Property
We advise sporting organisations on a range of legal issues – and our team members also play, manage, coach and support a wide variety of sports.
We take a multi-disciplinary approach to putting together our teams for each sports law project, to ensure that our clients get the expertise they need in a seamless fashion.
Our clients include sporting teams and clubs, athletes, sports governing bodies, national and state sports organisations, ticketing and marketing agents, community services organisations, registered clubs, event and venue owners and sporting goods retailers.
We are the exclusive legal advisors to Australian Football League clubs Hawthorn, Sydney Swans and Adelaide, and the proud pro bono legal partner of Basketball SA. We were also the on-call lawyers for the Australian team at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
Governance and integrity
How sporting clubs and organisations – professional or amateur – operate and interact with players, officials, employees and fans is critical to integrity and confidence in any sport. The rules around how clubs operate are as important as the rules of the game. Our lawyers understand this and assist clubs and sports bodies with governance reviews and advice on incorporation and constitutional issues, reporting obligations, member protection policies and codes of conduct, managing misconduct and integrity issues, and dealing with tribunals.
Commercial
Success in sport can be as much about business decisions as it is about points on the board. Thomson Geer lawyers act and advise on all aspects of commercial activity in sport. They advise on acquisitions and disposals, sponsorship agreements, insurance, privacy issues, broadcasting rights, supplier contracts and intellectual property matters around copyright and trademarks.
Employment and industrial relations
Thomson Geer's Employment and Safety team advise on all issues involving relationships with and behaviour of the people who make up sporting teams and clubs, including employment contracts and enterprise agreements, payments such as bonuses and retainers, and management of volunteers. They also advise on restraint, disciplinary and misconduct issues and assist with investigations, terminations and matters around integrity. They also advise in relation to work health and safety, including welfare matters.
Property
From clubhouses to sports grounds, property is a large part of sport. Our specialist Property and Construction lawyers assist sporting organisations with leasing and licensing, acquisitions and disposals, land use issues and property developments. They advise on construction contracts and provide advice to owners, contractors and facilities services providers in relation to significant developments, procurement advice, risk mitigation strategies for project delivery and financing.
Dispute resolution and litigation
Competition isn't always played out on the field. Sometimes it has to be settled either through negotiation or in a tribunal or courtroom. Our Dispute Resolution and Litigation lawyers assist with commercial or player contract disputes, athlete personal injury claims, construction disputes, defamation claims, advertising and marketing disputes and conduct matters.
Player and official representation
When allegations affecting integrity or sporting values arise, it's likely a tribunal will be involved. Some of our team members sit on sports tribunals, and we also act for players and officials in tribunal hearings across a range of sports, including contested hearings and hearings on penalty.
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Built around principle of quality and value.
Bridget Nunn
Bronwyn Furse
Craig Tidemann
George Hodson
Josh Marchant
Kirsten Pike
Justin Quill
Norman Fryde
Tony Conaghan
Jacquie Seemann
Mark Branagan
Vicki Sharp
Karl Luke
Peter Kerr
Peter Nankivell
Shane Sirett
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About us
Thomson Geer acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.