Mark Hovell

Mark’s role as an arbitrator for the Court of Arbitration for Sport over the last couple of decades has seen him involved in some high-profile cases, including his appointment to the 2016 Olympic ad hoc Division in Rio. He has now been involved in over 300 arbitrations. Mark was also re-appointed as an arbitrator on the Sport Resolutions Panel (Chairpersons List) in 2021 and is also a member of the National Anti-doping Panel. Mark continues to advise various sports union organisations including The Professional Footballers’ Association, The PGA and The Professional Players Federation. Mark has also represented a number of clubs, leagues and Governing bodies. He represents a number of high-profile sport and entertainment clients in negotiations relating to their image rights and marketability. Mark is a qualified insolvency practitioner and has been involved in over 60 formal and informal professional football, rugby and rugby league club insolvencies, including Portsmouth FC in 2010 and 2012. Mark was awarded the title Partner of the Year at the 2013 Manchester Legal Awards and received a special recognition award at the 2013 NW Football Awards. More recently he was the WWL International Sports lawyer of the Year in 2020. He is a lecturer/visiting professor on Sports Law and finance at numerous Universities and colleges around the world. · Mills & Reeve LLP

EnglandSports Law, Arbitration

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About

Mark Hovell is Head of Sports at Mills & Reeve LLP and an experienced arbitrator who has sat in over 300 arbitrations, including appointment to the 2016 Olympic ad hoc Division and service as a Court of Arbitration for Sport arbitrator since 2002. He is a licensed insolvency practitioner involved in over 60 professional football, rugby and rugby league club insolvencies, advises sports unions and high-profile sport and entertainment clients on image rights and commercial matters, and was re-appointed to the Sport Resolutions Panel (Chairpersons List) in 2021.

Practice areas

Sports LawArbitrationInsolvencyEntertainmentIntellectual Property

Office

England

Mills & Reeve LLP · Mark’s role as an arbitrator for the Court of Arbitration for Sport over the last couple of decades has seen him involved in some high-profile cases, including his appointment to the 2016 Olympic ad hoc Division in Rio. He has now been involved in over 300 arbitrations. Mark was also re-appointed as an arbitrator on the Sport Resolutions Panel (Chairpersons List) in 2021 and is also a member of the National Anti-doping Panel. Mark continues to advise various sports union organisations including The Professional Footballers’ Association, The PGA and The Professional Players Federation. Mark has also represented a number of clubs, leagues and Governing bodies. He represents a number of high-profile sport and entertainment clients in negotiations relating to their image rights and marketability. Mark is a qualified insolvency practitioner and has been involved in over 60 formal and informal professional football, rugby and rugby league club insolvencies, including Portsmouth FC in 2010 and 2012. Mark was awarded the title Partner of the Year at the 2013 Manchester Legal Awards and received a special recognition award at the 2013 NW Football Awards. More recently he was the WWL International Sports lawyer of the Year in 2020. He is a lecturer/visiting professor on Sports Law and finance at numerous Universities and colleges around the world.

England

Expertise

Professional Football and Rugby Club InsolvencySports Dispute ResolutionAnti-dopingSports Unions and Players' AssociationsImage Rights and Athlete CommercialisationSports Governance

Education

Hymers College, Hull
UMIST (1989 2(1) (Hons) Management Sciences)
MMU (1991 CPE and LSF)
BPP (1999 Insolvency Practitioner Finals)

Admissions

Solicitor (qualified 1993)
Licensed Insolvency Practitioner (since 1999)