| RFU v. Viagogo |
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| Louise Millington-Roberts has obtained a landmark ruling which will greatly assist in the fight against the re-sale of tickets on the black market. |
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| A Norwich Pharmacal Order was obtained on behalf of The Rugby Football Union which requires the internet ticket exchange website, Viagogo, to disclose the identities of those who sold RFU tickets for various international matches at Twickenham in 2010 and 2011 |
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| It is the first time that such an Order has been made against a ticket exchange website by an English court. |
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| RFU Business Operations Director Paul Vaughan said "Our action in tackling Viagogo head on in the court shows that we take the strongest stance possible against these marketplaces...Individuals who believe they have anonymity by trading their tickets through such secondary sale sites are no longer invisible and we will ensure that tickets go to genuine fans rather than people who wish to profit". |
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| Brand Protection |
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| Louise had continuing success with the brand protection work carried out for The Wimbledon Championships, The RFU, The London Marathon and The European Tour. |
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| The Times Sport Power 100 |
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| Nick Bitel, Senior Partner at MBG LLP, appears in the 2011 list of the 100 most influential people in Sport. |
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| Sport England |
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| Nick has also recently been appointed to the board of Sport England. |
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| The Legal 500 |
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| The Legal 500 Sereies provides the most comprehensive worldwide coverage on legal services providers and is used by commercial and private client, both nationally and internationally. The series is widely regarded as offering the definitive judgment of law firm capabilities. |
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| The 2009 edition of The Legal 500 makes the following comment: MBG LLP's name partner Nick Bitel is hailed by clients as a 'brilliant adviser', and is particularly strong on sports litigation relating to competition, ticketing and doping. Louise Millington-Roberts is also recommended. |
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| Chambers UK Guide |
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| Chambers has published a leading directory of the legal profession and the following comment appears in the Chambers UK 2008 entry: "For his "outstanding" events work, Nick at Max Bitel Greene LLP earns market recognition as "one of the finest and busiest sports lawyers in the country. He has acted for Wimbledon, the London Marathon and the Ryder Cup. Peers also admire his skills in football disciplinary cases." |
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| Olympic Park Role |
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| Nick is also a member of the Board of the Olympic Park Legacy Company. The Olympic Park Legacy Company aims to create a lasting legacy from the London 2012 Games by developing the Park to become, in time, a new and prosperous metropolitan area of the city. The Company was established in May 2009 by its founders, the Government and Mayor London, as a public sector not-for-profit company which is responsible for the long term planning, development, management and maintenance of the Olympic Park and its facilities after the 2012 Games. |
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| The Legacy Company will be in charge of what will be the largest new park in London for 100 years and be responsible for the delivery of more than 10,000 new homes and the management of first class sports facilities. Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said: "The strength and depth of this new Board brings an exceptionally rich mix of experience to the table. Their combined skills, ranging from property devleopment and regeneration to international business and marketing, will ensure we deliver our vision of transforming east London into a fantastic new quarter of the capital and a must visit destination for visitors from around the world" Communities Secretary John Denham said: "I am delighted to see a high quality Board in place with a wealth of experience that I am confident will prove invaluable in driving forward the Olympic Park Legacy Company". |
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| Louise Millington-Roberts has had continuing success with the brand protection work carried out for The Wimbledon Championships, The RFU, The ECB, The London Marathon and The Ryder Cup. |
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| Football |
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| Nick and Zane Shihab acted on behalf of Harry Redknapp in negotiations concerning his appointment and extension of his management contract with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club and on behalf of Emmanuel Adebayor in respect of his transfer to Manchester City Football Club. |
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| In addition, Nick acted on the deadline day transfer of Russian International footballer Andrey Arshavin from Zenit St Petersburg to Arsenal Football Club. |
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| Nick and Zane acting for football agent Charles Collymore, scored a resounding victory against the Football Association. The verdict reached by the independent Regulatory Commission, which marked the end of disciplinary proceedings lasting nearly three years, found that none of the six charges against Charles Collymore were proved. |
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| Sponsorship |
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| MBG LLP have assisted with putting in place one of the highest profile sports sponsorships in the UK. Virgin will be title sponsor of the London Marathon until at least 2014. The sponsorship will see the annual race being known as the Virgin London Marathon. Virgin's sponsorship extends to the associated wheelchair and mini-marathons. |
