18 www.lawyer-monthly.com Our UK Sports team is led by Zane Shihab, who has been practicing law since 2009 and has represented many of the world’s largest brands throughout his career. His unrelenting passion for sports, coupled with obtaining a law degree at a time when ‘Sports Law’ was just being recognised as a valid description of a system of law governing the practice of sports, meant that his gravitation to Sports Law was somewhat inevitable. At Armstrong Teasdale, Zane provides practical commercial advice to global sporting brands, international sporting bodies and events and high-profile individuals. Zane specialises in intellectual property, data protection and drafting commercial contracts including sponsorship, joint venture, merchandising, broadcasting, new media, agency, distribution, franchise and image rights agreements, venue agreements and IP and software licences. He has negotiated numerous lucrative sponsorship and supplier agreements and other event-related contracts on behalf of sporting events and governing bodies including in golf, athletics, marathon running, horse racing, cycling, tennis and football. James Thorndyke is a partner in our Sports department. He acts on behalf of sportsmen and women as well as sporting bodies and has extensive experience in resolving contractual disputes in a variety of sports including tennis, motorsport, football, athletics, cricket and rugby union. James has particular experience in advising on regulatory and disciplinary issues. He has acted for clients in proceedings involving the Football Association, the British Horseracing Authority, the Motor Sports Association and the Football League. He acts for and is the main point of contact for event organisers and governing bodies when enforcing ticket terms and conditions to major sporting events. This involves advising clients on the process of obtaining interim injunctions against third parties selling ticket-only or hospitality packages to well-known sporting events taking place in England and Wales without authority to do so and acting for clients in the ensuing court proceedings. Nick Bitel is a consultant at Armstrong Teasdale and was Chair of Sport England from 2013-2021; Chief Executive of the London Marathon, the world’s most successful city centre marathon since 1995; a Board Member of UK Sport, and a Trustee of the Wimbledon Foundation. Nick is a past Chairman of the British Association of Sport and Law. Before his current appointment (through being Chair of Sport England), Nick was also Board Director of UK Sport for six years when it was the UK anti-doping agency. Nick has acted for some of the most iconic events in British sport. As Chair of Sport England, Nick has had detailed involvement in the government’s approach to the funding, organisation and regulation of Sports. Emma Shaw is an associate in our Sports team and has a wealth of experience in both contentious and non-contentious sporting matters. She advises clients across a variety of sports including tennis, football and rugby on the enforcement of their ticket terms and conditions and assists these clients in obtaining interim injunctions. Emma also has extensive experience in civil contempt where both interim and permanent injunctions have been breached, including three successful outcomes before the Court of Appeal in this area. Her previous experience includes assisting on domestic and international disputes in a variety of sports including football, athletics, rugby, MMA and motor sport. She has substantial experience of proceedings brought before the High Court and has also acted on disputes brought in arbitral forums including the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the European Court of Arbitration. Emma has carried out dispute work for clients and negotiated image rights and endorsement agreements for high-profile sports personalities. Philippa Kwok is one of the firm’s newest solicitors on the Sports team. Prior to being named a solicitor, Philippa was a trainee at Armstrong Teasdale. She works with clients in the sports, media and technology sectors on matters including commercial contracts, and also has experience in corporate law and capital markets. Matt Santer (solicitor) and Mark Galli (associate solicitor) were tremendous additions to our team this year. Both work across our portfolio of high-profile clients, providing commercial and regulatory advice. Matt and Mark are highly experienced in advising on a wide range of commercial arrangements including agreements relating to suppliers, sponsors, brand partners, IP, data protection and image rights. Mark has previously been seconded to the in-house team at the Premier League. We asked Zane Shihab to provide information about Armstrong Teasdale’s renowned Sports Law practice. The following is a summary of his responses: Armstrong Teasdale has a significant platform that we found very attractive, and similarly, we saw an opportunity to support their expanding global platform given our longstanding experience in London and Europe. LAWYER MONTHLY LEGAL AWARDS 2021 UNITED KINGDOM
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