Mark Afeeva

Contact Mark: markafeeva@matrixlaw.co.uk | +44 (0)20 7404 3447

Contact Mark's Practice Team (Team M): TeamM@matrixlaw.co.uk

Mark has a strong practice across the fields of sports law, employment and discrimination law, commercial disputes, and mediation. He has been ranked for many years in the legal directories as a leading junior in both sports law and employment law.

Mark is accredited by the Civil Mediation Council as a mediator. He is available to act as a mediator in appropriate sports, employment, discrimination and commercial matters, drawing on his experience of mediated disputes across those fields.

He combines nearly 30 years’ experience as a barrister with substantial commercial and executive experience as a business director outside his legal practice. That broader perspective informs his pragmatic, commercially aware and calm approach to litigation, negotiation and dispute resolution, particularly in matters involving sensitive relationships, reputational risk, continuing professional or commercial relationships, and high-value commercial considerations.

Sports Disputes

Mark’s instructions in the field of sports law include cases concerning disputes arising between athletes and their clubs or agents, as well as sports-related personal injury actions. He was an FA Registered Intermediary and  conducted transfer negotiations on behalf of professional footballers. Mark is believed to be the first barrister instructed by a footballer to negotiate his transfer to a Premiership club and he has represented a number of professional footballers at clubs such as  Chelsea FC, Newcastle United FC, West Ham FC, Bolton Wanderers FC and Crystal Palace FC.

Mark  has been instructed by the Professional Footballers Association to represent its members before FA, Premier League and Football League Tribunals, particularly in respect of disciplinary proceedings. Mark was instructed to represent Sol Campbell in Football League arbitration proceedings against Notts County FC and acted for the same player in his breach of contract claim against Portsmouth FC. He also appeared in FA Arbitration and High Court proceedings for the football agent Sky Andrew in his breach of contract claim against England international Jermain Defoe. Mark  represented Jay Bothroyd, the QPR and England striker, in his defence of a breach of contract claim brought by his former agents and conversely, has acted for a number of leading football agents in their contractual disputes with football players. He has also represented many football clubs before FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber in relation to their claims for solidarity payments and training compensation arising from the international transfers of football players, as well as for Ghanaian international football players concerning breach of contract claims against their clubs.

In the world of showjumping, Mark has represented riders both in relation to  governing bodies and team selections for international competitions and contractual disputes between riders and trainers.  He acted for Tim Don, the World Triathlon Champion, in doping offence disciplinary proceedings brought by the British Triathlon Association. He also appeared in  proceedings before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Gibraltar Badminton Federation v The International Badminton Federation. He was formerly a consultant to Team Sports Management Ltd (a sports & music management company) and the First Artist player management agency.

Discrimination and Employment Claims

In the employment sphere, Mark’s practice covers unfair and wrongful dismissal claims, which often overlap with the sex, race and disability discrimination actions that form the cornerstone of his discrimination law practice. He has particular experience of discrimination claims brought against academic institutions that have been commenced by both teaching staff and pupils/students. He appeared as sole Counsel in the 50-day employment tribunal hearing of Anyanwu v South Bank University.

Mark was also instructed in Ben-Hassine v Birmingham University, the first religious discrimination claim brought by a student against a University. Similarly, he is well-versed in dismissal and discrimination claims brought by employees against investment banks (such as Barclays Capital and Merrill Lynch) and other large financial institutions (e.g. Zurich Insurance). He appeared as junior Counsel for the Applicant in Kamlesh Bahl v The Law Society. Mark also acted for the Claimant in Ali Dizaei v Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis.

Media and Entertainment

Mark has advised a number of recording artists on the terms of both their recording and management contracts and has also acted for recording artists in their actions for copyright infringement and passing off. He has acted in a number of cases involving defamation, malicious falsehood, the law of confidence and privacy. Mark formerly worked as a Libel Reader for The Independent, Mirror Group Newspapers and Associated Newspapers and he has advised as the pre-publication reviewer of a number of film and book manuscripts.

Mediation

Mark is accredited as a mediator by the Civil Mediation Council. He accepts mediation instructions in matters where his legal, commercial and executive experience can assist parties in resolving disputes efficiently, constructively and confidentially.

His approach to mediation is informed by experience of mediated disputes across commercial, employment and discrimination matters. That experience has given him first-hand insight into the importance of careful preparation, reality-testing, confidentiality, controlled communication and moving parties from entrenched positions towards practical settlement options.

Mark is particularly well placed to mediate sports-related disputes. His long-standing sports law practice gives him a detailed understanding of the commercial, regulatory and personal dynamics that often arise in disputes involving athletes, clubs, agents, governing bodies and other stakeholders in sport. Having acted for individuals and organisations across a wide range of sports disputes, including contractual, disciplinary, selection, agency, image rights and regulatory matters, he brings both legal expertise and practical sector insight to sports mediations.

Mark is also available to mediate employment and discrimination claims, including disputes concerning senior and executive-level positions. His experience includes disputes involving complex personal dynamics, reputational sensitivities, senior workplace relationships, allegations of discrimination, dismissal or breakdown of trust and confidence, and the practical consequences of the termination or reconfiguration of senior roles.

His experience acting for both individuals and organisations, as well as his experience as a business director, enables him to understand the pressures on each side of a dispute. He is particularly suited to mediations involving sports disputes, employment and discrimination claims, commercial and contractual disputes, executive exits, reputationally sensitive matters and disputes where ongoing relationships or wider commercial interests need to be preserved.

His approach is calm, pragmatic and commercially focused, drawing on his experience as an advocate, negotiator, business director and property investor.

Additional Experience

In addition to his legal practice, Mark has substantial business and commercial experience. He is a director of a London-based domiciliary care provider delivering approximately 7,500 hours of care each week, with annual turnover approaching eight figures. His role involves strategic leadership, operational oversight, financial decision-making, regulatory compliance and workforce management.

Mark is also active in the property sector as a property investor and as Founder and Managing Director of Danelise Homes Limited. His property experience includes investment, development, finance, negotiation with commercial counterparties and coordination between legal, planning, professional and construction teams.

This combination of legal, commercial and executive experience enables Mark to bring a practical business perspective to dispute resolution and informs his approach to litigation strategy, negotiation and settlement. He understands the pressures faced by decision-makers, the importance of preserving relationships where possible, and the need for outcomes that are not only legally sound but commercially workable.

Mark is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. In order to provide legal services to his clients, including advice and representation services, Mark needs to collect and hold personal data. This includes his client’s personal data and the personal data of others who feature in the matter upon which he is instructed. To read Mark’s privacy notice in full, please see here.

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