Will Martin

Will Martin

“Will has a remarkable analytical mind and as an advocate he is confident, charming & persuasive. He is a stellar practitioner.”

Legal 500 UK 2024
Year of call: 2010
For enquiries please call: 020 7353 5324 or email vcard cv linkedin save

Sports Law

Will’s advises and represents clients in sports regulatory and disciplinary disputes.

Will is considered by The Legal 500 to be “one of the best juniors in sports regulatory disputes out there”, and was shortlisted as Sports Junior of the Year in The Legal 500 UK Bar Awards 2023.

Will has a particular expertise in football, and regularly acts in high profile cases for sports’ governing bodies, such as the Football Association and the English Football League.

Will is adept at dealing with both on and off-field disputes. On-field, he is often instructed in matters relating to violent or abusive conduct by players, coaches or supporters. Off-field, Will specialises proceedings relating to intermediaries (i.e. players’ and clubs’ agents), and disputes relating to the ownership of, and interests held in, clubs.

Will has extensive experience dealing with safeguarding disputes and Anti-Doping Regulation Violations.

Will has represented The FA at appellate level, and advised both The FA and The EFL in relation to High Court proceedings.

Will’s current instructions include:

  • Representing The FA in relation to alleged breaches of the Working with Intermediaries Regulations by a club, club director, intermediary and high-profile player as a result of the hidden ownership structure of a club;
  • Representing The FA in relation to an alleged prohibited agreement between a club and an intermediary to pay a fee based on the future transfer value of a high-profile player.

Will’s recent cases include:

  • The FA v Adrian Ward and Colossal Sports Management. Represented The FA in a case brought against Adrian Ward and Colossal Sports Management Ltd for approaching and inducing an underage player into entering a Representation Contract. The suspensions of 20 months from Intermediary Activity are thought to be the longest imposed for such misconduct.
  • The FA v West Ham United Football Club:Represented The FA in a case brought against the club as a result of significant crowd disorder at a match against Burnley at the London Stadium in March 2018. The case was complicated by WHUFC’s contract with the operators of the London Stadium. The FA successfully proved its case, and the Club was fined £100,000;
  • The FA v David Manasseh:Represented The FA in case brought against a leading football intermediary and managing director and co-founder of the Stellar Group, for approaching and entering into a representation contract with a player aged under 16. Mr. Manasseh denied the charge, but The FA successfully proved its case. He was suspended from intermediary activity for three months and fined £50,000.
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