Sarah Clover: The business of commercial advice
Legal Week reports
July 19, 2006 at 08:03 PM
4 minute read
In its 29 June edition, Legal Week reported on the judgment in the case of The Football League v Edge Ellison, in which it was held that the solicitor advising the Football League on the sale of its broadcast rights to ITV Digital in 2000 did not have an implied duty to advise the League to consider seeking guarantees from ITV Digital's ultimate parents, Carlton and Granada, in respect of the £315m payable under the contract.
In that article, Legal Week reported the reaction to the judgment by some City partners who suggested that if lawyers did not assume responsibility for giving such advice, they would be falling short of their client's expectations. Clients are indeed entitled to expect their lawyers to be commercially astute, and, in some situations, lawyers do – and indeed must – give what amounts to commercial advice. However, a closer look at the Football League decision shows it to be consistent with this expectation and in line with previous decisions on the point.
In this case, Mr Justice Rimer held that the solicitor had no duty to raise the question of parent company guarantees in circumstances in which this issue was well within the competence of the relevant individuals at the League to consider.
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
Trending Stories
- 1The Law Firm Disrupted: For Big Law Names, Shorter is Sweeter
- 2Wine, Dine and Grind (Through the Weekend): Summer Associates Thirst For Experience in 'Real Matters'
- 3'That's Disappointing': Only 11% of MDL Appointments Went to Attorneys of Color in 2023
- 4What We Know About the Kentucky Judge Killed in His Chambers
- 5'I'm Staying Everything': Texas Bankruptcy Judge Halts Talc Trials Against J&J
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250