Harriet is a Partner at Onside Law specialising in corporate and non-contentious regulatory matters across sport. Harriet has enjoyed secondments at governing bodies including the BHA, the WRU and World Sailing. Prior to Onside Law, Harriet trained and qualified at DLA Piper.

Harriet Leach’s comprehensive understanding of women’s sport, including current challenges and solutions. Extremely strong collaborator and extremely supportive.

Legal500

  • Location

    London

  • Practice Area

    Corporate, Corporate Governance and Non-Contentious Regulatory

  • Previous Clubs

    DLA Piper, the BHA (on loan), the WRU (on loan) and World Sailing (on loan)

  • Specialisms

    Emerging Properties and Women’s Sport

Harriet has a broad practice across corporate, commercial, and non-contentious regulatory matters. Harriet’s core practice is corporate law advising clients across the sports and media sectors, from start-ups to listed companies on all aspects of corporate law (including company set up, M&A, investments, shareholder and joint venture arrangements). Harriet acts for many governing bodies and international federations on a range of issues and has been on secondment to the BHA, the WRU and World Sailing.

More recently she has developed a specialism in restructuring and emerging sporting properties and sports governance and has particular experience drafting participation agreements, constitutional documents, operating/working together agreements and rules and regulations. Recent highlights include advising the ECB on the sale of its eight teamcos participating in The Hundred, England Netball on the restructure of the Netball Super League ahead of its relaunch in 2025 and Six Nations on its joint venture with SANZAAR to deliver the Nations Cup.

Harriet chairs the Women’s Sport practice group and is Head of Women’s Football working with women’s football clubs across WSL and WSL2 including London City Lionesses and new rightsholders in this space including World Sevens Football.  Harriet took home the Contribution of Services in Women’s Sport award at the Everything In Sport Awards 2023.

Harriet co-authored the UK chapter in Chambers & Partners Global Practice Guide “Sports Law” and regularly speaks at sports industry events and hosts Onside’s New Era for Women’s Sport Series.

Harriet relaxes by strength and conditioning training at Un1t, sailing on the Isle of Wight and watching Arsenal Women and the Lionesses.

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