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About Michael Smyth and Sportscounsel
It all started in a boat
As strange as it may seem, my passion for sport started in a boat on the river Thames in Richmond. Under 14 “B” coxed fours to be precise, but nevertheless the first rowing race I’d ever won – and what a great feeling!! That feeling has now carried me through 18 years of rowing and I’m sure you know the feeling I’m talking about.
One of the things that struck me about rowing was that very few people have a raw talent for it – me included! Successful rowers are built from persistence, courage and determination. Early starts, long rows going backward and forward on the same stretch of water, and the requirement to push yourself to the limits of your physical and mental capabilities. I’ve done it all for that feeling…
Paying forward
I have had numerous coaches and mentors over the years who have given up their time to help me achieve that feeling (you know who you are!!). I can never pay them back for their help, but what I will do is pay forward. In other words, I give up my time and experience to help others. That’s why, five years ago I hung up my competitive oar and started my coaching career. It’s great, I get to relive that feeling without the physical effort.
Law runs in the family
My parents are responsible for my legal background. My Dad was senior partner of a well respected and established London law firm and my Mum worked as a legal clerk there as well. I still remember sitting in my Dad’s office at the age of eight drawing pictures on legal notepads and playing with his legal stamps – I do the same thing today!
Fourteen years later, I completed my law degree and two years after that my Post Graduate Diploma in legal practice. I then started work at my Dad’s old law firm where I stayed for six years litigating commercial claims up to a value of GBP6million, whilst juggling my responsibilities as captain of Kingston Rowing Club.
During that time, sports law became a recognised field of expertise in the UK and in 1998 I completed the first post graduate course in sports law run at King’s College, University of London.
So in total, 12 years in the law, hundreds of cases read, numerous client’s helped out of the mire, all that legal stuff absorbed from my folks when I was a kid, lots of cases won in the busiest legal jurisdiction in the world and I still have hair (well just!).
The land of the long white cloud…and sport!!
The first thing you notice when you get off a plane at Auckland airport is that New Zealanders are passionate about sport. So where better to head after 6 years in the big smoke of London?
After arriving in Auckland I spent 18 months working in the Litigation and Employment Law departments of one of the "top 6" law firms in New Zealand during which time I qualified as a barrister and solicitor of the New Zealand High Court.
The Birth of Sportscounsel
As a sportsman and coach I realised that there was no readily accessible place where people involved in sport could go for advice about the business and money aspects of the sporting industry. So in May 2003 I gave up my regular lawyer’s salary and formed Sportscounsel with the aim of providing a much needed one stop shop advice service for people involved in sport. In my professional capacity I also practise as a barrister and undertake most of the legal work for the company.
I now spend my time reading the latest sports law articles (and writing a few of my own!) and eliminating red cards from sporting careers. Through my associations with the British Association of Sport and Law and the Australian and New Zealand Sports Law Association, I have access to the latest news and events in the world of sports law. I also regularly search the net for the latest articles and news on sports law related topics.
Are you a lawyer, coach, mentor, manager or agent?
The answer is all five!! That’s why I prefer the word counsel. By combining my experience of law with my experience of coaching I am able to offer a unique insight into sporting problems. You could say that you get five people for the price of one!
Sporting opportunities don’t come knocking at your door everyday, so you must make sure that you make the most of them. Your sporting career could depend on making the right choice.
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