Couchman Harrington Support Stanford’s 20/20 Vision
Couchman Harrington Associates ("CHA"), the leading sports business law firm, has acted for legendary entrepreneur and financier Sir Allen Stanford in his spectacular and groundbreaking "20/20 For 20" deal with the England & Wales and West Indies Cricket Boards.
Sir Allen, who flew into Lords to announce the deal in a Stanford-branded helicopter carrying West Indies cricketing legends Sir Vivian Richards, Sir Garfield Sobers and Sir Everton Weekes amongst others, has pledged US$100m in prize money over 5 years for a winner takes all, 20/20 match in each year featuring his own Stanford Superstars XI and the England cricket team. The prize fund for each match will be US$20 million, with the winning players each receiving US$1m and the losers going home empty-handed. The first "20/20 For 20" match will take place in Antigua on November 1st, the anniversary of Antigua's independence from Britain. Stanford’s total investment including the costs of hosting the events is likely to be in excess of US$150m.
Managing Partner Mark Whitehead who led the deal for CHA on behalf of Stanford said, "This has been one of the most talked about and eagerly anticipated deals in the history of cricket. Sir Allen has an amazing passion for West Indies cricket and his drive to bring this event into being has captured the cricketing public’s imagination in an unprecedented way. It has been a complex and challenging deal to execute as innovative ideas often are, but to see it through to completion is immensely satisfying and builds further on CHA's reputation as a doer of major deals in the global sports marketplace."
Sir Allen Stanford said, “I have been greatly impressed with CHA’s work ethic and dedication to our cricket initiative in the Caribbean and in England – they are indeed top-tier professionals and it has been a pleasure working with them.”
Stanford 20/20 President Andrea Stoelker added; "We knew from an early stage that we would need experienced English lawyers to help us consummate this transaction and CHA emerged from a competitive selection process as the clear winners. We were particularly impressed with their knowledge of the commerce and politics of the global cricket market, attributes which, allied to their undoubted qualities as lawyers, have been vital in this particular negotiation. I have been delighted with the relationship at every level”.
For further information contact:
Mark Whitehead:
mark.whitehead@couchmanharrington.com; orNic Couchman:
nic.couchman@couchmanharrington.com