Addleshaw Booth & Co acted for British Airways (BA) on its sponsorship deal with the Football Association (FA) that made BA the official airline of the England football team.

This was the first major instruction that BA has given Addleshaws since the firm was appointed to the company's panel late last year.

BA made its first sponsor flight last week when it took the England team and their families to Dubai for their pre-World Cup break.

Under the terms of the deal, BA will be the official carrier of the England team until 2004, which means that the airline will carry the team to this summer's World Cup and also to the European Championships in Portugal in two years' time.

Addleshaws' team was headed by sports partner James Whittaker and the FA was represented by
in-house lawyer Will Hayes.

"This deal is an example of how today's sponsorship deals are moving beyond simple cash-for-rights agreements and are becoming more sophisticated, with the inclusion of value-in-kind benefits for all parties," Whittaker said.

Addleshaws' sports department acts for a number of governing bodies, including the Rugby Football League. The firm is also the official law firm to the Commonwealth Games, which are to be held in Manchester this summer.