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Legal Services Support Hub

AEV

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As the official legal services partner to the Association of Event Venues (AEV), we are proud to offer our new Legal Services Support Hub exclusively for AEV members.

In collaboration with AEV, we have launched a one stop shop for legal support, designed to make legal guidance easily and immediately accessible to venues of all shapes and sizes.

Whether you need advice on commercial contracts, guidance on branding and IP issues, help with a regulatory & compliance issue, assistance with worker related matters or are having a dispute with a supplier or customer, our experienced team of lawyers can provide practical advice, suggest next steps, and guide you through the legal process. 

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The support centre is free at the point of use, and we will provide one hour’s worth of free guidance per member per enquiry.

It is staffed by experienced lawyers qualified to advise on various business-related legal issues and it is available at aev@nqlegal.co.uk.

We also have access to best-in-class specialists from the venue and events world, with close contacts and relationships established and grown over many years.

Additionally, we are offering select venues an exclusive consultancy service at specially discounted day rates, available only to AEV members. This service can benefit venues of all sizes and proves particularly valuable for specific projects, where it has consistently delivered significant advantages to many of our clients over recent years.

Why choose nQ legal?

Expertise: Tony and Carol are seasoned commercial lawyers with a deep understanding of the intricate legal landscapes in which you operate. Together with our team of experienced consultants, we offer comprehensive legal solutions across a diverse range of practice areas that affect you as venue operators and event services providers.

Specialised Services: Our primary focus lies in the venue, events, sports, and entertainment sectors, and we also have expertise in other niche areas, such as leisure and retail.

Our practice areas include: 

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  • Commercial Law: Tailored legal advice to help your business thrive in a competitive market.
  • Regulatory: Ensuring compliance with industry standards and regulations including environmental and sustainability, data legislation and guidance on forthcoming Martyn’s Law.
  • Intellectual Property: Protecting your valuable assets and innovative ideas.
  • Commercial Property/Real Estate: Navigating the complexities of property transactions and development.
  • Third Sector: focus on arts including theatres and museums and all aspects of running charitable and not for profit organisations;
  • Corporate: Strategic guidance on corporate governance, mergers, and acquisitions.
  • HR: Comprehensive support for all your human resources legal needs.
  • Dispute Resolution: We will advise you and guide you through the minefields.
  • Licencing Law and Gambling Law: Advice and representation relating to the regulations and legal framework governing licencing and gambling operations.
  • Visa & Immigration Law: Advice on the rules and legal processes that govern the entry, stay, and rights of foreign nationals.

Our areas of expertise: 

  • Venue management and operation contracts
  • Conference and exhibition contracts
  • Venue tendering and new business initiatives
  • Venue infrastructure, goods and services procurement arrangements
  • Arrangements with sports tenants (football, ice hockey, basketball, etc)
  • Naming rights deals
  • Commercial rights exploitation including ticketing, sponsorship, advertising, food & beverage, merchandising, hospitality
  • Promoter & venue hire agreements
  • Event management contracts
  • Celebrity attendance and endorsement agreements
  • Media coverage, including broadcast rights
  • Essentially, commercial contracts of every shape and size
  • Corporate transactions including mergers, acquisitions, sales
  • Regulatory compliance inc. Martyn’s Law
  • Corporate governance
  • Intellectual property issues, intellectual property protection & exploitation
  • Online and digital services and activity, including SaaS
  • Commercial property and real estate matters
  • Landlord & tenant issues
  • Employment contracts and HR matters
  • Immigration and visa work
  • Licensing applications and advice
  • Gambling Law

Examples of our work

  • For 15 years dealt with the full range of legal issues arising from tendering and bids, development, launch and opening, ownership, lease arrangements, operation, management, event services and wide-ranging commercial exploitation of major live entertainment and conference arena and stadia in the UK, Europe, the Middle East, South-East Asia and Australasia.
  • For 15 years acted as lead legal adviser in the UK, Europe, and beyond, to a recognised global leader in venue development, ownership, management and operation, working at the cutting edge of the industry. Highlights include helping to establish a successful new arena all the way from planning to opening night, the Commonwealth Games, World Swimming Championships, and a number of record-breaking tours.
  • Retained by public development corporation owners of world-renowned stadium to advise and represent on wide range of contractual and commercial legal issues including in respect of contractual matters and retained as lead legal adviser on tender process and negotiations for hosting and managing major annual sporting events and sell out music events.
  • Lead legal adviser to team that delivered the National Speedway Stadium in Manchester, UK.
  • Lead legal adviser to teams that have bid for, developed and delivered major arenas/ venues, including 14,000 seater Northern arena.
  • Lead legal adviser and negotiator on multiple naming rights deals for major UK arenas/venues.
  • Lead legal adviser in respect of multiple venue/resident sports team arrangements in the UK and Europe including in Manchester, Belfast, London and Wroclaw (Poland).
  • Lead legal adviser on countless other commercial partnership deals and commercial rights sharing deals including (but not limited to) event management contracts, promoter and venue hire agreements, supply agreements (eg drinks providers, catering services to venues); pouring rights deals; ticketing deals; hospitality agreements, merchandise deals, venue outsourcing agreements inc stewarding, policing, cleaning; venue WIFI deals; and IP licence arrangements.
  • Frequently work with various Premier League football clubs.
  • Frequently work with various Championship football clubs
  • Sole legal services provider to UK’s leading elite netball club.
  • Retained by number of other elite sports teams, personalities, and celebrities to advise/represent in respect of contractual issues, intellectual property issues, sponsorship and endorsement deals, online commercial activity and personal brand exploitation and protection.
  • Acted for and advised owners of iconic leisure and event venues based in NW England in relation to numerous projects.
  • Acted for and advised international trade show organisers in respect of all commercial and contractual aspects of their shows.
  • Provided sponsor licensing support to a number of venues on the entry of long-term skilled worker hires, and short-term sponsorship of performers and technical staff.
  • Advising Concert Halls, Theatres, Museums and Galleries in relation to charity law, governance, service level agreements, artist agreements, operating agreements, café concessions, and branding.
  • Advising funders and local authorities in relation to the operation of venues, creating new bodies to operate venues, and advice relating to ending venue contracts, mergers and transfers.

Contact nQ legal 

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You can learn more about nQ legal and the services we offer at www.nqlegal.co.uk.

We have also attached a reference from leading industry expert Nicky Dunn OBE. Further references are available on request.

Please contact us if you require further information in relation to any of these initiatives. We would be delighted to help with any project, large or small.

AEV Support Hub:   aev@nqlegal.co.uk

Tony Brook:             tony@nqlegal.co.uk           (+44) (0)7703 187236

Carol Thompson:     carol@nqlegal.co.uk          (+44) (0)7825 216608


 

Member Venues