Newcastle United have recruited experienced sports lawyer John Devine, who works for Newcastle law firm Muckle LLP, to their legal team. In February, Devine, who supports Newcastle, was one of six trustees handed ‘stewardship and care’ of Chelsea after Roman Abramovich stepped away from its management.
Abramovich took the decision to temporarily hand the running of the London club to the trustees and its charitable foundation to protect Chelsea from links to the wider situation of Russia’s war with Ukraine. The Magpies had advertised for “one or more” experienced commercial lawyers in February, while the job description hinted at the expected new sponsorship deals being lined up by the club.
The job description read: “Newcastle United Football Club have ambitious plans to top the Premier League and become a global force in the game. To achieve our goals, the club is scaling the business and needs to build a high-calibre, robust legal department.
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"Initially, we are looking to recruit a mid to senior level associate to take ownership of all commercial contracts and provide high quality advice on a diverse range of commercial, legal and compliance issues that impact the operations of the club. This is a unique opportunity to join Newcastle United at the start of our exciting new journey, and to play a key strategic role in helping us achieve our goals.
“The ideal candidate will have a high quality academic background and robust legal training from a reputable law firm or recognised in-house legal department. Significant experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating a wide range of commercial agreements is a must.”
Devine has advised over 100 professional clubs on the establishment of community sports and education charities, including over two thirds of the clubs in the Premier League and Football League. He was also named UK Lawyer of the Year in the Sports category at the annual Corporate Livewire Awards in 2014.
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