Burges Salmon has bolstered its litigation practice with the hire of sports specialist partner Mark Gay from DLA Piper.

The London-based DLA partner joined Burges Salmon's Bristol office earlier this week (31 October), bringing the total number of partners at the firm to 71.

He joined DLA from Denton Wilde Sapte in 2005 as part of an 11-partner media team, after training at Linklaters and joining Herbert Smith in 1991, where he made partner in 1995.

Major clients he has worked with to date include the Premier League, as well as motorsport and athletics governing bodies FIA and IAAF.

He has particular experience of advising on advising on disciplinary proceedings, creating disciplinary structures and constitutional issues, as well as the contentious aspects of sponsorship and television contracts.

Gay (pictured) said: "I am attracted by the possibility of offering my clients a high-quality proposition together with real value for money. Even big clients are looking for flexibility and cost efficiency, without cutting the quality of their representation."

High-profile roles he has taken include acting for the Premier League in 2007 on its dispute with Sheffield United FC over the club's relegation, while he also represented former Harlequins rugby director Dean Richards in 2009 for his role in the 'Bloodgate' scandal, which saw Richards receive a three-year ban for his role in orchestrating a fake injury for one of the club's players.

Gay's departure from DLA comes after news emerged last week that DLA trade and government relations head Miriam Gonzalez is set to join Dechert as head of its EU trade and EU government affairs practice.

Gonzalez joins former DLA EMEA corporate crime and investigations head Jonathan Pickworth and global litigation co-head Neil Gerrard, who left the firm to join Dechert in April, although Gerrard remains in dispute with DLA over the terms of his exit.