Ringwood lawyer from Ellis Jones Solicitors called up by Swim England to help in sport disputes

A RINGWOOD lawyer is set to have a say on disputes in swimming with a new appointment at the sport’s national governing body.

David McWilliam, partner and head of personal injury and sports law at Ellis Jones Solicitors, has joined Swim England’s (SE) dispute resolution panel in a voluntary role.

His daughters both swim at national level, and he was Christchurch Seagulls’ club chair for seven years until last July.

The board, with a mixture of legal and non-legal representatives, sits at SE’s head office at the University of Loughborough to hear judicial complaints by members – including swimmers, coaches and volunteers – about alleged misconduct, maladministration or breach of regulations.

David’s appointment follows a recent independent report commissioned by the organisation which criticised the “toxic” culture at some clubs with “excessive demands and pressure” placed on young swimmers at a competitive level.

He said: “I’m looking forward to getting started and seeing the different range of cases involved. My legal knowledge and my experience in sports disciplinary matters should bring an extra dimension to the expertise on the panel.

“I’ve been involved with swimming for many years, including the past eight years at Christchurch Seagulls, so it’s another great opportunity to make a difference in the sport.”

He added: “The overwhelming majority enjoy the sport with no problems whatsoever and I hope my involvement in the panel will further enhance Swim England’s capabilities in dealing with any matters which do arise.”

David launched the area’s first specialist sports law department at Ellis Jones in 2020, with the team advising on matters such as contracts, intermediary/agent regulations, image rights, brand protection, sponsorship, event management, discrimination, disciplinary, anti-doping and employment issues.