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I just wanted to thank you for the superb job you did for us. Your input and support was invaluable and there is no question that without you onboard the outcome would not have been so positive. Although the issue probably appeared small to you the outcome was so important to our club. The player is now a keen member of the squad.
The things I appreciated most was your accessibility and positive, but honest view of the situation. I enjoyed working with you and definitely look forward to using Sportscounsel in a proactive manner in the near future. I will continue to highly recommend your services to who ever will listen.
Once again thanks mate, You're a gem!
Tony Benson - Hibiscus Coast Raiders Rugby League Team
Contact Sportscounsel
PO Box 91053 AMSC
Auckland 1030
New Zealand
P: +64 9 358 2725
F: +64 9 358 2715
M: +64 21 320 171
E: michael@sportscounsel.com
In the UK:
P: +44 709 204 5664
F: +44 709 204 5664
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Are you safely avoiding the legal minefields in sport?
When I was a lad… that’s how most people start a story when they describe how things have changed over the years. Well, when I was a lad (and I’m not that old!), nobody had heard of Sports Law. Now it escapes nobody’s attention that law is increasingly pervading sporting issues. Sport often hits the headlines, not because of some amazing win or performance, but because the lawyers are at it again.
This increase in the number of Sports Law cases has been most noticeable in the last 10 years. The reason for this is simply that now there is money to be made from sport. Sport is big business and consequently the most successful clubs and individuals are treating it like a business. Every business has a lawyer, so if you are treating your club, organisation or career as a business then you need a sports lawyer too.
But do we really need a lawyer?
If you handling any form of agreement or have to abide by any set of rules, then at some stage you will probably need a sports lawyer. If you don’t use a sports lawyer, you are leaving everything to chance. It is like walking out onto a minefiled without knowing where the landmines are: that’s just suicide or at best Russian Roulette!
But what about the cost? Lawyers are expensive!
At Sportscounsel we can keep costs to a minimum because we are not a big law firm. Traditional law firms charge on an hourly basis anywhere between NZ$200 - $400 per hour. On a consultancy basis we charge NZ$150 per hour and very often we will give you a fixed fee quote for the work (ever heard a traditional lawyer say that?!).
We also recognise that sports clubs and bodies can’t handle large expense at once so we also offer retainer agreements which allow you to spread a year’s legal fees over the whole year, or if it suits you better, pay in one lump sum. Prices can be quoted depending on your requirement.
But what does a Sports Lawyer do?
People ask me this all the time. The real answer is that there is no such thing as Sports Law. Sports Law is just the hum drum normal law that we see everyday but applied to specific sporting situations. It is those specific sporting situations which make “Sports Law” different and where specialist expertise is necessary. Take employment law, for example. It’s a very different story advising an office worker on his contract of employment compared to advising a rugby player on his playing contract. The two situations are worlds apart, which is why you need specialist advice.
So here are the type of areas we cover:
Drafting sponsorship agreements
Advising on employment issues e.g. playing contracts, discrimination
Advising on doping issues
Dealing with organisational issues such as drafting constitutions and sporting regulations
Challenging decisions of sporting governing bodies
Representing you at sporting disciplinary proceedings
Resolving sporting disputes
Rights management e.g. image rights and broadcasting rights
You're a Gem!
Here is what one client said about Sportscounsel's role in resolving a player dispute:
I just wanted to thank you for the superb job you did for us. Your input and support was invaluable and there is no question that without you onboard the outcome would not have been so positive. Although the issue probably appeared small to you the outcome was so important to our club. The player is now a keen member of our squad.
The things I appreciated most was your accessibility and positive, but honest view of the situation. I enjoyed working with you and definitely look forward to using Sportscounsel in a proactive manner in the near future. I will continue to highly recommend your services to who ever will listen.
Once again thanks mate, You're a gem!
Tony Benson - Head Coach, Hibiscus Coast Raiders Rugby League Team
Imagine the cost if it all goes wrong
Very often lawyers get called in when things have gone wrong. Usually that’s when things get expensive. You need to avoid this by making sure your documents are watertight to begin with. It pays to invest up front to avoid the cost later on down the line.
However, if things do go wrong because of a mistake we’ve made in one of our agreements, or in the advice we’ve given, then we’ll get you out of the hole for free and correct the error.
Choose Sportscounsel as your specialist sports law experts
Sportscounsel’s legal services are provided through Michael Smyth who is a practising New Zealand barrister* and qualified solicitor in England and Wales** with over eight years experience. Michael also holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Sports Law from King’s College, London University, making him a qualified expert in this field. Since Michael and Sportscounsel work not only in Sports Law but also in other sporting fields, including coaching, it makes both uniquely qualified to advise you.
To contact Michael call: +64 9 358 2725 or 021 320 171
Or email: Michael@sportscounsel.com
* Instructing solicitor required
** Not practising in this jurisdiction
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