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Sport

1
Blackstone Chambers
2
4 New Square
Littleton Chambers
3
39 Essex Chambers
Fountain Court Chambers
Monckton Chambers

Leading Silks

1
Paul Gilroy KC – Littleton Chambers
Paul Harris KC – Monckton Chambers ‘Superb experience; brilliant competition lawyer. No one else in the market has his expertise in sports competition law issues. Clever, very robust, client-friendly. Can mix his advocacy styles up as necessary, but generally very straight talking and clear.’
Adam Lewis KC – Blackstone Chambers ‘Adam's knowledge of the sports industry and the relevant jurisprudence is second-to-none - he has an excellent ability to call on that knowledge to identify creative solutions to arguments.'
Nick De Marco KC – Blackstone Chambers ‘Nick advocates very well for his clients, and can be very creative in his arguments. He leaves no stone unturned in his written submissions, and his oral advocacy is very smooth and authoritative.'  
Graeme McPherson KC – 4 New Square
John Mehrzad KC – Fountain Court Chambers ‘John's depth of knowledge is rivalled only by his strategic acumen and breadth of contacts in the sports industry, and trailed very closely by his excellent written and oral advocacy.'
Ian Mill KC – Blackstone Chambers
Jane Mulcahy KC – Blackstone Chambers ‘Excellent to work with and a terrific advocate. Very good at simplifying complex issues and presents very well before panels.’
Daniel Saoul KC – 4 New Square ‘Dan is a great tactician, who provides carefully thought out strategic advice as matters arise throughout a dispute.’
James Segan KC – Blackstone Chambers
Jim Sturman KC –2 Bedford Row ‘Jim has amazing experience and knowledge and is a superb advocate. Also very user-friendly and always on hand to offer excellent support.'
2
Marie Demetriou KC – Brick Court Chambers
Nina Goolamali KC – 39 Essex Chambers ‘Nina is always supremely well-prepared. She is able to forensically unpick even the trickiest of lay and expert witnesses. Nina always has the ear of the court.’
Andrew Hunter KC –Blackstone Chambers 'Commercial and strategically brilliant. Advocacy is compelling and persuasive, effortlessly weaving in complex legal arguments alongside helpful, contextualising bigger points.'
Schona Jolly KC – Cloisters
Richard Liddell KC – 4 New Square ‘Richard is a number one barrister for sports regulatory work. His knowledge of the sporting industry and the regulatory landscape marks him out as a leader in the field but it is his brilliant strategic skills that really set him apart, with the ability to identify the right path to success procedurally and substantively.’
Lord Pannick KC – Blackstone Chambers 'Top tier intellect, bags of experience, better prepared than everyone else and easy to work with.'
Mark Phillips KC – South Square 'Mark is absolutely fantastic. His dedication to a case is unmatched, his brilliance, his analytical skills and - above all - his cross-examination qualities. There is no one who can match Mark on these points.'
David Reade KC – Littleton Chambers ‘David is a brilliant advocate. Clear, knowledgable and highly persuasive. ’
3
Daniel Stilitz KC – 11KBW
Katherine Apps KC – 39 Essex Chambers ‘Strong intellect and work ethic.’
William Audland KC – 12 King’s Bench Walk ‘William is extremely highly regarded by solicitors and barristers alike. He has a brilliant intellect, is a formidable negotiator, is a first rate advocate, whilst also being a delight to work with and against. In short, he is top of the tree and a titan in the field.'
Neil Block KC  – 39 Essex Chambers  ‘Simply wonderful to work with. One of the leaders in his areas. '  
Philip Evans KC – QEB Hollis Whiteman - 'Phillip is a very articulate and clever advocate, building a story that speaks to his audience and delivers the best results. He is personable, easy to work with and very client-friendly, as well as being hideously bright.'
Kate Gallafent KC – Blackstone Chambers
Sean Jones KC – 11KBW ‘A real star of the sports world - stand out barrister for sports employment work - very strong in advocacy - excellent with clients.’
Jonathan Laidlaw KC – 2 Hare Court
Thomas de la Mare KC –Blackstone Chambers ‘Exceptional knowledge and experience. One of the best in the business. ’
Phillip Marshall KC - Serle Court
Brian O’Neill KC – 2 Hare Court
Christopher Quinlan KC – Farrar’s Building ‘Christopher is the go-to sports lawyer of his generation – he is absolutely first-rate.’
Victoria Wakefield KC – Brick Court Chambers ‘Victoria is rapidly becoming a leading silk in competition matters, especially those arising in the context of sport. She is an excellent advocate and is a great team player.’

2025 Silks

Jason Pobjoy KC – Blackstone Chambers ‘Jason is a fantastically user-friendly barrister: his communication skills and stakeholder management are exceptional. He is a pleasure to work with.'

Leading Juniors

1
Lydia Banerjee – Littleton Chambers
Fiona Banks – Monckton Chambers
Pippa Manby – 4 New Square ‘Pippa is easy to work with and her advocacy is of the highest standard. With tricky cross examination you get an incisive edge. Pippa also has great commercial awareness and understood our case from the perspective of a sporting regulator.’
Ravi Mehta – Blackstone Chambers
Tom Mountford – Blackstone Chambers ‘Tom is very calm and measured in his advice, and speaks with authority. He inspires confidence in those instructing him - both solicitors and ultimately, clients.’
Sam Neaman – Littleton Chambers ‘He is pragmatic and down to earth while providing commercially sound and excellent advice, taking into account the client’s personal circumstances.’
Ifeanyi Odogwu – Matrix Chambers ‘Ife is a strong junior with excellent knowledge and a strong presence in the sports sector. He is very easy to work with and a good strategist.’
Kendrah Potts – 4 New Square ‘Kendrah is a a phenomenal advocate. Her attention to detail and technical ability is second to none, and she delivers advice in a practical and easy-to-understand manner, making her incredibly user-friendly for solicitor and client teams alike.’
2
Max Baines – Red Lion Chambers ‘Max is very calm and measured, and provides very clear written advice. He is not afraid to challenge others' thinking where appropriate, and equally is happy to be challenged himself. Working with Max is always a highly collaborative experience.'
Jonathan Bellamy – 39 Essex Chambers 'He is always a master of the detail, has great insight and intellect and sees the strategic implications of decisions.'
Ashley Cukier – Littleton Chambers ‘He is a super bright barrister alongside being super easy to work alongside and a general pleasure to deal with.‘
Luka Krsljanin – Blackstone Chambers
Samuel Rabinowitz – Fountain Court Chambers ‘Sam has cemented himself as a go-to junior for sports law.’
Shane Sibbel –Blackstone Chambers 'Shane has been a star among a first-class field of barristers – his work ethic, ability to absorb factual material, clarity of strategic thought and persuasive written and oral advocacy are all truly exceptional.'
Louis Weston –Outer Temple Chambers ‘Louis is able to draw on vast experience in sports regulatory matters, particularly in relation to serious misconduct. His experience in criminal law is valuable in dealing with the most serious cases, while his mix of work as an advocate and arbitrator gives him a broad perspective on case strategy.’
3
Grahame Anderson – Littleton Chambers
Theo Barclay  – 4 New Square
Amina Graham – 2 Hare Court ‘Unrivalled sector knowledge, superb advocacy skills and an all round pleasure to work with.'
William Harman – 4 New Square
Craig Harris – Furnival Chambers - 'Tenacious, fierce, and will fight for his client.'
Hollie Higgins – Blackstone Chambers ‘Hollie is a genius and possibly one of the most gifted barristers - she is able to grasp and articulate arguments with consummate ease.’ 
Maurice Holmes – Crown Office Chambers ‘A real asset to any case, with particular experience and knowledge of sports law. Definitely a barrister you want in your corner, and not your opponent's. Maurice is an unflappable advocate, with a calm but steely and natural authority.’
Jessica van der Meer  – 2 Temple Gardens ‘A superb advocate; tenacious and committed.'
Celia Rooney –Blackstone Chambers ‘Celia was very thorough and hard working on the case, and was approachable and client friendly, explaining things in a straightforward and easy to understand way.;
Zac Sammour – 11KBW ‘Zac is a go-to for sports work, not least his skillset within the fields of employment, data protection and litigation. Very easy to work with, client friendly and helps clients to navigate choppy waters. Extremely bright and outshines a lot of more senior barristers. Diligent, always thoroughly prepared, he wipes the floor with his opponents. Zac is a brilliant tactician and works seamlessly with solicitor teams to provide timely pragmatic and commercial advice.’
Andrew Smith – 11KBW
4
Joshua Pemberton – Brick Court Chambers
Grace Cheng – 39 Essex Chambers ‘Grace has a real specialism in sports disputes – having sat with her on a number of cases involving disciplinary issues, she is really excellent at distilling the facts and the regulatory framework.’
William Clerk  – 2 Temple Gardens ‘Will is an absolute superstar. He has great analytical thinking combined with attention to detail. He is easy to work with and encourages a real team effort. His advocacy skills are exceptional. All in all, a barrister of the highest order.'
Steven Flynn – Littleton Chambers ‘Excellent senior junior who works incredibly hard and is easy to get on with. He is very user-friendly for solicitors and client, and authoritative in his advice. He knows the industry well and is a safe pair of hands.’
Thomas Horton  – 3 Hare Court ‘Tom demonstrates exceptional legal knowledge, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of the complex regulatory landscape of the sport. Their advocacy is marked by clarity, precision, and a persuasive style.'
Ruth Kennedy – 11KBW
Diarmuid Laffan – 4 New Square ‘Thoughtful, very bright and a pleasure to work with.’
Harry Laidlaw – 2 Hare Court
David Lowe – Blackstone Chambers
Will Martin – 2 Hare Court ‘Incredibly bright and an excellent advocate.'
Yasin Patel –Church Court Chambers ‘Honesty and integrity. He always advises the best to a client.’
Sebastian Purnell –Devereux
Chris Saad  – 2 Bedford Row
Max Shephard – 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square
Natasha Simonsen –Blackstone Chambers ‘Natasha is clever, straightforward, persuasive, and a pleasure to deal with. Judges trust her and she has the advocate's skill of making everything she says appear obvious and impossible to rebut.’
Adam Taylor – Crown Office Chambers ‘Excellent advocate, attention to detail, very skillful in cross-examination.'
Spencer Turner  – 12 King’s Bench Walk ‘Spencer is careful, thorough and very well prepared. His advocacy is considered and incisive.’
Joel Wallace – Littleton Chambers ‘He’s an excellent advocate. Calm and composed. Clients come back to Joel time and again because of his high technical levels mixed with excellent emotional intelligence, which is key when dealing with high-profile sportspeople.’

Rising Stars

Samuel Cuthbert  – 4 New Square Chambers  ‘Sam’s strengths lie in his advocacy during hearings, and, in particular, in cross-examination.’

Sport in London Bar

Blackstone Chambers


Regularly instructed by players across the entire sporting field,Blackstone Chambers continues to solidify its reputation as the chambers of choice for issues arising out of the world of sport. Financial regulatory issues arising out of the Premier League continue to produce big-ticket cases, with Adam Lewis KC once again being the Premier League’s go-to counsel, in a dispute against Everton FC. Nick De Marco KC represented Leicester City in an appeal against the Premier League, as well as acting for former Premier League footballer Benjamin Mendy in his multi-million pound unauthorised wage deduction claim before the Manchester Employment Tribunal. Outside of football, James Segan KC continued to advise professional golfers aligned with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Tour on EU and UK competition law issues arising from their disputes with the US and European PGA Tours. Jason Pobjoy KC became a Silk in 2025.

 

 

Les références

‘Adam Sloane is excellent. The best clerk out there.’

‘Blackstone is an exceptional chambers, particularly for sport.’

‘The Blackstone set has unrivalled depth when it comes to sport work.’

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4 New Square Chambers


4 New Square Chambers is frequently instructed in high-profile sports matters, with expertise spanning domestic and international disputes, including regular appearances before the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Graeme McPherson KC remains engaged in a wide variety of significant sport cases, within his specialist field of horse racing and beyond. Richard Liddell KC is also active in the equestrian space, having successfully represented trainer Richard Hannon in a disciplinary case before the British Horseracing Authority concerning a positive drug test for the horse Etonian. Kendrah Potts, remains at the forefront, regularly handling some of the most high-profile cases in the field - her strength is exemplified by her representation, as sole advocate, of ATP world number one Jannik Sinner in his successful defence before the first instance independent tribunal of two anti-doping charges.

Les références

4 New Square has a very strong team working across sports disputes and have shown their willingness to add expertise when the opportunity arises.’

‘4 New Square is a strong sports law set, which an increasing presence and strength in depth.’ 

‘Helpful and responsive. Dennis Peck is a good example of that.’

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Littleton Chambers


Littleton Chambers maintains a strong presence in complex and high-value sports disputes across a wide range of disciplines, including football, boxing, motorsport, rugby, and athletics. The set is particularly noted for its strength in junior counsel, with Lydia Banerjee, who has a strong reputation as an independent investigator, and Sam Neaman continuing to impress. Neaman specialises in boxing matters, but has demonstrated capabilities in other areas, such as representing Watford FC in a high-profile race discrimination claim. Ashley Cukier was the lead junior of the counsel team appointed to investigate allegations of unlawful discrimination at Yorkshire County Cricket Club, following widespread media coverage of the club’s mishandling of its investigation into allegations of discrimination and harassment brought by former player Azeem Rafiq.

Les références

‘They have a wide range of outstanding performers in the area’

‘Littleton Chambers have a number of excellent barristers working in sports cases’

‘They have a number of excellent Barristers in this area.’

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39 Essex Chambers


39 Essex Chambers offers a full-service, multidisciplinary sports law practice with expertise spanning commercial, regulatory, and governance matters, boasting a strong presence in sport-injury cases. Members act for a wide range of stakeholders across professional sports and are frequently instructed in complex, confidential domestic and international proceedings, particularly in football, rugby, motorsport, and athletics. Jonathan Bellamy continues to make an impression and sits on a range of football-related forums, working closely with the FA and EFL. In 2024, Bellamy chaired the FA Appeal Board in a disciplinary appeal brought by a Premier League coach Darren Fletcher against a decision of the FA Regulatory Commission. Neil Block KC continues to boast a robust sport-related injury practice, whilst Nina Goolamali KC has worked for Cardiff City FC regarding the transfer of Emiliano Sala, who died in an air accident while travelling from France to sign for the Bluebirds.

Les références

’39 Essex is a very strong chambers, often in sporting disputes with a personal injury or public law element.’

‘Very strong at public law and personal injury in the sporting space.’

‘Undoubtedly amongst the market leaders with some outstanding barristers.’

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Fountain Court Chambers


Fountain Court Chambers continues to grow its presence in the sports law market, with particular strength in commercial and regulatory disputes across a wide range of sports. Since joining chambers in 2023, John Mehrzad KC has had a significant impact, with sports work forming the majority of his practice. He is instructed in some of the most high-profile and contentious matters in the sector, including acting for the Formula 1 regulator in the ongoing proceedings brought by Felipe Massa relating to the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, during which Nelson Piquet Jr deliberately crashed to benefit his Renault team-mate Fernando Alonso. Members are also active in commercial claims, disciplinary proceedings, and safeguarding appeals, with recent work involving football, rugby, motor racing and equestrian sports. Samuel Rabinowitz has developed a robust sports practice.

Les références

‘The clerks are a pleasure to deal with, Alfie Sweeney and Adam Collins in particular.’

‘Fountain Court has, in breakneck speed, become a go-to chambers for sports law disputes, barely 18 months after its recruitment of John Mehrzad KC.’

‘Fountain Court is the ‘magic circle’ set in the sports law space. It has grabbed the initiative for high-value and complex sports law cases over the past 18 months.’





Monckton Chambers


Monckton Chambers is active in sports cases, often relating to EU commercial law, and regularly acts in domestic and European courts and tribunals for governing bodies, clubs, athletes, agents, and broadcasters. Paul Harris KC is a highly experienced silk with nearly three decades of practice in sports law, having appeared extensively before domestic and international disciplinary, arbitral, and judicial bodies across a wide spectrum of sports. Fiona Banks also comes recommended, while Alexandra Littlewood has joined the employed Bar and RPC.

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