Gateley Legal Navigating the Legal side of Sport For many professionals in sport, navigating the legal world is like finding yourself stranded in a very deep, very dark jungle at night. There are loads of gnarly roots at your feet just waiting to trip you up, branches are sticking out at odd angles to poke you in the head and there always seems to be something breathing just behind you. Before entering jungles like this, it makes sense to have a guide. Someone who comes prepared with a map, a flashlight and the experience of navigating the more treacherous areas… Gateley Legal started in 1974, under the name Gateley Waring and Co and it began with just twelve employees and now has over one thousand. Best known recently as the first UK law firm to float on the London Stock Exchange. Meaning that as compared to a traditional law firm, employees can own shares, allowing them to share in the success of the business. This sort of forward-thinking approach is one of the mainstay characteristics of the legal and professional services group according to John Burns. John, who is a partner in the business, has 20 years’ experience in the sector. His career working within the legal landscape of sport began when he started working with Everton Football Club. Since then, John has broadened his sporting horizon and grown the practice at Gateley acting for wide-ranging sports clients, including six major premiership football clubs and rugby teams and large and small International and National Governing Bodies, .
“We cover every type of sports organisation,” he says, “And have been growing strength to strength because we keep up to date not only with what is happening in the legal world but also in the sporting arena. This allows us to see what is coming on the horizon today to prepare for how it can affect our clients tomorrow.” Around forty lawyers are actively involved in the sporting sector of the Gateley Legal business and they do a range of work within the sports tech space, with most of their work being with sport organisations. Some of these areas in the tech space include apps, healthcare systems for athletes, booking systems and sponsorship valuation technology to name just a small selection. “This includes working with athletes and players regarding endorsement and image rights exploitation,” John says, “And everything from buying and selling sports businesses, intellectual property rights management and the contractual work that is involved in stadium build and design.” THE STATE OF THE INDUSTRY Gateley work with a number of their sports clients to help them embrace “good governance”. Exploiting commercial opportunities, putting together a diverse and “fit for purpose board” are all skills that have to be learned and not simply assumed. This is where John and his team can
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