NEWS

We have advised the England and Wales Cricket Board ("ECB") on its historic deal with the American billionaire, Sir Allen Stanford, and the West Indies Cricket Board.  The deal was announced on 11 June amidst huge public interest in a spectacular launch at Lord's attended by legends of the game including Sir Vivian Richards and Sir Ian Botham.  Under the deal, Stanford has pledged US$100 million in prize money for five annual "Winner Takes All" Twenty20 matches in Antigua between England and a Stanford West Indies XI, with the first match scheduled to take place on 1 November 2008.

Chris Walsh who led the deal for Onside Law on behalf of the ECB, said: "This has been a ground-breaking deal for the ECB and represents one of the most significant commercial developments in the history of cricket.  It was a complex and challenging deal to complete given its unprecedented nature, but further demonstrates Onside Law's growing reputation as a leading specialist law firm in the global sports marketplace."

David Collier, Chief Executive of the ECB, said: "We have been greatly impressed by the quality of Onside Law's legal advice and their knowledge of the sports industry.  Their experience of high-value commercial deals in the sports sector, combined with their in-depth knowledge of cricket, has been invaluable in enabling the ECB to complete this landmark deal".