Sports Law
3PB’s Sports Law Group has an excellent reputation for providing expert advocacy and advice to national and international sports governing bodies, players, managers, clubs and officials, as recognised in the legal directories.
As specialist sports barristers, we act before the Disciplinary Panels, Appeal Bodies and Courts in leading sports cases nationally and internationally, including in horse racing, football, snooker, greyhound racing, boxing, athletics and rugby. We prosecute and defend allegations of corruption, doping and on field and off field misconduct.
We advise on the rules and procedures to govern sports and their disciplinary procedures nationally and internationally.
Our Members have established experience and expertise in:
- The regulation of national and international sport
- Corruption and betting offences
- Anti-Doping Violations
- Contractual and commercial and sports disputes
- Intellectual Property including copyright (and notably broadcast rights), trade marks, designs, passing off, database rights and breach of confidence/privacy actions
- Employment issues in sports contracts
- Negligence liability for in play accidents
- Selection criteria for national teams and the Olympics.
Several members of the Sports Law Group are members of the British Association of Sports and Law (BASL).
Members of the Sports Law Group accept instructions on a Direct Access basis in appropriate cases and are available for instruction via any of our six UK centres: London, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, Oxford and Winchester. We are also well equipped with the technology to facilitate virtual meetings, conferences and proceedings where required/possible.
Our Sports Barristers...
King's Counsel
Junior Counsel
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3PB Barristers (3 Paper Buildings) breaks another record in the latest edition of Chambers and Partners with a total of 81 accolades. The national set is rewarded with rankings in 18 areas of law, in the London Bar as well as in the South Eastern, Western and Midlands Circuits and exceptional comments on its service delivery, including praise for its “sublime service” and its "ability to manage matters in a professional and comprehensive manner second...
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3PB sports, employment and professional discipline barrister Gareth Graham (pictured here) has been appointed as one of the new chairs for the British Horseracing Authority's (BHA) independent Judicial Panel, which encompasses the Disciplinary Panel, Appeal Board and Licensing Committee. The Judicial Panel is established by the BHA as the pool of lawyers to hear all cases or appeals referred to it in connection with the Rules of Racing. Following a review of the Judicial Panel’s processes,...
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3PB barrister Jamie Johnston (pictured here) reflects on his many years of managing a successful business to distil invaluable advice for counsel seeking to rapidly establish strong relationships with their commercial clients. Jamie also considers some key questions for counsel keen to enhance their own practices. Read Jamie’s Counsel Magazine article here (pp 18-19). Jamie Johnston is a civil law barrister specialising in property & commercial disputes and in sports disciplinary work. His busy practice...
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Sports and regulatory barrister Sam Shurey (2015 call), pictured here, has joined 3PB (3 Paper Buildings). Sam was formerly an in-house barrister at The Football Association (The FA), where he enjoyed a busy caseload including a wide range of disciplinary and safeguarding issues arising from youth, grassroots, non-league, Football League and Premier League football. Sam's work at The FA involved advising on, and appearing in, cases concerning on-field misconduct , betting related misconduct, discrimination, social...
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Civil law barrister Jamie Johnston (call: 2016), pictured here, has joined national chambers 3PB (3 Paper Buildings) from chambers in Newcastle and will be based at the now-large Birmingham office. He specialises in property and chancery, commercial disputes and sports law and has a busy practice in the High Court, County Court, tribunals and hearings. Before coming to the Bar, Jamie spent ten years' building up and then selling a national franchising company so brings...
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3PB are delighted to announce that barrister, Gemma White (pictured here) has been appointed a part-time Deputy District Judge to officiate in the Magistrates Courts. Gemma was called to the bar in 2009. She specialises in crime, sports, and regulatory law, particularly across the Western Circuit. She joins an array of part-time judges and Recorders who also have busy practices at national chambers 3PB alongside their judicial roles. To instruct Gemma or contact her, please...
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3PB are pleased to sponsor Support Through Court’s 4th “In Conversation” event due to take place via Zoom on Wednesday 18 November 7-8.30pm. The event will be joined by Sarah Langford and William Clegg QC, who will discuss their experiences at the bar and help raise funds and awareness for the charity. Sarah Langford is a barrister from 3PB and Sunday Times Best Seller for ‘In your defense’, a book commended for powerfully communicating the...
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3PB sports law and disciplinary specialist barristers Nick Cotter and Graham Gilbert were successful in a FA appeal hearing on behalf of a talented 16 year old footballer, Nathan Hieatt, who in February 2020 was accused of spitting at a referee's foot and given a 5 year ban at the initial FA hearing. In spite of five witnesses from his team and his college tutor corroborating Nathan’s story, and with the referee having no independent...
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3PB is thrilled to have been shortlisted by the Legal 500 directory in the following categories: Regional Bar: Set of the Year and Regional Bar: Silk of the Year – Vanessa Meachin QC The nomination for Regional Set of the Year is further acknowledgment of the talent, hard work and investment by 3PB's members and staff this year across all of our specialisms and 6 office locations in the UK. The set was previously shortlisted in...
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Stephen Harvey QC examines how the corruption exposed in the sport in recent years could potentially be brought to an end. Click here to read Stephen Harvey's analysis. View his profile here.
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In his latest article for LawInSport, 3PB Sports barrister Graham Gilbert provides an in-depth analysis of the Chris Ashton disciplinary decision and examines the lessons it raises on sanctioning under RFU Regulation 19. Register for free on LawInSport’s website to read Graham’s analysis. Click here to view Graham Gilbert’s profile.
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In his latest article for LawInSport, 3PB Sports barrister Graham Gilbert reviews the decisions of the Judicial and Disputes Committee of World Rugby in relation to a number of complaints made by participating Unions in the Rugby World Cup 2019 Qualifying Competition. Namely: a match played as part of the final round of the Qualifying Competition, following which a number of complaints had been made by Federacion Espanola de Rugby (FER) relating to, among other...
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Recommendations
Legal 500 2020
"The combined clerks’ room across the set’s six offices is a ‘well-oiled machine’."
extremely efficient serviceChambers and Partners