Stone King is recognised by external legal directories as a leading

national law firm. We are able to draw upon a range of skills and

experience across our firm to provide the very best advice for

sports clubs operating at all levels and for individuals working

with them. Many of our lawyers are recognised as leaders in

their field. Whether you are a local community club or a national

sports body, our Sports Team can provide specialist knowledge of

relevant legal issues affecting the sector and a practical approach

to problems you may be facing.

How we can help you:

Establishment and structure Choosing the right structure at the outset is a key part of

establishing a new sports group, ensuring that you are on the

right footing and that you avoid any potential problems down

the line. Our team can advise you on the most suitable structure

for your startup, whether that be a community amateur sports

club (CASC), a registered charity or a for-profit business and on

the tax advantages of each. We have significant experience in

establishing all structures and in dealing with regulators such

as HMRC and the Charity Commission.

We can also assist where you are already established but your

existing structure is no longer appropriate. We have worked with

many local community teams to make the transition from an

unincorporated structure to an incorporated one.

Property Your sports group will need somewhere to operate from. Whether

you are considering purchasing or leasing land, or granting rights

of access to others, our team is able to assist. We are also able to

draw upon the skills of our construction specialists if your team

is planning to develop facilities on its site.

We also deal with national funding bodies such as Sport England

and the Football Foundation on a regular basis and have key

contacts there. We are familiar with their grant and security

documentation and are able to guide you through the process

of receiving an award.

Staff and volunteers Whatever the size of your club, you will no doubt be reliant on

the help of individuals, whether paid or voluntary. Our employment

team can advise you on the issues to watch out for when

engaging volunteers and on all manner of employee issues, such

as discrimination or equal pay claims. We also have dedicated

HR advisors who are able to travel to you to provide practical

advice at a lower cost.

Commercial, contracts and intellectual property Sports clubs are of course businesses as well and no one

understands this better than our team of commercially-minded

lawyers. We can provide robust advice in commercial negotiations

to ensure that you are getting the best deal. We can also provide

advice on specialist issues that may be relevant, such as Data

Protection, to ensure you comply with your duties.

As your club grows, its brand will also and you will find that you

have goodwill attached to your name. Our team can advise on

the best way to ensure that your brand is protected. �

“The firm is first rate, you can’t get better” – Legal 500 2012

Sports Legal Services

Stone King LLP 13 Queen Square Bath BA1 2HJ Tel. 01225 337599 Fax. 01225 335437

16 St John’s Lane London EC1M 4BS Tel. 020 7796 1007 Fax. 020 7796 1017

Thirty Station Road, Cambridge CB1 2RE Tel: 01223 451340 Fax: 01223 314027

www.stoneking.co.uk email: sport@stoneking.co.uk Stone King LLP - registered limited liability partnership no OC315280, registered office 13 Queen Square, Bath BA1 2HJ © Stone King LLP 06/2013

Dispute resolution Unfortunately disputes do arise from time to time. At Stone King LLP

we will work with you to achieve the best outcome for your sports

club in the most cost-effective manner. We take a proactive approach

to resolving commercial and personal legal disputes, using negotiation

and mediation wherever appropriate as a practical alternative to

litigation. Where litigation is the only option, we will take effective

action to resolve the conflict in the best interests of your sports club.

With specialist experience, our dispute resolution lawyers can help

your club with issues including: contractual disputes, injunctions,

professional negligence, construction and commercial property

litigation.

Finance, Funding and Fundraising Whether you are considering accepting a grant award, taking out

a loan or running a fundraising event, we have lawyers with the

experience and skills to ensure that you comply with your legal

obligations and obtain the best possible deal. We can advise on the

terms of grant and loan agreements and on how to maximise tax

benefits, such as Gift Aid, through trading subsidiaries.

Health and Safety Health and safety can often be a worry for sports clubs and it is

vitally important that you comply with health and safety regulations

and have appropriate insurance in place. Our team has expertise

advising organisations of all sizes on their responsibilities. We can

provide pragmatic and sensible solutions to ensure that the risk of

a claim being brought is minimised.

Other issues As a firm we have specialists in a wide range of areas, acting for both

individuals and organisations. Whatever issue you may have, we will

have somebody with the experience and skills to be able to assist.

For further information please contact Darren Hooker on

020 7324 1753 or email him at dlh@stoneking.co.uk

Michael King Head of Charity & Education Group

Tamsin Simmonds Associate, Commercial Property

Darren Hooker Solicitor, Charity & Social Enterprise

Michael is Chairman and Senior Partner of Stone

King. Michael is an active member of the Charity

Law Association and was its Chairman from 1997 to

2000. He is recognised by Chambers Directory and

the Legal 500 as a leader in charity law. Michael has worked with

several sports groups including recently in relation to proposals

concerning The Recreation Ground – the home of Aviva

Premiership club, Bath Rugby.

Darren is a solicitor in our team, advising on all

aspects of charity & social enterprise law and

practice. Darren has a particular interest in grass

roots sports development and specialises in advising

local community sports groups on their establishment and

registration. Darren was part of the Charity Law Association working

party which responded to the Charity Commission’s consultation

on amateur sport. Darren is also a governor of a community primary

school in Southwark.

Tamsin is an associate solicitor in the team and has

been at Stone King since 2008, having qualified in

2004. Tamsin deals with all aspects of commercial

property law and has extensive experience of acting

for a wide range of charity clients in all property matters including

day-to-day landlord and tenant management issues as well as

larger disposals and acquisitions and re-financing. Tamsin is a keen

sportswoman and is a member of a local running club and triathlon

club and so is familiar with the issues that can affect amateur

sports clubs. Tamsin is also chair of trustees of the Stone King

Foundation, a grant making charity separate from the firm.

Your key contacts