DLA Piper

DLA Piper acts for a broad spectrum of clients in the sporting scene, including governing bodies, broadcasters, rights holders, global brands, and financial institutions. The firm continues to handle mandates spanning commercial, regulatory, disputes, data, finance, and event-related work. Notably, a team led by Nick Fitzpatrick, Ruth Hoy, and John Wilks remains the go-to counsel to the Premier League, with work covering sponsorship, licensing and partnership arrangements, as well as regulatory and contentious matters. Its wider client base has a strong international presence, including broadcasters such as Warner Bros. Discovery and BEIN, as well as high-profile rightsholders. The firm also acts on the exploitation and distribution of global sports data rights for clients such as Football Dataco. In the finance arena, the firm continues to build its offering, led by Charlotte Lewis-Williams, and its regulatory teams remain active across the full spectrum of contentious issues. Zane Shihab leads a robust commercial practice. James Thorndyke has worked on a range of complex disputes.