The low down
Sport is an entertainment but also a lens through which we can observe many of society’s less edifying characteristics – racism, sexism, bullying, homophobia, exploitation. Sports bodies have a huge responsibility to protect young players, ensure that what we watch is uncorrupted and check that financial dealings are above board. They must also safeguard the interests of their most invested stakeholders – the fans – and guarantee that these interests are not subverted by corporate opportunism. It almost goes without saying that lawyers are critical to that mission.
‘Sporting bodies such as football or rugby clubs are, in corporate terms, usually small entities. But they have an outsize public impact,’ says Chris Scott, senior partner and founder at Slateford, which specialises in reputation, crisis management and privacy. ‘They are also considered to be community assets with an emotional contract with their stakeholders, unlike many other businesses.’
The low down
The constraints of the pandemic have changed the way we all work for good. Flexible working has enabled many to break free of the strongholds of the office, the commute and city living. For recruitment, the geographic freedom that flexible working enables should mean more choice, both for law firms and candidates. Taking the long view, how many pandemic-related changes are here to stay? Firms say they are looking ever closer at candidates’ character and values, while lawyers considering a move want intelligence on firm culture that goes beyond the official version.
When the pandemic hit 13 months ago, many law firms imposed a recruitment freeze and shed jobs in vulnerable sectors such as corporate, as deals ground to a halt. Although it is tempting to draw comparisons between the economic shock of Covid-19 and the dip after the global economic crisis of 2008, there are important differences.