International law firm Bird & Bird has announced an initiative that will offer complimentary legal support service for those in the Esports Integrity Coalition (ESIC).
Those who are part of the not-for-profit association will be entitled to three hours of legal advice on three separate legal queries each year.
Richard Bush and William Deller of the Media, Entertainment and Sports Sector at Bird & Bird commented in a statement: “Esports is an area of huge growth and innovation, which presents various novel commercial and regulatory challenges. Our partnership with ESIC will not only help its members navigate these challenges, but also provide them with legal support aimed at furthering the development of their businesses and protecting esports from various integrity risks.”
The advice that Bird & Bird is able to offer ESIC members includes franchise, team and player agreements, staging, hosting and venue hire agreements, ticketing, merchandising and hospitality agreements, media rights agreements, and commercial contracts. It can also provide support for regulatory matters such as the prevention of doping & corruption and how to respond to suspicions of such matters.
Ian Smith, Commissioner of ESIC added: “Bird & Bird are experts in providing legal advice in esports, and in the broader sport, media and technology sectors, making them the ideal partner for this initiative. The firm’s complimentary legal support service fits perfectly with ESIC’s wider strategy: to add value for its members, to support their development and, of course, protect esports integrity. I look forward to working with the team.”
ESIC counts the likes of ESL, DreamHack, Intel, ESP Gaming, Gambling Commission, and Malta Gaming Authority as members of the association. Esports Insider is its key media partner.
Bird & Bird forged a partnership with Danish esports organisation Copenhagen Flames back in March 2017, establishing a legal hotline and a free audit service for both player and sponsor contracts.
Esports Insider says: ESIC is truly trying to make esports a better place for all involved, so having a law firm at hand that is able to help members of the association with a number of different problems is only a good thing. Bird & Bird is obviously keen to offer it services to those in the industry and long may it continue.