James Segan

James is regularly engaged in EU and competition matters, both commercial and regulatory. Many such cases arise in the Telecommunications, Sport and Financial Services sectors. James appears and advises in sports law matters both commercial and regulatory. He is often instructed in disciplinary hearings and has appeared for a number of different governing bodies.

James was featured by both Legal Week ("Stars at the Bar", October 2010) and The Lawyer ("Rising Stars", April 2010) as a future star of the profession.

Current and recent work

FAPL Limited v British Sky Broadcasting and Ors [2013] EWHC 2058 (Ch)
Acted for the Premier League in successfully obtaining the first ever blocking order against the ISPs in respect of unlawfully streamed sports coverage over the internet (with Ian Mill QC).

RFU v London Welsh RFC (2013, RFU Disciplinary and Appeal Tribunals)
Acted for the RFU is successful prosecution of London Welsh for playing an unregistered scrum half, Tyson Keats, resulting in a 5-point deduction.

RFU v Viagogo Ltd [2012] 1 WLR 3333 (Supreme Court)
Acted for the RFU in a ground breaking Norwich Pharmacal application against the online ticket agency Viagogo in relation to the unlawful re-selling of tickets for rugby union internationals (with Lord Pannick QC in the Supreme Court, and Ian Mill QC in the Court of Appeal).

Lapikov v International Weightlifting Federation (CAS 2012/A/2677)
Acted for Russian weightlifter Dmitry Lapikov in appeal to CAS against a four-year anti-doping ban imposed by the IWF. The ban was halved to two years (with Ian Mill QC).

London 2012 Olympic Selection disputes
Acted for the British Olympic Association in successfully defending Olympic selection decisions in Taekwondo, Judo and Wrestling, including in the high-profile dispute with Taekwondo athlete Aaron Cook.

FA v QPR (2011, FA Disciplinary Tribunal)
Acted for the FA in its successful prosecution of Premier League club Queen's Park Rangers for failing to make disclosure of "third party" arrangements concerning midfielder Alejandro Faurlin (with Adam Lewis QC).

RFU v Delon Armitage (2011, RFU Disciplinary and Appeal Tribunals)
Acted for the RFU in the successful prosecution of the England and London Irish player Delon Armitage for pushing and abusing a UK Anti-Doping official.

RFU v Harrison, Lipman, Crockett and Higgins (2010) I.S.L.R., 2, 38-43 (RFU Disciplinary and Appeal Tribunals)
Successful prosecution of four Bath Rugby Club players in relation to their refusal to take drugs tests following allegations of cocaine abuse in mid-2009 (with Andrew Green QC).