Legal Cheek Careers sits down with Harbottle & Lewis managing associate Sam Purkiss to hear how a passion for sport helped shape his legal career in media and entertainment
“It all started back at secondary school for me,” Sam Purkiss reflects, now managing associate at Harbottle & Lewis, crediting an inspiring sixth form law class. “I was fortunate enough to have two former solicitors as teachers, and they taught law A-level at our school — their passion inspired a sort of interest in that area”. That early spark set Purkiss on the path for a legal career, but he admits he “didn’t want to do the three years of dry law” as an undergraduate, so he chose to study social and political sciences at university instead. All the while, he kept law in the back of his mind, planning to convert after his degree.
Breaking into the industry wasn’t instant. Purkiss initially applied to “a few Magic Circle types” for training contracts without much luck. A frank conversation with a university tutor proved pivotal. “He knew what I was interested in, but he made me express it,” Purkiss recalls. “I was interested in modern affairs, media and entertainment, sport in particular. He said, “Why don’t you apply for a firm that does that area?” That lightbulb moment led Purkiss to discover Harbottle & Lewis — a firm renowned for its media, entertainment and sports law work — in a legal careers guide. “At that point in my early career, I didn’t realise there was such a thing” as a firm specialising in those areas, he says.
Purkiss spent two years as a trainee at Harbottle & Lewis, diving into the firm’s varied client work. In addition to seat rotations back at the firm, he gained experience on secondment. “For 6 months of those 2 years, I was on secondment — 3 months at a video games company, Take-Two Interactive, and then 3 months at Sky UK,” he explains. In fact, his stint at Sky was extended, totalling ten months, before he returned to the firm to qualify. Purkiss qualified into the firm’s Media & Entertainment team, handling commercial contracts and regulatory matters across film, TV, theatre, sport and advertising. This gave him broad exposure to the creative industries the firm is known for.
Yet Purkiss’ sporting passion was never far away. “I always had my passion for sport, which the other team members knew about,” he says. When a position opened up in Harbottle’s sports law team, he jumped at it. He was “invited on a more full-time basis” into the sports department, and for the last decade roughly 75% of his practice has been focused on sport and sponsorship work. The remaining quarter of his time still involves media and entertainment matters, particularly intellectual property rights like licensing and merchandising. This move allowed Purkiss to blend his love of sport with his legal experience, a love replicated on the football pitch, with Purkiss pursuing a refereeing career in the English Football League alongside his legal career until hanging up his whistle at the end of last season.
What is it like working in sports and media law? Purkiss is quick to note that “the beauty of it is that there is no typical day”. On any given day, he might be deep in client work — “reviewing and advising on a commercial contract of some sort” as he puts it. For example, on the morning of our interview he advised an entertainment franchise on a possible expansion into a new territory and was also reviewing heads of terms for an A-list celebrity’s brand ambassador deal.
His role as a managing associate also involves mentoring and supervision. Purkiss enjoys helping to train the next generation of lawyers: “I’ve spent some time today talking to an associate and a trainee about some work for a motorsport client that we have, and that I’ll be supervising him on,” he notes. There’s a business development side to the job too — whether reaching out to clients and new contacts or attending industry events. Earlier in the week, for instance, the firm’s team hosted a group of accountants for a board games night — “something a bit different,” Purkiss smiles. And of course, even a sports and entertainment lawyer has admin to do: towards the end of the month he’ll be found raising bills, updating clients on fees, and other routine tasks. The variety, he stresses, is what keeps the job exciting.
Inevitably, our conversation turns to the standout deals that get Purkiss most excited. “I have a particular passion for working on sponsorship agreements,” he enthuses. Over the years, he has acted for major brands on some headline-grabbing sports sponsorships. One longstanding client is drinks giant Diageo, whom he has advised on Guinness’s sponsorship of the Six Nations rugby tournament, as well as the stout brand’s first foray into English football via a Premier League partnership. “I’ve advised them on their sponsorship of the Six Nations, and their first foray into football, their sponsorship of the Premier League, and then follow-up deals with Arsenal, Aston Villa and Newcastle, so that’s all happened very recently,” he shares. Purkiss has also worked with Nissan, handling many of the car manufacturer’s sponsorship deals — including its involvement in the Formula E electric motorsport championship.
Sponsorship law isn’t just something Purkiss practises — he’s also helping to shape the industry itself. He serves as a legal director of the European Sponsorship Association (ESA), a role that sees him contribute to the wider sponsorship community. The ESA is a body representing the industry across Europe, and Purkiss’ involvement ranges from lobbying on policy matters to helping with education and networking initiatives. It’s “another part of my role as well,” he says, “just another aspect of the day job”. Wearing this extra hat gives Purkiss a panoramic view of trends in the sponsorship sector, which undoubtedly feeds back into the advice he provides his clients.
What has kept Purkiss at Harbottle & Lewis since 2012? He tells me the firm’s ethos and environment have been key. The initial attraction was, of course, the work itself. Harbottle & Lewis has a storied reputation in media and entertainment law — “it was very much a case of being lawyers for the stars of the West End and the screen from the start,” Purkiss notes — and that glamour still surrounds the practice today. But more fundamentally, Purkiss was drawn to Harbottle’s guiding philosophy of doing meaningful work. One of the firm’s founders, Laurence Harbottle, famously said “We do interesting work for interesting people.” Purkiss admits that “sounds a bit of a cliché, but it’s true”. The subject matter of cases at Harbottles is often inherently engaging — especially for someone passionate about sports or the arts. “At the end of the day, a lot of us are looking at black-letter law contracts, but they’re made exciting by the fact that we can relate to the contents of them, the context of them,” Purkiss explains. As a sports fan himself, working on deals that he can see play out on the pitch or screen makes the legal work come alive.
Another factor that has kept Purkiss loyal is the culture. “Wherever you work, you’ve got to get on with those who you work with, both your colleagues in the office and your clients,” he reflects — and at Harbottles, that hasn’t been a problem. “The vast majority of clients are a joy and great to be working with, and that makes a big difference,” he says. More importantly, “in terms of the culture at Harbottles, it’s always been a welcoming place, an inclusive place”. The firm has continually evolved, he notes, expanding its wellbeing offerings and other benefits to keep staff happy. One enduring perk that Purkiss is particularly fond of: “the free lunch that remains — it always has been the case while I’ve been there and it’s a bonus,” he laughs. In fact, “the lunch has got better over the years as well — little things like that all help” to make the firm an attractive place to work.
Now a seasoned solicitor involved in graduate recruitment interviews, Purkiss has clear views on what aspiring trainees need to demonstrate. “Right from that stage, I’m looking for someone who can relay a passion, first and foremost. I want someone to be excited about what they’re coming to do,” he says emphatically. Beyond enthusiasm, teamwork is crucial: a new recruit must be “a team player” who shows “commitment to what the team is trying to achieve as a whole”. Purkiss also highlights attention to detail — and equally, an ability to appreciate “the wider picture, the context” of what you’re working on.
Crucially, he doesn’t expect rookies to be perfect. Trainees are not “the finished article from the start”; what matters is a willingness to learn and to take feedback on board. “We all make mistakes,” Purkiss says candidly — what sets people apart is how they handle them. Those who “embrace feedback and take it on in the right way” are the ones who tend to thrive and progress in their careers.
Finally, I ask Purkiss what advice he would give his younger self or any junior lawyer starting out. His answer is simple: don’t be afraid to speak up. “People are open to your ideas, whether you’re a day one trainee or a senior partner of many years,” he observes. Especially at a firm like Harbottles, “you’ve got the ears of those around you; if you’ve got an idea then there’s an opportunity to get involved with implementing that idea”. In other words, “speak up from the start and get involved”.
Sam Purkiss will be speaking alongside Lizzie Williams, Emily Miles and Marissa Beatty at ‘On and off the pitch: Securing the future of a football icon — with Harbottle & Lewis’, a virtual event taking place TODAY Wednesday (5 November). APPLY NOW to attend.
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