone.

“Lewes FC is a club that we’re all proud to be associated with. Irwin Mitchell’s Sports Team are committed to helping our clients achieve their gender parity goals and promoting inclusion in all sport. As Irwin Mitchell is the firm with the highest percentage of female solicitors of any UK law firm, we share Lewes FC’s values and its aims of bringing equality to the game.”
Tom Barnard - Partner

Maggie Murphy, Lewes FC’s CEO, said: “We’re focused on creating a welcoming, inclusive club that’s sustainable for the long term, which is impossible to create without brilliant partners like Xero.

“What the partnership also does is provide validity and legitimacy for the women’s game. With a brand like Xero coming on board, it’s a message to the wider world that it’s a space worth investing in. I’m confident with the help of Xero we’ll continue to make great strides towards equality.”

Irwin Mitchell was recently appointed by UK Athletics as its Official Legal Partner for the next three years. This follows the announcement last June that Irwin Mitchell is the Official Legal Partner to British Rowing.

Irwin Mitchell is also the Official Legal Partner of England Rugby. This partnership has already seen the introduction of a Legal and Tax Helpline to support member clubs and the development of a new mentoring programme for young players.