Glaisyers ETL has secured victory for Global Sports Data and Technology Group in a £370,000 costs dispute with a firm of solicitors with which, the court ruled, it had entered into a speculative commercial joint venture.
Global Sports Data and Technology Group (Global), based in Penarth, Wales, had in 2021 agreed with Altrincham-headquartered sports law specialist IPS Law LLP to pursue a joint venture known as Project Red Card, which seeks to pursue group legal claims on behalf of sports professionals for breaches of data protection regulations by gaming and betting firms.
IPS had later asserted this agreement established a traditional solicitor-client relationship with Global, and that significant legal fees were due to it as a result. Global vigorously disputed this, instructing Glaisyers ETL to pursue a costs claim against IPS in the High Court.
Following a six-day court case in late 2024 and early 2025, in which Global was represented by Andrew Hogan of Kings Chambers and IPS by Robin Dunne of Gatehouse Chambers, and a reserved judgment, the Senior Costs Judge of England and Wales, Costs Judge Rowley handed down his judgment on 24 July 2025.
Finding in favour of Global, the Judge upheld its claim that its previous relationship with IPS Law was part of a commercial joint venture and was not a conventional solicitor-client relationship which would have created any liability to pay legal fees. The Judge therefore rejected IPS Law’s claims for £370,000.00 worth of invoices that it alleged it was owed, and were found to have been wrongly claimed.
Michael Fletcher, Partner and Head of Costs and Gareth Farrelly, Senior Associate, at Glaisyers ETL acted for Global in this matter.
Mr Fletcher said, “This was an exceptional and highly unusual case against a firm of solicitors, which was resisted by Global throughout. I am extremely pleased that their position, which they consistently held, has been fully accepted by the Senior Costs Judge.”
