Operating out of Manchester and Liverpool, the Brabners LLP practice is praised for being ‘excellent all over’, displaying extensive expertise across the regulatory, transactional and contentious sections of sports law. Heading the team from Manchester, Lydia Edgar has vast experience of providing employment advice to major national governing bodies, while Jason Smith specialises in the exploitation of commercial and broadcasting rights. In Liverpool, Paul Lunt is an expert in dispute resolution proceedings, frequently focusing on contractual and professional negligence claims; Colin Bell is knowledgeable on sports sponsorship agreements; and the ’excellent’ Catherine Forshaw and Andrew McGregor are also cited as integral team members.
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘A very well-thought-of team with strength in its depth of experience, excellence in advice and team size.’
‘I've worked largely with Catherine Forshaw. She is a fantastic lawyer, very capable and it is clear that she goes above and beyond both for her clients and in strengthening her knowledge and skills in the sports sector.'
Key clients
- The English Football League (EFL)
- England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB)
Work highlights
- Instructed by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) in respect of a multimillion-dollar dispute following the decision of the State of Victoria, Australia to withdraw as the host state for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
- Advised a number of national governing bodies (NGBs) in relation to the eligibility and inclusion of transgender athletes in their respective sports.