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Dan Chapman
Leading employment and sports lawyer Dan is a Partner and Head of our Employment and Sports Teams, with an excellent reputation for the highest level of service and the provision of dynamic, commercial advice.
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As Head of the Leathes Prior Employment & Sports Teams, Dan is well versed in handling a range of contentious and non-contentious employment matters, with notable expertise in the crossover between employment and sports law. His expertise lies mostly in acting for employers and high-profile or high net-worth individuals and regularly appears as an advocate before the Employment Tribunals and sporting courts nationwide.
With a diverse client base which includes employers of all sizes and those from the sporting world, including many household names, he has a reputation for providing dynamic, commercial and pro-active advice and, where required, backs that up as a fearless advocate. He has appeared in many high-profile cases throughout his career and is adept at dealing with media scrutiny.
Dan is regularly called upon by national media to provide guidance on all aspects of employment and sports law, and has featured in publications such as the Telegraph, Daily Mail, Times, Law Society Gazette, The Law Society, Guardian, Financial Times and extensively on BBC TV, radio and other media outlets.
Dan is also a Non-Executive Director of WorkSmarter - the modern cloud HR software for UK SMEs. He is also the clerk of the Great Hospital.
Dan’s employment law practice covers the entire range of contentious and non-contentious areas, including expertise dealing with complex Trade Union related matters, TUPE and employment agency issues, with the common theme always being his desire to provide clients with solutions and the best possible service levels. Dan has a particular specialism (and interest) in advising on multi-jurisdictional employment status and taxation issues, and is praised by his clients for his clear, pragmatic advice in this complex area of law and for his advocacy at Employment Tribunal hearings around the UK.
In both his Employment Law and Sports Law practices, Dan is a specialist in immigration issues, and assists both businesses and individuals with right to work checks, recruitment overseas, and sponsorships and acts for high net-worth individuals across all sectors negotiating and advising upon employment terms, contracts and exits.
In his capacity as one of the region’s few genuine sports lawyers, Dan acted for Norwich City Football Club in its disputes with newspaper, News of the World and Colchester United Football Club, where Dan appeared as an advocate before the Football Disciplinary Commission, as well as acting for and against numerous Premier League, Football League and non-league football clubs throughout the UK. He also has a significant client base in motorsport and has successfully acted in a number of contentious and non-contentious matters in Formula 1 and represented a range of professional racing drivers from the junior ranks through to Formula 1, including appearing as an advocate at the Motorsport UK National Court.
Dan has over 15 years’ experience of acting for football clubs, agents and players. His experience includes many transactions in the Premier League and also overseas. He has developed extensive expertise for advising football agents, clubs and players in regard to contractual or Rule K Arbitration disputes.
Dan also has a niche area of expertise in advising Academy footballers and their families in relation to the EPPP/Youth Development Rules and the training compensation regime, having written extensively on the topic in the national media – see for example, the World Sports Advocate. The full, unedited version of his article can be found here. Dan also appeared on a BBC Radio 5 live debate on the subject (listen here).
- Luke Browning Signs with Williams Formula One Racing Driver Academy
- Leathes Prior delighted to act for Kieran McKenna and Martyn Pert in their move to Ipswich Town Football Club
- High Court success for leading motorsport team Hitech Grand Prix Limited against their former racing driver Enaam Ahmed
- Mr A Hedderman v Fowler Welch Limited (ET)
- Successfully represented Louis Foster on his Appeal before the Motor Sport Council’s National Court
- Alex Albon makes it to F1
- Conisbee v Crossley Farms Ltd (ET)
- Jamieson v Fowler Welch Limited (ET)
- Ladell v Royal Mail Group Limited (ET)
- Kemp v Norwich and Central Norfolk Mind (ET)
- Mousa v RCP Parking Ltd & National Car Parks Limited (ET)
- O’Brien vs TRO Group Limited (ET)
- Godfrey Morgan Solicitors v Cobalt Systems Ltd (EAT)
- Graduated in law with first class honours from the University of Keele in 1999
- Completed his studies at Nottingham Law School and obtained a distinction in the Legal Practice Course
- Trained with the firm and qualified as a Solicitor in September 2002
- Joined the Partnership in 2005
- Became a FA Registered Intermediary in 2015 (more commonly known as a ‘football agent’)
- Longstanding member of the firm’s Management Committee
- Became the firm’s Managing Partner in 2025
