sports individuals you have our whole team behind you

Did you know?• Structuring your contract to protect your

image rights offshore can 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 secret

• If you get a criminal conviction in any country, it can cause you problems with future international travel. If you’re at risk of arrest, you need advice straight away

• If you are getting married, you should consider either a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement to protect your assets in the event of a future marriage breakdown.

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Both the individuals and those that represent them need to be well informed about legal issues and have a supporting team who understand the challenges they face, put protections in place for them and are there to fight their corner should things go wrong.”

Sue Thackeray, PartnerHoward Kennedy

“Sporting individuals need robust advice to help them navigate through the intricacies of their professional and personal life.

Team talk Professional sportsmen and women enter competition with careful preparation and a tactical plan. It comes as no surprise then that they should adopt the same approach to their non-sporting life too. Negotiating contracts and commercial agreements, protecting privacy, managing personal relationships and family needs and dealing with legal challenges are often seen as irritants or distractions from their professional goals. But, irritating as they are, they are vital for the well-being of the sporting individual. They ensure that the commitment and sacrifices that professionals make for their sports continue to be rewarded well beyond their sporting career.

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The game plan “ Personal challenges, such as separation, divorce, cohabitation

agreements and child-related matters, can take their toll on

sports stars. The management of their current and future

investments and assets too, such as how to structure trusts,

wills and estate planning, can cause further concerns. Sports

professionals are not invincible. They are just as vulnerable in

the real world as they are on the sports field. As in sport though,

they are not alone. They have a team – of agents, advisers and

lawyers to support them – on whom they can rely on until the

final whistle”

Lois Langton, Partner, Howard Kennedy

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From turning professional and agreeing contracts through to building a brand, negotiating image rights, moving to a new team and setting up commercial agreements, we provide legal advice for the whole sporting career. If the worst should happen, we guide our clients through challenges with injury, disciplinary procedures, criminal allegations, employment claims and disputes. The sporting career can be short, and we will help to plan for a life beyond sporting success, whether that is negotiating commentator contracts, advertising or sponsorship packages, moving into management or coaching, or setting up a brand new business.

Our priority is to protect professional careers and personal interests. The high-profile, high-earning nature of sports professionals means they need just as much support off the field or track as they do on it. Our renowned team is able to assist clients with relationships, divorce, estate planning, trusts, business ventures, personal investments, wealth protection, wills, real estate, tax and much more.

Our services

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Sports managers and agents know that the modern athlete is a high-maintenance professional. They need dedication, determination and decisiveness to reach – and maintain – the very highest levels of performance in their sport.

Off the track or field sports professionals face tough challenges that require a team of expert advisers to help overcome them. Sporting talent operates in a complicated legal world that, without the proper expertise, can affect their professional performance as well their personal life. Issues such as commercial contracts, image rights and ownership, personal injury and sporting disputes – like allegations of rule-breaking, corruption or doping – need to be given as much attention as personal issues, including children and relationships, reputation management, wealth protection, tax and preparing for life once their competitive career is over.

Sportsmen and women and those who represent them need legal advice at various points throughout their sporting lives. They need lawyers who understand, not only the law, but how it works for their clients in sport and the wider commercial context. We will work as hard on the preparation and the tactics as our clients. This ensures that sporting talent can remain focussed on their professional success, safe in the knowledge that they and their family’s well-being is protected.

Loyal supporters

Chamber 2014

Lois Langton “is ‘knowledgeable and details-

focused’ and a ‘strong negotiator, while polite

and courteous’.”

Sue Thackeray “she has fantastic client care

skills, with additional commercial and strategic

savvy.”

Robert Lands is “extremely detailed knowledge”

and that he is “good at giving off-the-cuff

advice.” Sources appreciate his endeavours to

understand their businesses and tailor his advice

accordingly.

John Annetts continues to impress sources

with his expertise in probate, wills and trusts.

Commentators say: “He is very able and will

always give solid, practical advice.”

Loyal supporters

Key contacts

Lois LangtonPartner: Joint Head of SportT: +44 (0)20 3755 5559E: lois.langton@howardkennedy.com

Fiona HindsSenior Associate: Joint Head of SportT: +44 (0)20 3755 5508E: fiona.hinds@howardkennedy.com

Team membersJohn Annetts Brian EaglesCraig EmdenHoward GouldenMichael HarrisJulian HindmarshRobert LandsIan RyanSue Thackeray

No.1 London Bridge London SE1 9BGDX 144370 Southwark 4

Tel: +44 (0)20 3755 6000 Fax: +44 (0)20 3650 7000

www.howardkennedy.com