Rich Hawkins

I am a sports lawyer and a partner in our Sports Group, based in Sydney.

I have been advising clients in the sports industry for over 15 years, and have a unique combination of private practice and in-house experience having spent seven years as the General Counsel of Rugby Australia.

I began my sports law career in Bird & Bird's London office in 2004 and, after a seven year stint in-house, re-joined the firm in Sydney in early 2018. I am now in the early stages of building an Asia-Pacific sports practice to replicate what Bird & Bird's market-leading international Sports Group has achieved in other markets, and am excited about the opportunities and the momentum we are building in the region.

I advise on a wide array of commercial, regulatory and contentious matters in the sports sector. I have particular expertise in sports media and marketing rights, and advising on high-value and strategically important transactions and partnerships between sports and their stakeholders. I have a passion for sports governance and have assisted a number of sports achieve major governance reform and implement new governance structures which set a platform to transform the fortunes of the sport.

Having worked as an in-house lawyer in sport for seven years, I have a genuine understanding of the opportunities and challenges which are virtually unique to the industry. Over the years, I have developed this sector expertise working on some major sports events and other cutting-edge projects including sales and acquisitions of sports teams, joint ventures, collective bargaining and other stakeholder arrangements, and the implementation and enforcement of sports integrity policies and programmes.

I'm also co-author of the 'Image Rights' chapter in the leading UK sports law textbook 'Sport, Law and Practice' (Taylor and Lewis, Second Edition).

• Advised Tennis NSW on the $50.5 million upgrade of the Sydney Olympic Tennis Centre which will transform it into a world-class indoor venue capable of hosting the inaugural ATP Cup team competition in January 2020.
• Advised Rugby Australia on its deal with IMG Media for worldwide licensing of archive rights to The Rugby Championship, Super Rugby, inbound Wallaby Test matches and the National Rugby Championship.
• Advised Riot Games on Nike's long-term sponsorship of the League of Legends Pro League in China, including the exclusive right to supply all 16 teams and their players with clothing, footwear and accessories.
• Advised Expedia on the sponsorship of the South Sydney Rabbitohs by its leading online travel brand, WOTIF; WOTIF has become the Major Pathways Partner of the Rabbitohs.
• Advised the City of Sydney on the production and broadcast arrangements for the NYE fireworks, including on its host broadcaster contract with the ABC and on the syndication of the live feed and other footage to international broadcasters and news agencies reaching an estimated 1 billion viewers globally.