Sport

The ever-increasing commercialisation of sport, and the need of sporting organisations to increase or protect their revenues, has led to sporting clubs looking for more varied ways in which to generate revenue.

These have included corporate sponsorship, naming and television rights, the commercialization of their intellectual property and branding, as well as non-core activities such as operating pubs and restaurants for club members or the wider community.

We also have considerable experience in this area, acting for more than ten years for an AFL club in relation to the commercial aspects of its operation.  

This has included over many years:

• negotiating and documenting a national sporting club’s major sponsorship deals and renewals;

• acting in relation to the naming rights of a national sporting club’s home ground;

• negotiations with a national sporting team in relation to the major sponsors of the national body and conflicts with the club’s major sponsor;

• negotiating with government regulatory bodies of revised occupancy arrangements for a home ground;

• advising an international cycling team in relation to its contract arrangements, rider contracts and codes of conduct;

• advising in relation to contracts entered into by professional sports people;

• negotiating and documenting commercial arrangements for major sporting clubs;

• advising in relation to licensing of intellectual property and copyright issues with respect to national sporting bodies and talent contractors;

• advising in relation to DGR status of funding bodies of sporting organisations;

• undertaking complex litigation in relation to sports organisations.