Glasgow law firm hails its latest sports contract

HARPER Macleod has strengthened its association with the world of sport after being named legal adviser to the Glasgow 2018 European Championships.

The law firm, which sponsors rugby team the Glasgow Warriors and supports Scottish wheelchair racer Sammi Kinghorn, will provide legal services to support the event, touching on commercial contracts, intellectual property, governance and regulatory matters. It builds on similar work the firm carried out as legal adviser to the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, with Harper Macleod having won its latest contract following a public procurement exercise.

Hosted jointly by Glasgow and Berlin, the European Championships bring a series of major, existing events, spanning athletics, aquatics, cycling, gymnastics and triathlon, under a single banner. The event, which organisers say can potentially attract a television of more than one billion, will see Glasgow host swimming at Tollcross and gymnastics at the Emirates Arena. Berlin will host athletics.

Martin Darroch, chief executive of Harper Macleod, said: “We know just what it takes to make a multi-sport event such as this happen, and happen successfully as Glasgow proved three years ago. Glasgow 2018 will give us an opportunity to once again use the unique set of legal skills required to deliver a championships that everyone can enjoy and be proud of.

“We are lawyers who love sport. It is in the firm’s DNA, so we were determined to win this role once we knew the country had landed the first ever European Championships, just as we did with the Commonwealth Games almost six years ago.”

Aileen Campbell MSP, Scottish Government Minister for Sport, said: “We’re absolutely determined to host Championships that will be a spectacle to the world and further enhance Scotland’s international reputation for hosting world-class events.”