Steven Flynn

Call 2006

"One of the top sports law juniors in the UK."

Legal 500

Expertise

Steven is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and offers his services as an arbitrator. He has a wealth of experience in dealing with arbitrations in a commercial, employment, and sporting context. This includes both sitting as a sole arbitrator or as a member of a panel.

Steven has particular experience in arbitrations that involve contractual and employment issues in a sporting context, as well as challenges to the decisions of governing bodies. Steven has been appointed to the Sport Resolutions Panel of Arbitrators and, in recent years, has chaired disciplinary/appeal panels for British Gymnastics, British Cycling and England Boxing.

Steven’s commercial and business protection work involves him representing clients before a vast array of arbitral tribunals, as well as dealing with challenges before the Courts. These include cases convened under the rules of the LCIA, ICC, the FA, and the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Steven’s practice covers the entire spread of commercial litigation and arbitration. He regularly provides representation and advice on disputes that include issues of agency, commercial agents, company litigation (including shareholder disputes and claims against directors/fiduciaries), commercial fraud, confidential information, contract disputes, insurance, post-termination disputes, restraint of trade, and sale of good.

He is frequently instructed by both national and international companies including banks, airlines, construction companies, car manufacturers and those within the financial services industry. Steven also represents directors, company secretaries, office holders and shareholders, as well as individuals in disputes with corporate bodies and other individuals.

A summary of recent work can be found below:

Arbitration

Steven has a wealth of experience before a vast array of domestic and international arbitral tribunals, including those convened pursuant to the rules of the CAS, CIArb, LCIA, ICC, and Sport Resolutions.

Examples of recent work include:

  • Representing a state-owned enterprise in a £3bn arbitration relating to a multitude of inter-connected finance agreements.
  • Assisting an agent to recover £1,2m in unpaid fees.
  • Representing a manufacturer in a dispute concerning defective good.
  • Representing a promoter in a £30m claim arising from the cancellation of an event.

Commercial Fraud

Steven has advised on, and taken to trial, numerous cases in which deceit, conspiracy, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of trust, restitution, undue influence, and unconscionable bargain have been in issue.

Recent example of work include:

  • Advising a professional sports team that was deceived into entering a sponsorship contract with an offshore company that had no knowledge of the agreement.
  • Representing a group of companies that entered into manifestly unfavourable energy contracts through deceit and breach of fiduciary duty.
  • Advising a company whose procurement manager had conspired with a recruitment company to enter into a contract that contained unjustifiably onerous terms.
  • Representing a media and entertainment agency in a case where it resisted allegations of undue influence and unconscionable bargain levelled against it by talent that wished to move to a different agency.

Directors’ Contracts & Duties

Steven represents directors and companies in matters relating to bonuses; breach of fiduciary duties; claw-backs; misuse of confidential information; removal; and restrictive covenants. Due to Steven’s strong employment law background, he is also regularly instructed to represent both companies and individuals in contractual negotiations.

Examples of recent work include:

  • Breach of fiduciary duty – Representing a company in a claim for substantial damages arising where a director had set up in competition whilst still in office.
  • Misuse of confidential information – Representing a large insurance broker in a claim against its former CEO who had used its database and pricing formulas to set up in competition.
  • Speedy trial – Representing a former director who was alleged to have set up in competition and misused company resources to do so.
  • Worldwide Freezing Order – Successfully obtained a WFO against the CFO of a large PLC who had been misappropriating funds for 15-years.
  • Representing a company secretary who was alleged to have received high value gifts from a third party as a reward for ensuring a deal was completed.
  • Delivery-up – Representing an online property website in a claim against former directors for delivery up of confidential information and data that was essential to the operation of the website.

Restrictive Covenants

Steven has considerable experience in dealing with cases involving the enforcement of restrictive covenants. He is often instructed to seek/resist injunctions and damages in both the High Court, as well as being instructed to provide advice during mediation.

Examples of recent work include:

  • Obtaining a springboard injunction against a PLC that had unlawfully poached a senior executive.
  • Resisting an injunction application on the grounds that the senior executive had a very strong argument that he had been constructively dismissed so as to render void the restrictive covenants contained within his employment contract.
  • Representing a solicitors’ firm in circumstances where an associate who had been made redundant set up in competition and attempted to poach clients.
  • Poaching – Obtaining an injunction where a senior employee had been poaching customers prior to the termination of his employment.
  • Confidential information – Obtaining an injunction for delivery-up and restricting use the of confidential information.

Media & Entertainment

Steven also has niche expertise in the media and entertainment sector, regularly instructed by TV personalities and talent agencies to deal with commercial issues arising from appearance contracts, music and endorsement deals, and management agreements.

Examples of recent work include:

  • Assisting an agency to resist allegations of undue influence and unconscionable bargain levelled against it by talent that had been tapped up.
  • Defending talent against claims for breach of contract where they had been the victim of sexual assault by their manager.
  • Representing social media influencers in seeking to recover unpaid fees from both their agents and clients.
  • Advising on the form and content of representations contracts.
  • Assisting talent to extricate themselves from unjustifiably onerous contracts.

Shareholder Rights

Steven regularly advises individuals and companies on the rights, roles and duties of shareholders. This includes both contentious and non-contentious issues such as share sale agreements, minority shareholder’s rights and unfair prejudice petitions.

Examples of recent work include:

  • Share Options – Advising a company whether employee share option entitlements were discretionary or not so as to allow for the accurate valuation of the Company prior to sale.
  • Assisting a worldwide chocolate brand to resist an unfair prejudice petition presented by a shareholder who objected to the redesignation of shares and the removal of the right of redemption.
  • Representing the owners of a football club in resisting an unfair prejudice petition presented by a fans’ group.
  • Representing a CEO of a publicly traded company who alleged that he was the subject of anti-Semitic comments by directors in an attempt to force him to resign and sell his substantial shareholding.

Partnerships & LLPs

Steven has considerable experience in advising on the establishment and dissolution of partnerships and LLPs. He is often instructed to advise partners on their legal obligations and, when necessary, to assist them in disputes arising from said partnerships. Steven is also one of a limited number of practitioners who has experience of representing partners and LLP members in claims alleging discrimination against the partnership.

Examples of recent work include:

  • Advising a large medical partnership in circumstances where a group of partners were seeking to oust the CEO.
  • Representing a member who was unlawfully expelled from an LLP because of his age.
  • Advising as to the division of assets following the dissolution of a partnership.
  • Providing guidance to an individual who believed he had entered into partnership with a solicitor only for it to become apparent that the solicitor was prevented from doing so by the Code of Conduct (as in operation at the time).
  • Representing a former partner in a dispute over whether she was liable to make payment towards an unfair dismissal award where she had opposed the other partner’s decision to dismiss.

Sale of Goods / Supply of Goods and Services

Steven is regularly instructed by both Claimants and Defendants in actions involving the sale of goods and/or the supply of goods and services. He also has experience in assisting in the recovery of possessions that have been the subject of conversion.

Examples of recent cases include:

  • Representing a boxing manager in a claim for £30m against his former client.
  • Advising a rider who purchased a horse that she intended to compete. Upon purchase it became apparent that the seller had withheld the material fact that the animal’s leg had been operated upon; thereby making it unsuitable for show jumping.
  • Representing a potato farmer in his dispute with an international crisp manufacturer who refused to pay for the goods on the basis that a foreign object in the potatoes had caused substantial damage to their factory.
  • Representing an individual who purchased what he understood to be a fully restored EType Jaguar. The vehicle turned out not to have been restored and the individual was allowed to reject the vehicle and recover the money he had paid out.
  • Representing a football agency before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in a £multi-million claim against a Malian company, arising from a contract that was governed by Swiss law.
  • Representing a steel exporter in a claim against an Indian company for unpaid fees.

Steven’s employment practice is directed toward business protection, with him dealing with employment related issues in the High / County Court, as well as those with an international element. These include:

  • Breach of Contract claims in the High/County Court;
  • Breach of confidence;
  • Misuse of confidential information;
  • Partnership disputes;
  • Restrictive Covenants.

Some examples of his work in different areas can be found below.

High Court / County Court / International

  • Representing a commodities trader in his £m + bonus claim.
  • Representing a stockbroker in his £4,3m claim for breach of contract against a bank based in The Bahamas.
  • Injunctions to prevent misuse of confidential information obtained during course of employment.
  • Reference – representing a company that was accused of giving an inaccurate reference.
  • Advising a long-term, senior employee who has been promised a payment of £10m upon sale of a company.
  • Representing a PLC in a claim against its CFO who had misappropriated over £250,000 over the course of 15-years.

Restrictive Covenants

  • Obtaining springboard injunction against a PLC that had unlawfully poached a senior executive.
  • Resisting an injunction application on the grounds that the senior executive had a very strong argument that he had been constructively dismissed so as to render void the restrictive covenants contained within his employment contract.
  • Representing a solicitors’ firm in circumstances where an associate who had been made redundant set up in competition and attempted to poach clients.
  • Poaching – Obtaining an injunction where a senior employee had been poaching customers prior to the termination of his employment.
  • Confidential information – Obtaining an injunction for delivery-up and restricting use the of confidential information.

Contracts & Exit Agreements

  • Office Holders – Advising on the establishment of a QUANGO; including the transfer of employees and the employment status of Office Holders.
  • Share Options – Advising whether share option entitlements are discretionary or not.
  • Exit packages – Advising a senior safety executive on his exit from a market leading automotive company in circumstances where he may be required to give evidence in the event of a product recall.
  • Financial Services – Advising a director of a publicly traded company on his position in the event that he chose to blow the whistle to the FCA on insider trading and market manipulation within his company.
  • Collective agreements – providing guidance as to whether collective agreements were incorporated into contracts of employment following numerous TUPE transfers and an absence of detail as to the date of agreement.

Steven is recognised as ‘one of the top sports law juniors in the UK’ (Legal 500), dealing with contractual and commercial disputes in this sector, as well as disciplinary and regulatory issues. He is noted as having ‘best knowledge of on-field disciplinary work and [as] a go-to in this area’ (Chambers UK) and for his ‘niche experience of handling employment disputes within the professional sports world’ (Legal 500). He regularly appears on his own against KCs or leading a multi-disciplinary team in complex disputes, and has been described as ‘a great advocate’.

Steven is regularly instructed by players, clubs, agents, governing bodies, players’ unions, fans, and sponsors across a wide variety of sports including football, rugby union and league, boxing, tennis, and golf. He has advised at all levels of sport and has acted for and against many elite level participants and organisations, including matters involving the FA; the RFU; UK Sport; the Premier League; Manchester United FC; Manchester City FC; Chelsea FC; Liverpool FC; the LTA; Leicester Tigers, Gloucester Rugby Club; Chester Racecourse; Archery GB; British Ice Skating; UK Athletics; the PFA; the RLPA; the FSF; and many others. He has also been instructed by high profile companies who wish to enter into commercial rights/sponsorship agreements with such organisations.

In addition to dealing with commercial and regulatory matters, Steven is also regularly instructed in cases relating to discrimination in sport. He has experience in advising on the rights and obligations imposed on players, clubs, and governing bodies by the Equality Act 2010.

Steven’s work involves him representing participants before disciplinary and appeals panels, as well in court and at arbitration. This includes Premier League Section X arbitrations, FA Rule K arbitrations, the EFL Player Related Dispute Commission, the British Boxing Board of Control Regulation 24 arbitration, and before the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Steven also has a wealth of experience chairing disciplinary/appeals panels, as well as chairing arbitral tribunals. He is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and has been appointed to the Sport Resolutions Panel of Arbitrators.

Reflective of his experience and expertise in the sector, Steven has been appointed a Visiting Sports Law Fellow at the Centre for Sports Law Research at Edge Hill University and is regularly invited to lecture on sports law LLMs at a variety of universities.

A summary of his work in different areas can be found below:

Agents

Steven is regularly instructed by players, clubs, and the world’s largest sports agencies in relation to disputes over breaches of contract, fees, and inducements. He has recently:

  • Successfully represented a football agency in a seven-figure claim before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
  • Assisted an agency in successfully resisting a claim for inducing a breach of contract after a Premier League player joined their agency.
  • Advised and mediated a settlement for a footballer whose agent’s actions had prevented his move to a Premier League club.
  • Resisted applications for springboard injunctions where agents have left and established their own agency.
  • Successfully representing a football agent in Rule K arbitration for unpaid commission. This case involved cross-examining a Premier League Chairperson.
  • Perused agents who have misused confidential information, obtaining measures to prevent its use.

 Anti-Doping & Mechanical Doping

Steven represents governing bodies, clubs, and participants in relation to anti-doping matters. This includes investigations, internal disciplinary proceedings, and hearings before the National Anti-Doping Panel and the CAS.

Steven also has experience of dealing with mechanical/electronic doping in cycling, having represented a cyclist who was accused of manipulating data to improve his access enhanced eRacing equipment.

Recent cases include:

  • Football – Representing a professional footballer alleged to have provided a sample that contained a Higenamine.
  • Representing a governing body before the NADP in a case where the athlete contended that the source of the prohibited substance was training supplements that he had been provided with from a reputable source.
  • Rugby – Acting for a player who was accepted that he had committed an ADRV but who sought to argue that he bore no fault, or, in the alternative, no significant fault.
  • Rugby – Acted for a coach who had ordered a prohibited substance for personal use when drunk, and was faced with loss of his livelihood.
  • Boxing – Instructed by the boxer’s manager to review and advise on tactical response to an allegation that the boxer had injected nandrolone. The boxer contended that the source of the nandrolone was contaminated food. This involved an examination of the testing process and expert evidence as to whether the source of the elevated nandrolone was exogenous and endogenous.

Arbitration

Steven regularly appears before arbitral tribunals; both in the UK and Internationally. He has appeared before British Boxing Board of Control Arbitration Panels; the Court of Arbitration for Sport; FA Rule K panels; the ICC; the EFL League Arbitration Panel; the LCIA; the Managers’ Arbitration Tribunal; the Player Related Dispute Commission; Premier League Rule X panels; and those convened by Sport Resolution. Steven is extremely familiar with arbitral procedure and the law surrounding arbitration.

Steven also offers his service as an arbitrator in sporting disputes. This includes both sitting as a sole arbitrator or as a member of a panel. Steven has particular expertise in arbitrations that involve contractual and employment issues in a sporting context, as well as challenges to the decisions of governing bodies. He is a member of the Sport Resolutions Panel of Arbitrators.

Boxers, Managers & Promoters

Steven is particularly active in the boxing world, have represented many of the world’s leading managers and promoters. He also represents boxers who are active at both the amateur and professional level.

  • Successfully represented a manager in a British Boxing Board of Control Regulation 24 Arbitration where the claim was for £30 million against his former client.
  • Currently representing boxing promoter in a £10m+ claim against a former member of its stable for breach of a promotional agreement.
  • Advising England Boxing on a wide-range of issues relevant to the governance and administration of the sport.
  • Representing a boxing promoter in an LCIA arbitration against a boxer who had failed to honour a matching right.
  • Successfully representing a boxing promoter in a claim for £2,4m against a client who terminated their contract in breach of the notice provisions.
  • Advising World Champion boxers on the form and content of promotional agreements that they are proposing to enter.
  • Representing a boxing promoter in a claim against a broadcaster for breach of contract.

Disciplinary & Other Internal Proceedings

As well as representing clubs and participants who were subject to disciplinary action before a wide plethora of governing bodies (including, the FA, the RFU, the RFL, and the PGA), Steven has also sat as a disciplinary and appeal officer for a variety of sports. He has represented participants seeking to overturn disciplinary sanctions through arbitral proceedings, and represented governing bodies before the Courts when resisting such challenges.

Recent cases include:

  • Represented a professional footballer accused of match-fixing/manipulation.
  • Representing a high-profile football coach accused of having made racist comments towards players.
  • Representing the RFU at the disciplinary hearing where an England international was found to have made homophobic remarks during the course of the game.
  • Representing a governing body in a ‘tapping-up’ case where both the agent and the approaching club were found to have acted in breach of the sports regulations.
  • Representing an English rugby union international who was cited the week before the 6 Nations Championship. If the citing was upheld, the player would have missed the Championship. The citing was dismissed, and the original yellow card rescinded.
  • Representing a football club charged by the FA with failing to control their players in circumstances where they were alleged to have racially abused their opponents during a match. The club was cleared before an FA disciplinary panel of any wrongdoing.
  • Representing the EFL to assist with prosecuting numerous breaches of the EFL Regulations, including charges that led to Clubs being relegated from the Football League.
  • Represented a footballer who assaulted a referee. In doing so, Steven managed to have his ban reduced by 50%.
  • Advising an owner who was banned from all football related activity as he challenged the sanction through the Rule K arbitration.
  • Representing a golfer who was called before the PGA Disciplinary Committee for discriminatory misconduct.

Discrimination in Sport

Steven has a great deal of experience of cases involving discrimination in a sporting context. He represents participants at all levels, from those who are attending their first coaching session, through to elite athletes who have suffered loss of funding or career damage because of discrimination. He also advises service providers (e.g. clubs, governing bodies, venues) as to their duties under the Equality Act 2010.

Examples of his work include:

  • Representing a talented tennis player in a claim alleging discrimination, harassment, and victimisation against the Lawn Tennis Association.
  • Advising a Paralympian who had been subjected to harassment by the governing body of his sport.
  • Advising a disabled supporters’ group seeking to challenge a Premier League club’s compliance with its duty to make reasonable adjustments and failure to comply with the Accessible Stadia guidance issued by the Sports Grounds Safety Authority.
  • Representing a child who was excluded from a sports club because of his disability.

Player / Participants Contracts & Transfers

Agents, players, and clubs regularly instruct Steven to consider issues surrounding employment/funding contracts. He also provides guidance on legal issues that arise during transfers and representation in breach of contract claims.

Some of his recent cases include:

  • Advising a variety of football managers and clubs on disputes before the Managers’ Arbitration Tribunal.
  • Representing a Premier League football club in a £multi-million claim brought before the Professional Football Compensation Committee relating to the poaching of a talented youth player.
  • Representing 3 professional footballers who successfully terminated their contracts due to persistent late payment of their wages.
  • Representing an England international rugby player in his claim against his former club for breach of contract following the imposition of a salary reduction.
  • Representing a WSL player in a grievance appeal related to bullying by her manager.
  • Representing a football club in 6 claims presented by its former manager and coaches for breach of contract.
  • Advising a football scout accused of conspiracy, including a breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duties in a claim for in excess of £4 million.
  • Successfully recovered 4 weeks’ wages for a footballer subject to disciplinary proceedings.
  • Assisting a football coach to secure a high value exit package from a Premier League football club.
  • Representing 43 ex-players and staff dismissed by a professional rugby league team.
  • Advising 3 professional athletes who were subject to disciplinary proceedings following drugs-related allegations.
  • Advising senior coaches/executives on their exit packages.
  • Representing a professional rugby club in a breach of contract claim pursued by their former first-team coach.
  • Advising a professional football club on player contracts arising from amendments to the FIFA Regulations.
  • Representing a football player before the Player Related Dispute Commission in an appeal against dismissal following him being charged with a criminal offence.
  • Advising a professional football coach as to whether his media work could amount to a breach of his contract of employment.
  • Advising on the contractual status of a professional golfer.

Sale & Purchase of Clubs / Sporting Venues

Given Steven’s commercial law background and sports sector experience, he is positioned to advise on issues relating to the sale and purchase of sports clubs and venues.

Some of the work he has done includes:

  • Representing the owners of a football club in a £20 million plus unfair prejudice claim presented by a fans’ group.
  • Advising a ‘fans group’ on their buy-out of a football club in administration. This included advising on the purchase of items that vested with the Crown; drafting a new constitution; and providing guidance on the terms and conditions of player contracts.
  • Dealing with a minority shareholder dispute in relation to the ownership of a race course.

Sponsorship / Image Rights

Steven has a particular interest in sponsorship and image rights agreements. He has been instructed by numerous agents, clubs, participants and sponsors to assist with the negotiating and drafting of such agreements and advise and represent them when such agreements breakdown.

Recent examples of his work in this area include:

  • Advising a French international football player on his image rights agreement and its interaction with the Premier League contract and other global sponsorship agreements.
  • Advising a football club in circumstances where their sponsors sought to exert influence over the club’s transfer policy.
  • Representing a sponsor in a claim against a Super League team for failure to provide services detailed in the sponsorship agreement.
  • Advising commercial enterprises on the use of player image rights (soft IP).
  • Representing a sponsor who sought to terminate their contract with a football club and seek damages in circumstances where the club’s conduct had caused the sponsor reputational damage.

Privacy Policy

Steven Flynn Privacy Policy

My contact details:

ICO Reg No: Z2159326
Address: 2 Temple Gardens, London, EC4Y 9AY
Email: clerks@2tg.co.uk
Phone: +44 (0)20 7822 1200

The type of personal information I collect

To enable me to provide you with legal advice and representation in courts, tribunals, arbitrations and mediations, I currently collect and process the following personal information:

Personal identifiers, contacts and characteristics (for example, name, date of birth and contact details), bank and financial details, your background and circumstance and education.

Other personal data relevant to, or included in instructions to provide legal services, including data specific to the instructions in question and data included in documents provided to me as part of instructions or otherwise.

Such information may include personal information relating to family members, associates, agents, employees, shareholders or beneficial owners. By providing such personal information to me, you automatically confirm that you are authorised to do so. It is not reasonably practicable for me to provide the information set out in this Privacy Notice to those individuals. Accordingly, where appropriate, you are responsible for providing this information to any such individuals.

Where necessary, I may also need to process Special Category data about you including

  • racial or ethnic origin;
  • personal data revealing political opinions;
  • personal data revealing religious or philosophical beliefs;
  • personal data revealing trade union membership;
  • genetic data;
  • biometric data (where used for identification purposes);
  • data concerning health;
  • data concerning a person’s sex life; and
  • data concerning a person’s sexual orientation.

How I get the personal information and why I have it

Most of the personal information that I process is provided to me directly by you or via the professional you have instructed such as a solicitor or consultant or other professional adviser who instructs me on your behalf to provide legal services.

I use the information that you have given me in order to

  • provide legal services to you, my client, including the provision of legal advice and
  • representation in courts, tribunals, arbitrations, and mediations
  • keep accounting records and carry out office administration
  • take or defend legal or regulatory proceedings or to exercise a lien
  • respond to potential complaints or make complaints
  • check for potential conflicts of interest in relation to future potential cases
  • promote and market my services
  • carry out anti-money laundering and terrorist financing checks
  • train other barristers and pupils, and when providing work-shadowing opportunities
  • publish legal judgments and decisions of courts and tribunals as required or permitted by law.

I may share this information with

  • other professional advisers such as other legal professionals and consultant experts and other witnesses
  • courts and tribunals
  • the staff in my Chambers
  • prosecution authorities
  • pupils and mini pupils
  • lay clients
  • family and associates of the person whose personal information I am processing
  • in the event of complaints, the Head of Chambers, other individuals nominated by Chambers who deal with complaints, the Bar Standards Board, and the Legal Ombudsman
  • other regulatory authorities
  • current, past or prospective employers
  • education and examining bodies
  • business associates, professional advisers and trade bodies, e.g. the Bar Council
  • professional indemnity insurers or brokers
  • the general public in relation to the publication of legal judgments and decisions of courts and tribunals
  • If you have engaged other professional advisers to instruct me on your behalf on the matters on which I am providing legal services to you, I shall assume that I may disclose your personal information to them unless you tell me otherwise.
  • I may be required to provide your information to regulators, such as the Bar Standards Board, the Financial Conduct Authority or the Information Commissioner’s Office. In the case of the Information Commissioner’s Office, there is a risk that your information may lawfully be disclosed by them for the purpose of any other civil or criminal proceedings, without my consent or yours, which includes privileged information.
  • I may also be required to disclose your information to the police or intelligence services, where, acting in good faith, I consider it required and permitted by law.

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the lawful basis I rely on for processing this information is

  • The processing is necessary for a contract I have with you, or because you have asked me to take specific steps before entering into a contract.
  • You are able to remove your consent at any time. You can do this by contacting me.
  • It may be necessary for me to share your personal data to comply with legal obligations to, for example, HMRC.

How I store your personal information

Your information is securely stored in Chambers or at my home. I use reasonable technical and organisational security measures such as password protection and encryption of computer generated data and keeping paper data secure to prevent personal information from being accidentally lost or destroyed, or used or accessed in an unauthorised way.

In this connection, Chambers, as data processor, acting on my behalf, will only process your personal data on my instructions and is subject to a duty of confidentiality.

The data will be held in line with any regulatory obligations and generally be kept for 6 years but may be 12 years, or longer where, for example, the case includes information relating to a minor, from the date of completion of instructions. At this point any further retention will be reviewed and the data will be marked for deletion or marked for retention for a further period.

All data will be securely deleted or securely shredded after this time without reference to you. I will store some of your information which I need to carry out conflict checks for the rest of my career. However, this is likely to be limited only to your name and contact details and the name of the case. It will not include any information that is “sensitive information” for GDPR purposes.

Your data protection rights

Under data protection law, you have rights including:

  • Your right of access – You have the right to ask me for copies of your personal information.
  • Your right to rectification – You have the right to ask me to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask me to complete information you think is incomplete.
  • Your right to erasure – You have the right to ask me to erase your personal information in certain circumstances.
  • Your right to restriction of processing – You have the right to ask me to restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
  • Your right to object to processing – You have the the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
  • Your right to data portability – You have the right to ask that I transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances.
  • You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request, I have one month to respond to you. Please contact me at 2 Temple Gardens, London, EC4Y 9AY or clerks@2tg.co.uk if you wish to make a request.

Transfer of your information outside the European Economic Area (EEA)

This privacy notice is of general application and as such it is not possible to state whether it will be necessary to transfer your information out of the EEA. If I do transfer your personal data I will use safeguards to ensure the data is fully protected as required by the UK Data Protection Regulations.

Changes to my Privacy Policy

From time to time, I may need to make chances to my privacy policy. If so, the changes will appear on my entry on the 2TG website.

Marketing

As above, I may share your personal data with Chambers who may in turn use that data to notify you by email, or post about an invitation to seminars and similar events. You may opt out of receiving any such marketing communications at any time by using the “unsubscribe” link in any emails. In relation to how Chambers uses such data, please see Chambers’ privacy policy. Other than sharing personal data with Chambers as described above, I will not share your information with any other third party for marketing purposes.

How to complain

If you have any concerns about my use of your personal information, you can make a complaint to me or to my Senior Clerk, Lee Tyler at 2 Temple Gardens, London, EC4Y 9AY or clerks@2tg.co.uk. You can also complain to the ICO if you are unhappy with how we have used your data.

The ICO’s address:

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113
ICO website: https://www.ico.org.uk

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“Pragmatic, commercial and great with clients.”


Chambers UK

"Extremely knowledgeable and experienced, a great advocate.”


Chambers UK

“A junior with a great reputation for his knowledge of sports regulatory matters."


Legal 500

"Technically very astute."


Chambers UK

"A great intellect."


Chambers UK

"Extremely knowledgeable."


Chambers UK

"Very knowledgeable, thorough and technical."


Legal 500

  • Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Sports Law Research, Edge Hill University
  • Sport Resolution Panel of Arbitrators
  • England Boxing Disciplinary Panel Chair

  • Gray’s Inn
  • Cardiff Law School
  • Cardiff University

  • Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
  • British Association for Sport and Law
  • The British Irish Commercial Bar Association

  • Author of the ‘Managers Contracts’ chapter (with Christopher Jeans QC) for Football and the Law (2nd Ed.) (pre-publication)
  • Author of the ‘London’ chapter of the International Arbitration: A Global Guide for Practitioners (1st Ed.) (with Andrew Singer QC and Janine Alexander) (pre-publication)

Chambers UK 2025
“Steven’s ability to demystify complex legal concepts and provide clear, concise, effective and practical advice is very impressive.”
“Steven Flynn is instinctive and creative in his approach, which is of great value to clients.”
“Steven is pragmatic, commercial and great with clients.”

Legal 500 2025
Steven is a very senior junior and leads cases of the upmost complexity, value and high-profile nature which would usually be silk-lead. He is thorough, thoughtful, his paperwork is second-to-none, and he is the most solicitor-friendly barrister.”
“Steven’s ability to get straight to the nub of the legal issues is impressive, as is his advice that actually delivers advice, rather than sitting on the fence. He is excellent at cross-examination.”

Chambers UK 2024
“Steven is extremely knowledgeable and experienced, a great advocate.” 
“A reassuring, safe pair of hands with specialist knowledge of a niche area.”

Legal 500 2024
“A junior with a great reputation for his knowledge of sports regulatory matters. He is an extremely hardworking, accommodating barrister, and his research and preparation is meticulous.”

Chambers UK 2023
“He is down to earth, responsive and reliable.”

Legal 500 2023
“Steve is pragmatic, approachable and always available. He never sits on the fence with his advice and can rapidly identify the key strengths and weaknesses of a case. He is superb with clients and has built up significant expertise in sports regulatory and litigation matters. He gives his all on every matter he is instructed on, and thrives under pressure.”

Chambers UK 2022
“He is extremely knowledgeable and is very clear and concise in his advice.“

Chambers UK 2021
“Thoroughly confident and liked by judges.”
“Technically very astute”

Legal 500 2021
“Steve is one of the top sports law juniors in the UK, with experience across a number of sports and expertise in commercial and regulatory disputes.”
“Steve is very knowledgeable of the sports sector, and extremely user friendly. He is contactable at all times, day or night and can put clients at ease in an instant in even the most stressful of cases.”
“Consistently good and very reliable.”

Chambers UK 2020
“Very clear and concise in his advice to clients. Extremely knowledgeable when it comes to rugby, in particular when dealing with regulatory matters.”
“He has the best knowledge of on-field disciplinary work and is a go-to in the area.”

Legal 500 2019
“A very grounded barrister with a great intellect.”
“[Has] niche experience in handling employment disputes within the professional sports world.”

Legal 500 2017
“Very knowledgeable, thorough and technical.”

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