Over the Christmas period, I was fortunate to interview Sports Lawyer James Pearson of Brabners LLP. He has provided me with a greater insight into what working in the sports law industry entails whilst also giving greater detail on Brabners as a firm. Through this Q & A, James has illustrated a much clearer image of what to expect in pursuing a career in the industry and what also to look forward to.
Everybody has their own unique pathways into the legal industry and must begin somewhere. Here is what James has to say in the beginning of his legal career:
Q: How did you get into law in the first place?
A: I didn’t want to be a lawyer originally. When I was younger I had ambitions of being a professional rugby player or a pilot in the RAF. I suffered a broken neck injury whilst playing rugby which forced a change of plans. I was often told that I was good at arguing and so should go and train to become a lawyer. Little did I (or my family) realise I would turn out to be a non-contentious lawyer specialising in commercial law. Out of University, I was fortunate to secure a training contract at a large international firm which set my grounding for the start of my legal career.
The firm Brabners is an excellent law firm, described as a “people-pleasing powerhouse” in the North West (per ChambersStudent). The firm specialises in a variety of sectors, not just sport. For example, they are well-known for their excellent record in areas such as technology, real estate, healthcare and manufacturing across their three offices located in Manchester, Liverpool and Preston. James provided a great insight into what it is like for working for Brabners.
Q: What stood out to you at Brabners?
A: Brabners is a terrific firm made up of talented individuals who are committed to looking after the firm’s clients. I take a great deal of satisfaction from working with people who are genuine specialists in their area and who take great pride in the service that they provide. I don’t know everything about each area of law but this is the advantage of working in a multi-disciplinary team, you don’t have to. I’ve been really fortunate to work alongside and very closely with people who are widely regarded as the best in the business.
Going into closer detail in James’s career at Brabners, he was a key lawyer in major rugby dealings, including the transfer of Sonny Bill Williams joining Toronto Wolfpack in late 2019 as he changed rugby union for rugby league. James also played a significant role in the firm’s partnership with Wigan Warriors Rugby Club in late 2020. James provided me with great insight in to on how these deals impacted him as a lawyer and as a person.
Q: How does it feel to be working along side big names, such as Wigan Warriors and Sonny Bill Williams, to name a couple?
A: It’s great. There is real diversity in my work and I really enjoy working with ambitious businesses, clubs and individuals who I know we can add value to. As a Saint’s fan, it hurts a little to say this, but Wigan are an exceptional club to work with and I am very proud of that relationship. The ability too too work with Premier League football clubs and with a range of national and international sports governing bodies is exciting.
Starting out in my career I never thought that I’d get the opportunity to be involved in sports law and that is certainly an opportunity that has only arisen through Brabners. I’ve been very fortunate to have a great mentor during my career so far.
Building on that, I also asked James whether his enjoyment of sport and more notably rugby assisted him in his work. Parents, lecturers and even friends always say the common cliche, do something you enjoy. James provides detail in regard to the external enjoyment of sports coinciding with his work.
Q: Did your personal enjoyment of rugby play a large factor in assisting you in negotiations in the Wigan Warriors partnership?
I think it did. It’s really important when working with clients (any kind of clients) that you understand their business, their drivers and pressures. When you understand this, you can really tailor your advice and find ways to add value. A further factor which assisted in negotiations was being able to pick the phone up to colleagues who have done similar deals before and ask them for their view - this is a real benefit of having such a strong sports sector team. It is rare that somebody in the team hasn’t done it before!
Of course, as with everything in life, you come across challenges both big and small. This also applies to the legal industry. A variety of challenges undeniably await, but, as James here illustrates, it is those who can pass such challenges who will reap the rewards.
Q: What sort of challenges have you come across whilst working in the sports law sector?
A: It’s competitive. Everybody wants to do sports work and so in order to secure the work it is important to be clear on what value we can offer and how we will do this. It is then critical to ensure that you don’t over-promise and under deliver. I think that quality and experience can be used as a differentiator, particularly with Brabners’ track record.
Q: How much time and effort goes into such work/deals?
A: It varies considerably. As with any commercial deal, you get to a point where there is an intention from both sides to get a deal done - a desire to work together. Then the hard work starts. It is then a case of agreeing what a deal will look like and what level of risk each party will take. For example, in any deal involving data (personal data) has a whole spectrum of regulation since the implementation of the GDPR and an allocation of risk within the agreement - this is common within sponsorship deals; also, with any sports deals intellectual property is a primary consideration and so granting of rights is always carefully negotiated.
Finally, returning to the cliche previously mentioned, 'do something you enjoy', I asked James what his favourite aspects of working in sports law are.
Q: What is your favourite part of working in the sports law industry?
A: I enjoy working in a multi-disciplinary team on deals and transactions that mean a great deal to the organisations involved. You play a very small part in making big things happen. Toronto Wolfpack is a great example of that, although ultimately it didn't work out as the club had planned, to have negotiated entry of the first ever transatlantic sports team to the Super League was a great experience.
It’s also very topical, there is always a discussion and people get attached and engaged in sports in a way that they don’t with other sectors, its good fun.
It is evident from James' responses that he thoroughly enjoys working at Brabners within the sports law industry. I would like to thank James for providing such in-depth answers into the life of a sports lawyer and what it is like working for such a great firm. Hopefully, this is Q&A has been helpful to those reading and excited readers as to what might await in a career as a sports lawyer.
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