Two leading sports law barristers have joined Fountain Court as the set expands its sports law offering.
The duo are Ashley Cukier, who joins from Littleton Chambers, and Maurice Holmes, who joins from Crown Office Chambers. Cukier specialises in football disputes, having appeared before the FIFA Football Tribunal and the Court of Arbitration for Sport. He also serves on a Premier League Regulatory Oversight Panel.
Holmes advises across a wide range of sports, including tennis, football, cricket, rugby and golf, with particular expertise in integrity and anti-corruption matters. He leaves the set after nine years, having formerly played professional cricket for Warwickshire County Cricket Club.
The move reunites Cukier with John Mehrzad KC, who joined the set from Littleton Chambers in 2023 and headlines the set’s sports practice alongside established figures like Bankim Thanki KC, a former head of chambers, and leading silks like Jeffrey Chapman KC, Paul Gott KC and others.
Fountain Court’s head of chambers Richard Handyside KC welcomed the appointments, stating: “Their excellent reputations in sports law will significantly enhance the service chambers is able to deliver to clients in the sports sector.”
Cukier said he was delighted to join the set, calling it “a serious force in the sports law market”, while Holmes added: “I am delighted to be joining Fountain Court Chambers, whose ascendant sports practice – alongside the depth and calibre of its commercial and regulatory expertise – presents a unique combination and a natural fit for my practice.”
The team advises on disputes and regulatory matters across almost every major sport, with recent instructions including acting for the FIA and Formula 1 in proceedings brought by Felipe Massa regarding the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.
The duo’s arrival reflects the set’s drive to compete with established rivals like Blackstone Chambers at all levels of call, while supporting the busy practices of silks like Mehrzad, who was appointed a silk in 2020 after only 12 years in practice.
Mehrzad has chaired reviews into athletics, equestrianism and cycling over the last 10 years, as well as acting as a disciplinary chair for the Football Association and as an advocate for both the London 2012 Olympic Games and the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. He is also a Sports Resolution and Court of Arbitration in Sport Legal Aid Panellist, as well as serving on the League Managers Association and Professional Cricket Association panels.
The appointments follow the announcement of two new silks in the 2025 appointments round – Adam Sher and Richard Power, who will become King’s Counsel later this year – and the return of Lord Goldsmith KC from Debevoise in November.
Cukier’s departure from Littleton coincides with recent leadership changes at his former set, with Adam Solomons KC having taken over from Gavin Mansfield KC as head of chambers last November on Mansfield’s appointment to the High Court bench, while Clare Bello succeeded Liz Dux as chambers director.
Cukier moves on after 10 years, although it is understood the move is unrelated to the changes; his exit is offset by the September 2025 arrival of sports barrister Steven Flynn to the set from 2 Temple Gardens.
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