Geaney Solicitors / SportsConsult – Specialised Legal Advice for Sports Participants, Sports Clubs and Associations and Sports Commercial Rights Holders.
What we offer –
For Sports Participants -
- Advising sports participants on disciplinary matters and regulatory matters
- Advising on transfers between clubs and teams
- Advising on child welfare and safeguarding policies, rules and regulations
- On- and off-field disciplinary matters including on pitch assaults of senior and junior players
- Advising on discrimination in sport and human rights as to how they relate to the world of sports
- Advising on social media issues in sport including advising on taking action against defamatory comments made in any media outlet against sports athletes and clubs
- Providing protection against unofficial social media accounts including application for take down orders through the Irish Courts
- Advising on commercial aspects of sports such as sponsorship agreements, media and IP rights protections
- Branding agreements including brand ambassador agreements
- Post Career Opportunities and termination agreements
- Intellectual property (trademark, copyright, patent) creation, ‘Passing Off’ cases involving image rights, Drafting image rights structures
For Sports Clubs and Associations -
- Club Formation
- Running your club
- Meetings, decisions, judicial methods of dispute resolution.
- How best to deal with complaints through fair procedures and maintaining/ensuring natural justice
- How to register and deal with National Sports Governing Bodies
- How to deal with issues surrounding minors in your club - child protection and welfare issues
- Protecting your clubs assets - property, intellectual property
- Club funding - lotteries, members draws and the legalities
- Seeking international recognition from Governing Bodies
- Merging your club with other local clubs, Closing your club
- Sporting Venues and Events - planning and noise related issues and liability issues that arise in respect of sporting venues.
- Negotiation and drafting of leases of sports venues, licenses of sports grounds and acquisition and disposal of venues.
For Sports Commercial Rights Holders –
- Sponsorship Agreements
- Media Rights Agreements
- Intellectual Property Protections
For over twenty-five years we have advised clients participating in sports, sports clubs and sports governing bodies all over Ireland in relation to the above matters in sports such as GAA, boxing, tennis, rugby league and union, motorsport, golf and others.
We have developed a specialised sports law team in our firm and with barristers and other professionals. Dealing with a niche area such as sports law requires advisors with real world experience and we can offer that through our new service through a friendly and professional team.
We also are linked with out International Law Firms across the World to provide advice to athletes from any location.
Our Experience -
You will be looked after by your primary contact in our firm, Niall Geaney, throughout. Niall has a demonstrated past in ensuring that some of the best-known and largest sports clubs within their sectors are compliant with governing rules and codes. Niall has been involved in proactively developing governance codes for sports organizations that directly correlate to the Official Governance Code guidelines. His experience in sporting governance extends to the following:
- Legal Counsel for Rugby League Ireland in important transition period for the sport in Ireland
- Advising Motorsport Ireland in the drafting and implementation of changes to General Competition Rules, social media policies and litigation
- Advising on the best corporate structure for multiple sports organisations and clubs.
- Advising on grant applications and funding opportunities for small sports NGBs and clubs
- Disciplinary Hearing Representation
- Golf Ireland Governance Committee Member and Chairperson of the Complaints and Disciplinary Committee
- FAI (Football Association of Ireland) Disciplinary Panel Member
- FIA (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile - Formula One and Formula E Cost Cap Adjudication Judge - 2024 Vice President
Our Consultations
All consultations can be conducted in person or online via zoom, Microsoft teams. Our call charges begin at €150.00 for a first consultation call.
Fees
We operate a very transparent fee structure. Simply email your query to our email address below and we will respond to you within 24 hours with full details of how we can help and what our services will cost.
Options are also available for yearly retainers so we can advise you throughout the year when any issue arises for one set yearly fee. Contact us today for more details.
Email us today on - sportsconsult@geaneysolicitors.ie or niall@geaneysolicitors.ie
You can also Whatsapp your query to +353 87 2308797.
