Women in Football and leading sports and media law firm Onside Law are delighted to announce that Onside Law has joined as an official Corporate Member of Women in Football (WIF), hot on the heels of Brighton & Hove Albion FC who became WIF’s inaugural Corporate Member in February this year. Onside Law become the first professional services firm to take up a corporate membership with WIF.
Women in Football’s Corporate Membership programme has grown out of their successful professional development programme for women in the game, supported by Barclays, and is open to all organisations who work in and around football. WIF Corporate Members have access to the organisation’s vast experience and expertise to support them in becoming truly diverse and inclusive organisations.
Onside Law has been at the forefront of sport and media law for fifteen years, with a phenomenal reputation across the industry, working with some of the biggest household names and rights holders in football, golf, cricket, rugby and motorsport. Within football, clients include a host of Premier League and Women’s Super League Clubs, top European Clubs (including AC Milan’s men’s and women’s teams), global football talent (such as Eden Hazard), major rights holders and broadcasters.
Senior Associate, Harriet Leach, will lead the firm’s engagement with WIF with partner support across all elements of the programme.
Jamie Singer, one of the firm’s Founding Partners commented, “We are thrilled to become a Corporate Member of Women in Football. Whilst we do more and more work in women’s sport and women’s football specifically, we also acknowledge the need to improve our own diversity. Addressing diversity across the firm is at the centre of our strategic plan. This partnership will help us accelerate our diversity ambitions and is part of a wider plan of action to ensure the firm fully represents the sporting and media communities we serve, in every way. We also appreciate the benefits that a truly diverse law firm can offer, not only to our clients, but as a workplace and for decision-making at every level.”
Harriet Leach commented, “We are excited to work with Women in Football and take responsibility to drive real change. We are ready to seize the opportunities and services offered by Corporate Membership, in particular in relation to recruitment, training, mentoring and investing in increasingly diverse talent. We are also looking forward to collaborating across the sport and media sectors to share best practice and progress social change together, by developing more diverse and inclusive professional communities.”
Jane Purdon, CEO of Women in Football, said “We’re delighted to welcome Onside Law as a WIF Corporate Member, and applaud the firm’s strong diversity ambitions and its plan of action to deliver them. As a former sports lawyer, Onside Law is a firm that I have long respected and it’s great to welcome them into the WIF family. All of us at WIF are looking forward to working with Onside Law on this exciting journey.”
In January 2021, Onside Law signalled a step change in leadership with the appointment of Kate Bosomworth as Non-Exec Chair who will be closely involved in the development of this partnership and the firm’s wider diversity and inclusion strategy.
For more information about Women in Football, please contact Cathy via email on cathy@womeninfootball.co.uk
For more information about Onside Law, please contact Harriet via email on Harriet.Leach@onsidelaw.co.uk
About Women in Football: WIF is a growing network of nearly 5,000 women and men that aims to improve women’s representation at all levels of the game by challenging discrimination and lobbying for change. With continued support from our lead partner Barclays, we teach women how to hone and fortify their talents and abilities through our Leadership Courses, coaching, workshops and networking opportunities.
