Graham Shear
Graham Shear
Graham Shear
EMEA Regional Leader – Litigations & Investigations
Biography
Graham Shear is the EMEA Leader of BCLP’s Litigation & Investigations Department. He also co-leads the firm’s Sports, Media & Entertainment Sector. Graham has over 35 years’ experience as a commercial litigator both in the UK and internationally. Graham acts for banks, corporates, governments, high net worth individuals and entrepreneurs together with a broad mix of those in the sport and entertainment industry.
Graham's experience includes:
- Contractual and shareholder disputes, specialist rights protection, complex recoveries and professional negligence.
- Complex and diverse fraud and internal investigation cases, which are often multi-jurisdictional.
- Deploying strategy and tactics in crisis management.
- Being a trusted advisor to Boards of large multinational Corporates, high net worth individuals and politicians on a range of commercial, legal and reputational issues.
- Advising individuals and third parties in the sport and entertainment industry on a range of issues, including finance, defamation, privacy and crisis management.
- Acting for finance companies' extending finance to the sport sector, as well as providing specialist advice to football clubs and regulators regarding sport regulation and governance.
Graham is recognised in the legal directories as a leader in commercial litigation, defamation, sport law and civil fraud.
Lexology | Law in Sport | Chambers and Partners | Law Society | The Legal 500
The Growth of Class Actions: What’s next?
Admissions
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England and Wales
Related Capabilities
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Business & Commercial Disputes
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Sports, Media & Entertainment
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M&A Disputes
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Crisis Management & Reputational Risk
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Anti-Bribery & Corruption
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Betting & Gaming
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Finance
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Investigations
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Litigation & Dispute Resolution
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Regulation, Compliance & Advisory
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Licensing
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Government Contracts & Public Procurement
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UK & EU Class Actions
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Special Investigations
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Contract, Endorsement & Celebrity Representation
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Anti-Doping
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Sports & Event Venue Real Estate Infrastructure & Operation
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Naming Rights & Sponsorship
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Sports & Entertainment M&A
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Sports, Media & Entertainment Litigation
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Entertainment Industry
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Sports & Event Financing
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Collegiate Sports
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Olympic & National Governing Bodies
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Professional Sports Team Representation
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Financial Institutions
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California Consumer Privacy Act
Experience
- The New Lottery Company Limited and Northern & Shell PLC v The Gambling Commission – Representing the claimants, The New Lottery Company (TNLC) and Northern & Shell PLC (N&S) in one of The Lawyer’s ‘Top 20 Cases of 2025’ on the public procurement challenge against The Gambling Commission with an 8-weeks trail commencing in October 2025.
- Playtech – Acted for the leading supplier of online gaming software, in a high-value contractual dispute with Caliplay SA. This hard-fought dispute has developed into multiple litigation and arbitration proceedings in both the UK and Mexico. BCLP has advised Playtech, resulting in revised terms to the strategic agreement and a successful settlement for both parties.
- Vatche Manoukian v Société Générale De Banque Au Liban S.A.L and Bank Audi S.A.L – Successfully acted for the Claimant Vatche Manoukian in one of The Lawyer’s ‘Top 20 Cases of 2022’ obtaining an order for international transfers from Mr Manoukian’s bank accounts held with the Defendant banks following an 8-day trial in the High Court in February 2022. The Court of Appeal dismissed the banks’ applications for permission to appeal in June 2022.
- Asturion Fondation - We continue to represent the Asturion Fondation – a foundation established to hold assets on behalf of the Saudi royal family – in highly contested proceedings for the recovery of an ultra-high value property portfolio including property in London.
- Global brokerage firm - Advised a global brokerage firm in two actions against a competitor. The actions related to serious allegations concerning the competitor’s deliberate procurement and misuse of our client’s confidential information. After the first week of a High Court trial we were able to secure settlement for our clients on confidential terms. In the course of the litigation, BCLP secured another pioneering order to enable us to use computer aided review / predictive coding techniques.
- Bakrie Family - Advised the Bakrie family and other Indonesian shareholders in Bumi plc in relation to an internal investigation in Indonesia conducted by Bumi plc, a Takeover Panel (TOP) investigation and hearings concerning concert party issues.
- HSBC - Advised HSBC in London and Switzerland on the media investigation and consequences of the Falciani data theft.
- Phone Hacking - Provided (on-going) advice to a range of high profile celebrities relating to further potential phone hacking arising out of operations Weeting, Pinetree & Elveden.
- British Virgin Islands - Acted for an investor in the Aman Hotels luxury hotel resort group, with 27 properties across the world, on a major cross-border shareholder dispute.
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