Barrington Atkins

Barrington Atkins is a Partner in the Sports team at SMB. He advises Premier League and international footballers, football agents, agencies and sports organisations on sports disputes, football regulatory matters and commercial issues across professional football.

His practice covers High Court litigation, sports arbitration, football regulatory and disciplinary proceedings, football transfers, player representation matters, representation agreements, football agency exits, football agent disputes, commission claims, settlement agreements and commercial contracts.

Barrington is regularly instructed on high-value, complex and reputation-sensitive matters involving footballers, football agents and agencies. He has particular expertise in advising on disputes with clubs, representation agreements, football agency exits, representation agreement terminations, commission disputes and issues arising from football transfers, often requiring a discreet and strategic approach.

Barrington’s experience includes:

• Successfully representing elite-level footballers in High Court litigation, sports arbitration and regulatory proceedings involving Premier League and EFL clubs.
• Advising footballers, football agents and agencies on representation agreements, football agency exits, representation agreement terminations, commission disputes and regulatory matters.
• Advising on disputes arising from football transfers, player representation arrangements and contractual rights.
• Acting for footballers in high-value sports injury claims, including career-ending injury claims against clubs.
• Drafting and negotiating representation agreements, settlement agreements and commercial contracts within the sports industry.
• Advising footballers, football agents, and agencies on strategic and reputation-sensitive matters throughout a player’s career.

He has built a specialist sports practice focused on professional football, advising footballers, football agents and agencies on representation agreements, football agency exits, football transfers, regulatory disputes and career-ending injury claims.

Barrington is endorsed by the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) and is an Official Ambassador for the West Ham United Foundation.