Kingsley Napley LLP

Kingsley Napley has a long history of representing high profile individuals, teams and regulators within the sports industry. Our top-ranked lawyers from across 11 practice areas offer a full range of contentious and non-contentious legal services for sports people and bodies, meaning that all legal requirements can be managed by one high-performing and discreet team of lawyers who are as passionate about sport as they are law. 

Our clients tell us that our ability to quickly compile a trusted team of lawyers across various practice areas to specifically suit their (often urgent) requirements is  a significant competitive strength.

Few law firms can compete with Kingsley Napley’s established legal enterprise for those in the sports industry – either in terms of breadth of offering or quality of service. Whether our clients are seeking legal advice regarding sports and media contracts, regulatory issues, employment, reputation tax, criminal or family issues, our lawyers offer unrivalled expertise.

Recent Work

• Motor racing drivers – Acting for internationally famous motor racing drivers in respect of all aspects of their career including their contracts with their racing teams, media rights, regulatory matters and any personal issues arising.
• Footballers - Acting for a prominent international footballer in respect of negotiations and finalisation of his contract with his premier league club.
• Agency - Acting for well-known football agencies in respect of their contracts with their footballers.
• Football Disciplinary – we have acted for:
  • Football managers and footballers in respect of disciplinary proceedings.
  • Footballers, football agents and managers in respect of FA Rule K Arbitration proceedings.
• Divorce proceedings - Acting for sporting professionals (most recently footballers and Olympic athletes) in confidential and sensitive divorce proceedings and in respect of financial arrangements for children.
• Residential sales and purchases - Acting for high profile sporting individuals in respect of high value residential sales and purchases.
• Safeguarding and regulatory obligations - Acting for directors and boards of leisure and sports companies to help them meet their safeguarding and regulatory obligations.
• Anti-doping - Acting for sporting professionals in respect of UK anti-doping procedures.
• Governance - Acting for regulatory bodies in respect of matters concerning their functions and operations, including disciplinary schemes and good governance arrangements.
• Drafting Rules - Acting for regulatory bodies in the drafting of their rules and regulations.