Lord Pannick KC of Blackstone Chambers is set to re-enter the ring and battle on behalf of Manchester City FC after the Premier League leveled more than 100 charges against the football club yesterday.
Before the start, lets talk about a…
FUN FACT
Man City could pay top lawyer Kevin De Bruyne’s wages
Highly regarded as one of the top barristers of his generation, Lord Pannick KC of Blackstone Chambers recently provided advice to Boris Johnson regarding the Partygate inquiry and even represented the UK Government in front of the Supreme Court.
He will now go head-to-head with his Blackstone Chambers colleague Adam Lewis KC in what is expected to be an epic, and costly sports law battle.
Lord Pannick KC Wages
Lord Pannick KC, whose rate of pay typically falls within the range of £5,000 to £10,000 an hour, could potentially earn upwards of £80,000 a day or even £400,000 a week during the trial if he is working full-time.
This would make him the same as Manchester City’s and the Premier League’s highest-paid athlete, Kevin De Bruyne. Even at his lowest rate of pay, however, Pannick will still make more than all but seven of the team’s players.
Barristers typically don’t receive their highest rate of pay for first-instance hearings, as they usually have a set brief fee for all aspects of preparation and the first day of the hearing. In 2020, court documents revealed that Lord Pannick charged £3,000 an hour on the Privatbank litigation, along with a £800,000 brief fee.
Why Man City choosing Lord Pannick KC
Manchester City’s instruction of Lord Pannick – given the legwork required and his high fees – is indicative of how seriously the club takes the charges which stem from a four-year investigation into potential violations of the League’s fiscal regulations, dating back to 2009/10. If these charges are proven, it could potentially lead to the club’s expulsion from the Premier League or even see its directors barred from its board.
The case pertaining to Manchester City’s challenge of the Premier League’s decision to establish an arbitration panel obliging the club to submit documents to investigators has already gone before the Court of Appeal in 2021.
Who’s joining Lord Pannick KC in this Case
Paul Harris KC of Monckton Chambers will be joining Lord Pannick in Manchester City’s legal team, while Blackstone’s Andrew Hunter KC and Jason Pobjoy are representing the Premier League alongside Bruno Lewis.
It is understood that Bird & Bird has been retained by the Premier League. Chris Yates, a partner at Clifford Chance, represented Manchester City before the Court of Appeal and throughout the investigation process, but he has yet to make any statement on his continued instruction.
Murray Rosen KC of 4 New Square Chambers, who heads the judiciary panel of the Premier League, will select three members to form an independent tribunal that will hear the case. Pannick and Hunter had worked together on the Privatbank case before, while Jason Pobjoy had previously aided Lord Pannick in providing advice to Boris Johnson about Partygate.
What’s the Accusation on Man City
In 2019, UEFA accused Manchester City of breaching financial fair play regulations; however, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed most allegations due to expiry of time limits that do not apply under Premier League Rules. As a consequence, the club was fined €10m for failing to cooperate with UEFA’s investigation. After the first hearing in which Manchester City was defeated, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan declared he would rather spend £30m on 50 lawyers than accept their judgement.
No date has been set for the case yet, but the Premier League has previously complained about Manchester City’s attempts at delaying proceedings through procedural applications and opposition.
What if City is found guilty?
They may face a points deduction or expulsion from the top-flight.
As of current, Blackstone Chambers, Clifford Chance and Bird & Bird have not responded to any inquiries.
Source: THE LAWYER
