Andrew Smith

Career

Andrew practices in the fields of employment and discrimination law, sports law and commercial law.

His employment practice encompasses complex and high value disputes in the Employment Tribunal, EAT and High Court. He is instructed to appear in lengthy whistleblowing discrimination and whistleblowing trials (amongst others), as well as commercial employment disputes. He has appeared in the Court of Appeal in the high profile employment cases of Smith v Pimlico Plumbers (annual leave ‘carry over’ rights), Kong v Gulf International Bank (the ‘separability principle’ in whistleblowing claims) and Mackenzie v AA (the assessment of damages in wrongful dismissal claims).

Andrew’s High Court and arbitration practice encompasses a broad range of employment-related litigation, including ‘team move’ cases and disputes concerning restrictive covenants, bonus payments, obligations of confidence and fiduciary duties.

In the field of sport law, Andrew is instructed to act in sports arbitrations, disciplinary and other proceedings, including before the Professional Football Compensation Committee. He has represented a range of clients including players, athletes, managers, clubs, agents and governing bodies. Andrew has also been appointed to sit as a Rule K arbitrator, as a member of an EFL arbitration appeal panel, and as an independent investigator. Internationally, Andrew has been involved in several cases before the Court of Arbitration for Sport, as well as claims in the Basketball Arbitral Tribunal.

Andrew is a long-established member of the LawInSport editorial board and has written many articles for the website, as well as co-authoring three chapters of ‘Football and the Law’.