Experience > Sectors and focus areas > Sports, talent and entertainment
Sports, talent and entertainment
Withers' diverse team provides comprehensive, integrated legal counsel across a variety of jurisdictions for the full range of commercial, corporate, regulatory, and private client issues facing individuals and organizations in the sports and entertainment industries.
Our team is comprised of lawyers from across offices and a wide array of legal specialties including: corporate, intellectual property, labor and employment, litigation, real estate, tax, trust and estate planning, immigration, and family law. This broad experience fosters a broad and deep understanding of our clients and the complex and multifaceted issues and opportunities facing stakeholders doing business in the sports and entertainment industries.Our clients include professional sports teams, owners, investors, sponsors, promoters, live event companies, founders, agencies and management companies, and talent across music, sports, fashion, beauty, arts, television, film, and social media.
Our team regularly advises in the following areas:
- Commercial contracts
- Corporate finance
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Venture capital
- Labor and employment
- Litigation and dispute resolution
- Commercial and residential real estate
- Reputation management
- Intellectual property and technology
- Data privacy and cybersecurity
- Cryptocurrency and digital assets
- Trust and estate planning
- Wealth structuring
- Philanthropy
- Corporate and personal tax
- Immigration
- Family law
- Sponsorships
- Image/publicity rights
Clients include
Track record
Advised F1 driver and family office on the restructuring of global personal and professional business entity structuring
Advised fashion personality in connection with the investment and creation of personal cosmetics collection
Advised founder of luxury brand in connection with personal brand management matters and strategic investments
Advised various professional sports general managers and head coaches and NCAA Division 1 head coaches in connection with employment contracts
Advised private investor and family office in connection with purchase of minority interests in major league baseball (MLB) franchise
Assisted television personality with negotiating a long-term news anchor role with a major U.S. television network
Advised global marketing agency on expansion into U.S., U.K., and Asia
Advised Presidents Cup style golf event series on all legal matters, including debt and equity financings, tax, sponsorships, broadcast, and production agreements
Advised tournament owner and operator in connection with acquiring right to host and operate an LPGA event in North America, and subsequent advice in connection with sponsors, vendors, venues
Advised on $100 million investment by private investor and family office into a consortium that purchased the National Basketball Association's Charlotte Hornets
Advised global marketing agency on expansion into U.S., U.K., and Asia
Sale of majority stake in V8 Supercars
We are advising V8 team owners in relation to the sale of a majority stake in V8 Supercars to private equity.
The Youth Olympic Games
The Youth Olympic Games in Singapore as the official legal services sponsor, which covered a range of issues concerning the organisation and hosting of the games.
World Sports Group in relation to disputes
World Sports Group, Asia’s largest sports marketing, media and event management company, in relation to disputes pertaining to an agreement relating to the exploitation of commercial rights.
ASEAN Basketball League
Advising the League on the restructuring of its constitution and participation agreements and on its contract with a broadcaster.
International Table Tennis Federation
Assisting the International Table Tennis Federation with the establishment and operation of its marketing and Asia Pacific HQ in Singapore and continuing to provide ongoing advice on commercial and compliance matters.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Advising the Ultimate Fighting Championship (an American mixed martial arts promotion company) on compliance related matters for the staging of its first event in Singapore.
World Wrestling Entertainment
Advising World Wrestling Entertainment in relation to commercial media activity including the application of the television broadcast rules in Singapore.
Renault Group's acquisition of Lotus F1
Our London, Milan, Hong Kong and Singapore teams assisted Renault Group on the acquisition of Lotus F1 and its €1.5 billion investment in motorsport and technology. Renault extricated itself from engine supply agreements with F1 teams Red Bull and Toro Rosso, before embarking on the Lotus deal. The process took over nine months and involved staving off Lotus's multiple creditors, who were intent on putting the group into administration thereby saving Lotus's 512 skilled workforce from redundancy. Our corporate and insolvency teams achieved the unprecedented feat of adjourning four consecutive winding up petitions in court over the course of six months. This process added intense pressure to the deal, which was already complicated by the multi-party negotiations involving Mr Bernie Ecclestone, CVC, FIA, principal sponsors of Lotus, incoming and outgoing drivers of Lotus F1 as well as the outgoing minority shareholder of Lotus F1.
Advised global marketing agency on expansion into U.S., U.K., and Asia
AC Milan on the sponsorship by Emirates airline
AC Milan, an Italian Serie A football club, on the sponsorship by Emirates airline, which included the San Siro stadium and the Milanello sporting complex.
Acquisition of Queens Park Rangers
Investors on the purchase of Queens Park Rangers FC, an English football club and subsequent investment by the Mittal Group as well as advising on successive rounds of equity and debt financing.
İlkay Gündoğan on his transfer Manchester City
İlkay Gündoğan on his transfer to English Premier League team Manchester City FC. Midfielder Gündoğan moved from German Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and also plays for the German national team.
Manolo Gabbiadini on his £17 million transfer Southampton
Manolo Gabbiadini on his £17 million transfer to English Premier League team Southampton FC. Manolo moved to the UK club from Serie A club SSC Napoli and also plays for the Italian national team.
Roberto Donadoni on contract extension
Roberto Donadoni and his assistant coaches for their contract extensions with the Serie A club Bologna F.C. Withers are proud to have advised on the extension of the new employment agreements.
Wojciech Szczesny's on his £10 million transfer to Juventus
Wojciech Szczesny's on his £10 million move to Italian champions Juventus. The Polish international has made the move after 132 appearances for Arsenal FC having spent eight years at the club, and the last two seasons on loan at AS Roma.
Football Foundation's framework agreement
Developing a framework agreement and call-off-contract documents in respect of three procurement exercises undertaken on behalf of the Football Foundation, UK's largest sports charity, and related parties.
Sport England's framework agreement
Developing a framework agreement and call-off-contract documents for Sport England's specialist design consultancy panel.
Renault Group's acquisition of Lotus F1
Our London, Milan, Hong Kong and Singapore teams assisted Renault Group on the acquisition of Lotus F1 and its €1.5 billion investment in motorsport and technology. Renault extricated itself from engine supply agreements with F1 teams Red Bull and Toro Rosso, before embarking on the Lotus deal. The process took over nine months and involved staving off Lotus's multiple creditors, who were intent on putting the group into administration thereby saving Lotus's 512 skilled workforce from redundancy. Our corporate and insolvency teams achieved the unprecedented feat of adjourning four consecutive winding up petitions in court over the course of six months. This process added intense pressure to the deal, which was already complicated by the multi-party negotiations involving Mr Bernie Ecclestone, CVC, FIA, principal sponsors of Lotus, incoming and outgoing drivers of Lotus F1 as well as the outgoing minority shareholder of Lotus F1.
Advised F1 driver and family office on the restructuring of global personal and professional business entity structuring
Advised fashion personality in connection with the investment and creation of personal cosmetics collection
Advised founder of luxury brand in connection with personal brand management matters and strategic investments
Advised various professional sports general managers and head coaches and NCAA Division 1 head coaches in connection with employment contracts
Advised private investor and family office in connection with purchase of minority interests in major league baseball (MLB) franchise
Assisted television personality with negotiating a long-term news anchor role with a major U.S. television network
Advised global marketing agency on expansion into U.S., U.K., and Asia
Advised Presidents Cup style golf event series on all legal matters, including debt and equity financings, tax, sponsorships, broadcast, and production agreements
Advised tournament owner and operator in connection with acquiring right to host and operate an LPGA event in North America, and subsequent advice in connection with sponsors, vendors, venues
Advised on $100 million investment by private investor and family office into a consortium that purchased the National Basketball Association's Charlotte Hornets
Recognition
Our team
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Michael A. Rueda
Partner | Head of US Sports and Entertainment | New York
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Luca Ferrari
Partner | Global head of sport | Milan
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Libby Payne
Partner | London
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Alan M. Witlen
Partner | Los Angeles
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Alex Taylor
Partner | London
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Paolo De Jesus
Senior Associate | New York
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Andrew Fremlin-Key
Partner | London
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Sharon Whitehouse
Partner | London
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Mara Monte
Partner | London
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Michael Gouriet
Partner | London
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Alessia Murgia
Associate | Milan
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Kaley Sokolowski
Associate | New York
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