Member Article

Esports are growing in popularity and have already become a central feature of the entertainment landscape. Esport teams and events are becoming sophisticated and commercially valuable operations as they capture a growing number of eyeballs, clicks and high profile sponsorships. 
Shepherd and Wedderburn is immersed in this burgeoning sector and we have developed relevant services to help esport organisations achieve their commercial objectives and mitigate any challenges they might face. We support our clients with all aspects of broadcasting, sponsorship, marketing and venue management, as well as advising on high-profile disputes and sports-specific regulatory issues. 
Our dedicated team comprises specialist lawyers with relevant expertise drawn from across the firm, from experts in corporate/company structures, commercial contracts, real estate, construction, employment and regulatory matters to litigators and trademark specialists. Our expertise is combined with a genuine passion for the esports and gaming sectors.

The assistance we provide our esport clients includes:

• advising rights holders on all aspects of organising large scale events, including in relation to ticketing, merchandise, construction and contract arrangements with suppliers and service providers;
• protecting rights holders’ brands and intellectual property;
• advising domestic and international governing bodies on constitutional and governance matters;
• securing maximum value in key revenue generating areas, including sponsorship, broadcasting, and merchandising;
• managing talent through player contracts and immigration support; and
• assisting with defamation and reputation management to provide strategic, Board-level advice to address and mitigate reputational risk, for example by conducting internal investigations and reviews.

Shepherd and Wedderburn’s dedicated esports team will be attending a number of industry events over the summer of 2022, including ESI London, hosted by Esports Insider. If you have any queries, or would like a copy of our esports credentials, please contact Joe Fitzgibbon or Roddy Forgie.