Darren Bailey

Darren has worked in sports governance, regulation, and commercial matters in both men’s and women’s codes for over 30 years representing a wide range of National Governing Bodies, Sports Regulators, European and International Federations, Event Owners, Clubs, Players, and Participants. He is a member of the Charles Russell Speechlys Commercial team and heads up the Integrity Services Unit there which provides a unique range of governance and regulatory support services across sport.

He has represented the IRB (now World Rugby), Six Nations, European Rugby Cup, Premier League Clubs, the Boat Race, British Swimming, the International Cricket Council, F1 teams, FIFA, British Basketball, a range of UK governing bodies and government funding agencies as well as many commercial operators in the sports sector. He advised in several watershed High Court and CAS cases around major anti-doping policy matters for the International Tennis Federation.

Darren became the International Rugby Board’s first Director of legal and legislative affairs in 2000, assuming overall responsibility for all legal matters on five Rugby World Cups and overseeing the commercial, regulatory and governance operations for the global game having redrafted the entire regulatory framework when Rugby Union became a professional sport. The role covered the creation/oversight of a global commercial programme incorporating broadcast, sponsorship and merchandising deals and included liaison with various governments around the world on a range of issues from hosting events to the introduction of tournament specific legislation to protect the commercial programme of Rugby World Cup alongside bespoke anti-ambush campaigns. 

In 2009 Darren took up the role of Director of Football Governance and Regulation at The FA where he established the Integrity Unit for English Football and acted as Chief Regulatory Officer to the Football Regulatory Authority (FRA) managing a team of over 50 people covering on field discipline from the Premier League down to non-league, safeguarding, integrity, agents, financial regulation, anti-doping, betting/match fixing and all forms of misconduct. He was responsible for oversight of the FRA budget and seeking efficiencies in the delivery of regulatory services to English football.

During his time at The FA Darren became a member of UEFAs Player Status Committee, acted as a Director of The Professional Game Match Officials limited , assumed responsibility for the FA Cup, oversaw the FA legal team, attended meetings of the English Football Collective Bargaining organization and the International Football Association Board, being present when the historic vote to introduce VAR was made. Darren also attended meetings of Football Dataco and participated in the selection processes for various bet monitoring and integrity service providers. He was a member of the Premier League Legal Advisory Group and supported the Professional Game Board. 

Darren was appointed by the UK Government to represent the UK on the EU Good Governance in Sport Working Group, becoming Chair, and leading on the identification of the 10 Principles of Good Governance for sporting bodies and other reports on equality, safeguarding and hosting events. He was a member of the Sports Betting Integrity Panel set up to make recommendations on the design and implementation of a collaborative approach to protect the integrity of UK sport and betting. Building on these recommendations, the Sports Betting Integrity Forum (SBIF) was established bringing together representatives from sport governing bodies, betting operators, sport and betting trade associations, law enforcement and gambling regulation. Darren acted as Co-Chair of SBIF and was at the forefront of introducing the first Sport and Sports Betting Integrity Action Plan.

As a consultant, Darren has continued to act for International Federations, European and Asian Confederations, National Governing Bodies in the UK, and Asia/Middle East on a range of governance, regulatory, commercial, investment and strategic matters including major private equity investment in sporting properties and the creation of innovative regulatory and governance structures more suited to the current and future expectations of stakeholders and the sporting public. 

Darren was Editor of The International Sports Newsletter ‘Sports Law Administration and Practice’ for over 20 years.

Darren is admitted to practise in England and Wales.

• Partner and Head of Governance at a leading sports law firm acting for a range of clients including international federations, football clubs and major events.
• Author of the entirely new global regulatory framework for Rugby Union when the game became professional.
• Represented the International Tennis Federation in high profile High Court, Court of Appeal and Court of Arbitration for Sport proceedings to variously defend the principle of strict liability in anti-doping codes and the appropriate application of European law to sports regulation.
• First Director of Legal and Legislative Affairs at the International Rugby Board (now World Rugby) and Rugby World Cup, including overseeing the legal aspects of commercial and anti-infringement programmes for the 2003 and 2007 Rugby World Cups and sevens events in Argentina, Hong Kong and Dubai.
• Represented Rugby World Cup in the New Zealand Select Committee process that saw the Major Event Management Act introduced in to New Zealand law to provide special protection for the commercial and ticketing programme for the 2011 Tournament.
• Director of Football Governance and Regulation at the FA responsible for managing a team of 75 sports personnel and leading in areas such as discipline, anti-doping, integrity, financial regulation, legal, refereeing, competitions, professional game services, player status issues and on field and off field regulatory matters.
• Chief Regulatory Officer of the Football Regulatory Authority.
• Director of The Professional Game Match Officials Ltd the company that oversees elite professional refereeing.
• Chair of the Expert Group on Good Governance established by the European Commission responsible for identifying the 10 Principles of Good Governance for Sports Bodies.
• Member of the Sports Betting Integrity Panel 2009/10.
• Co-chair of the UK Sports Betting Integrity Forum and former member of the Sports Betting Group.
• Established the FA Integrity unit and overseen various integrity investigations, promoting closer liaison with the Gambling Commission and law enforcement bodies.
• Editor of Sports Law Journal Sports Law Administration and practice for 20 years.