RPC advises on transformational deal for women's football

International law firm RPC has advised Women’s Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL), and the 23 participating clubs in the Barclays Women’s Super League and Barclays Women’s Championship, in the recently announced landmark deal with The FA.

International law firm RPC has advised Women’s Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL), and the 23 participating clubs in the Barclays Women’s Super League and Barclays Women’s Championship, in the recently announced landmark deal with The FA.

The milestone agreement transfers ownership of the top two tiers of the women’s professional game in England from The FA to WPLL, with each participating club becoming a shareholder in the new company.

The deal is one of the biggest and most important women's sports deals of the decade, and spearheads a new era dedicated to driving growth and maximising the potential of women’s football. Under the leadership of CEO Nikki Doucet, WPLL is committed to creating the most distinctive, competitive, and entertaining women’s football club competition in the world. Nikki has commented:  

“We believe the next successful era of the women’s professional game will be built on the foundations of collaboration and we are excited to work together with all stakeholders to drive transformational and sustainable growth across our leagues by leveraging the distinctive qualities, values and principles which exist in the women’s game”

“The team at RPC has been an invaluable partner in navigating this complex and transformative deal. Their expertise and commitment have helped us lay the foundation for a bright future in women’s football.”

The RPC team was led by partners Neil Brown (Corporate) and Josh Charalambous (Sports), with significant support from Clare Rooney (Corporate), Ellie Chakarto (Sports), Jon Bartley (Data), Joe Akwaboa (Sports and Data), Simon Williams (Sports), Arjun Patel (Corporate) and Clare Davis (Employment).

Neil Brown remarked: “We are immensely proud to have advised on this landmark deal which is sure to redefine women’s football in England.  The future is bright for WPLL with a great team to take the company forward, and we're excited to see what they can and will achieve”.

Client press release: Women’s Professional Leagues Limited