sports individuals you have our whole team behind you
Did you know? • Setting up an image rights structure can, in the right circumstances, save you a lot of money • Making sure you have a non-disclosure agreement in place before revealing any private and confidential information helps your secrets stay safe • If you get arrested, in some countries, it can cause you problems with future international travel and you need advice straightaway • A pre or postnuptial agreement is now enforceable to protect your assets in the event of a future marriage breakdown.
“Elite athletes need robust advice to help them navigate through the intricacies of their professional and personal life. Participants and their representatives need to be well-informed about legal issues and when to seek advice. It is vital to have a supporting team who understand the challenges that come up, will put practical measures in place and will fight your corner when things go wrong.� Fiona Hinds, Joint Head of HK Sport, Howard Kennedy
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Team talk “ Personal challenges, such as separation, divorce and making arrangements for children can take their toll on sports stars too. It is also very important to think about managing current finances and investments so that income lasts beyond a competitive career. Elite athletes are not invincible and face a lot of the same challenges as you and me, but magnified because they often take place in the public eye, involve very large sums of money or need to be dealt with extremely quickly to contain the impact on sporting performance� Lois Langton, Joint Head of HK Sport, Howard Kennedy
The game plan Professional sportsmen and women enter competition with careful preparation and a tactical plan, but have to adapt as the game or race unfolds. There is no reason to take a different approach to professional support. While legal issues may seem an irritant or distraction, planning for and taking the right steps at the right time helps to reap rewards later. That could be avoiding a selection dispute in the run-up to a major championship because of a missed drugs test years earlier, tailoring endorsement contracts so that appearances with sponsors impact as little as possible in individual preparation for competition or earning extra income from intellectual property rights and appearance fees. Our team identify and deal with these issues in advance, so that the right building blocks or protective measures are already in place. That means our clients can make more of their sporting success, move quickly if opportunities come up and are ready to adapt if their circumstances change.
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Our services From turning professional and agreeing contracts through to building a brand, moving to a new team or setting up commercial agreements, we provide legal advice for the whole sporting career. The high-profile, high-earning nature of the professional athlete means that just as much support is needed away from the field of play. We regularly advise on complex UK immigration law, employment law, divorce and family matters, wills and estate planning (such as setting up trust and investment structures), as well as setting up new businesses and foundations.
We will also be there when things go wrong – to guide our clients if injury strikes, through disciplinary proceedings and rule violations, commercial disputes, and if the worst should happen, dealing with arrest and defending criminal charges. We work hard to ensure that our clients’ reputations are protected, and disputes are dealt with effectively and discretely, or as best suits our clients’ PR strategy.
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Loyal supporters We recognise that behind every sporting star is a team of experts working hard to create the right conditions for their athletes to excel. As sport has become increasingly professional, it is vital for representatives to have a clear understanding of rights, obligations and legal issues, to best advise their clients and as well as avoiding pitfalls in their own businesses. We apply the same expertise, rigour and quality of service when we act for representatives and advisers as when we advise elite athletes.
We don’t trouble our clients for endorsements, but here is what the legal directories say about us.
Howard Kennedy LLP works exclusively for privately funded clients in high-profile criminal matters. Ian Ryan is the key contact. Legal 500 2016
At Howard Kennedy LLP, practice head Mark Stephens CBE is ‘pre-eminent in the field of freedom of expression’. Legal 500 2016
“Lois Langton advice is ‘right on the button’.” Legal 500 2015
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Key contacts
Lois Langton “has an incredible grasp of the detail but can also see the big picture.” She handles financial issues and is also experienced in cross-border children work, including surrogacy.”
Fiona Hinds Partner: Joint Head of HK Sport T: +44 (0) 20 3755 5708 E: fiona.hinds@howardkennedy.com
Chambers UK 2016
Robert Lands of Howard Kennedy LLP advises clients in the arts, entertainment, fashion and technology worlds on commercial non-patent matters. Clients have “great confidence in his advice” and appreciate his “friendly and accessible approach.” Chambers UK 2016
“The firm is calm and it is a safe pair of hands at a challenging time for those involved.” Chambers UK 2016
Lois Langton Partner: Joint Head of HK Sport T: +44 (0) 20 3755 5559 E: lois.langton@howardkennedy.com
No.1 London Bridge London SE1 9BG DX 144370 Southwark 4 Tel: +44 (0)20 3755 6000 Fax: +44 (0)20 3650 7000 www.howardkennedy.com