| Chris Farnell | |
| Birth Date: | 1969 12, df=yes |
| Nationality: | British |
| Occupation: | Lawyer |
| Known For: | Sports Law |
| Alma Mater: | Liverpool University |
Christopher William Farnell (born 21 December 1969) is an English solicitor. Farnell owns the Manchester-based legal practice IPS Law.[1] He is a sports lawyer, also working in media and entertainment-related law.[1] Farnell has worked for boxers, international footballers and managers, Premier League and English Football League clubs and European football agents.
Farnell studied economics at Liverpool University where he gained a 2:1 in economics before he studied law.[2] Farnell was signed to Blackburn Rovers, but was unable to continue his career due to an injury.[3]
Farnell worked at Eversheds before, in 2004, becoming a partner at Hill Dickinson, then founded and established IPS Law LLP in 2006 as a niche sports law practice.[4]
Farnell gained a reputation in sports law for representing players and managers[4] and in particular his work on image rights.IPS specialises in image rights, player transfers, intellectual property contracts, contract re-negotiations, sponsorship and endorsement contracts, defamation, sports dispute resolution, footballer and agent disputes, doping hearings, regulatory issues, and both contentious and non-contentious intellectual property law.[5] [6] Farnell has been involved in the purchases of several professional football clubs.[7]
Farnell was a club director between March and June 2013 of Wigan Athletic coinciding with the club's 2013 FA Cup Final win and Premier League relegation. His directorship was ended on the same day as manager Roberto Martinez left to join Everton.[8]
Farnell advised Massimo Cellino during his 2014 takeover of Leeds United. Farnell reportedly sacked Leeds United manager Brian McDermott by telephone on behalf of the club's prospective new owner, Cellino.[9] [10]
Farnell was the lead lawyer on the 2016 sale of Swansea City to new owners;[11] on the sale of the club, and was later accused by former director Steve Penny, who wanted to profit from the sale of the club, of bullying and intimidation during a board meeting, to make him leave.[12] The judge found that these claims were unsupported.[13] Penny and fellow director Don Keefe won their claim of unfair dismissal.[14]
Farnell came under scrutiny for his involvement in a failed Charlton Athletic takeover attempt with Paul Elliott in June 2020. He was instructed to advise majority owner Tahnoon Nimer with his shareholder dispute with executive chairman and minority shareholder Matt Southall.[15] He was present when police were called to The Valley as tensions rose.[16] In June 2020 it was announced that the club had been taken over by Elliott; however, in a court case the following month, Farnell admitted the sale had not completed.[17] On 6 August 2020, the attempted takeover by Elliott and Farnell was officially rejected by the EFL, with the EFL saying three individuals, one of them Farnell, were "subject to a disqualifying condition".[17] Police had to be called to his offices in Hale, Cheshire after some supporters gained entry and demanded answers regarding the running of the club, and following news of Farnell's EFL disqualification both East Street Investments and Charlton Athletic officially terminated Farnell's involvement. BBC Sport established that the Solicitors Regulation Authority was investigating a complaint about Farnell. It had been alleged that Farnell had conflict of interest by acting for both parties in the potential sale of the club.[17]
On 28 October 2020, Farnell was informed that his disqualification from being an owner or director of a football club had been lifted after a successful appeal to an independent League arbitration panel.[18] Farnell was interested in purchasing Burnley along with Mohamed El Kashashy.[19] El Kashashy was also rumoured to be part of a takeover of Charlton Athletic in 2020,[20] and had completed a sales and purchasing agreement for Burnley.[21] However, in December 2020 they pulled out of a potential deal.[22]
In February 2014, Farnell was found not guilty of assaulting his first wife Rebecca, with whom he had four children.[23] In September 2015 at Newcastle magistrates' court, Farnell, along with Sammy Lee, Phil Gartside and others, faced counts of perjury brought by Gavin McCann's former agent in a private prosecution relating to McCann's 2007 transfer to Bolton Wanderers.[24] No evidence was offered and all were cleared of any wrongdoing.[25]
Farnell is now married to his second wife Clare and lives in Mobberley, Cheshire.[26]