Lawyer in the news: Oliver Hunt, Onside Law

Who? Oliver Hunt, a founding partner of Onside Law, London. 

Why is he in the news? The firm advised footballer Jude Bellingham, an England international and longstanding client, on his €103m transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid.

Thoughts on the case: ‘It was a privilege to help Jude. To be part of the official party at a Real Madrid player unveiling is unique and I am incredibly lucky to have now experienced it twice. It is the culmination of lots of hard work, a desire to get this done well for someone I respect so highly, and the first reaction was relief. We had to deal with Jude’s departure from Dortmund and the legal issues surrounding that, followed by the legal aspects of his move to Real Madrid, addressing the regulations of the DFB, La Liga, FIFA on top of a range of laws in such a cross-jurisdictional transaction. Transfers are like jigsaws, but the process was made easier given our relationship with Real Madrid, having worked on Eden Hazard’s deal previously as well as other Real Madrid contracts. Jude is a generational talent and I can’t wait to see how he develops at the club.’

Dealing with the media: ‘There has been a lot of media speculation about Jude over the past six months or so as to whether and when he may move and whether that might involve a transfer to a Premier League club. It is always interesting to read speculative press reports in football, often written as fact, knowing what is really going on. Being part of the inner sanctum of Jude’s team meant maintaining silence was key. A lawyer’s role is to get the job done quietly and efficiently without adding to the noise. There was a huge amount of media interest on the day, and being on the stage during his presentation was surreal, but Jude dealt with the media brilliantly.’ 

Why become a lawyer? ‘The law seemed a logical choice given I am not great with numbers. A teacher told my parents a long time ago that I would not make it as a lawyer so proving him wrong then became the incentive. My law degree confirmed that I had a decent legal mind, research during the mid-1990s indicated a gap in the market in sport, and so I focused on that potential opportunity.’

Career high: ‘I am proud to have played a role in the Bellingham transfer to Madrid. As a sports law “veteran”, I like working for people I like, and the Bellingham family are great. Working for individuals is also very personal, and Jude thanking me for “helping make his dreams come true” was incredibly rewarding.’

Career low: ‘As a trainee at Nabarro, seeking approval of a draft fax cover sheet at 3am during a corporate deal whereby we were attaching a document to said fax, a partner asked me to rewrite it by crossing out the word “attach” and replacing it with “enclose”.’