Embodying ‘responsiveness’ and ’high quality’, Muckle LLP covers advisory, transactional and litigious issues on behalf of national governing bodies, sporting associations and top-level football clubs. The Newcastle-based firm is particularly well equipped to assist with corporate governance issues and GDPR compliance, with head Tony McPhillips being an expert on employment and contract law matters. Samantha Pritchard has vast experience in charity law affairs in a sporting context, George Festing is knowledgeable on disputes relating to libel and sponsorship aspects, while Louise Duffy is a finance specialist. Alison Walton primarily concentrates on publicly funded capital projects, and Chris Hook is also cited as a key port of call.
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Personal service is of high quality – responsiveness at short notice, understanding our business.’
‘Tony McPhillips – understands the sector, is practical, experienced, realistic.’
Key clients
- The Football Association
- England Athletics
- parkrun Global
- The Caribbean Premier League
- Chelsea FC Foundation
- The EFL Trust
- The Premier League Charitable Fund
- Sport England
- The Rugby Players’ Association
- British Wheelchair Basketball
- British Skydiving
- English Ice Hockey Association
- The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA)
- West Ham United Foundation
- Archery GB
Work highlights
- Providing full legal service support to England Athletics.
- Appointed exclusively by the FA to provide legal support to 384 clubs on the FA Club Programme; the programme is the most innovative and comprehensive package of support ever provided to grassroots football clubs.
- Advised the Football Foundation, from concept to realisation, on a project of national significance: the ground-breaking £200m national charitable facilities programme ‘Park Life’ (now renamed ‘Hub Programme’).
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Tony McPhillips