Charles is a commercial and technology lawyer advising both businesses and individuals. Charles heads our technology sector group, and also co-heads our sports sector group.
Charles joined Stevens & Bolton in 2016 having trained and worked at a City law firm, and became a partner in 2020. Charles has spent time on a number of secondments during his career (including time at Belron, Nike and Hermes Fund Managers) and regularly draws on this experience to provide targeted and concise commercial and legal advice to clients.
Charles advises a range of different types of commercial and tech clients, spanning from start-ups to established, well-known brands and on both “buy” and “sell” sides of the market. Charles has a particular interest in fintech matters, crypto and other digital assets and advising on the implementation and acquisition of new technologies, as well as significant experience of advising on commercial arrangements in the financial services sector more generally. His work in this area has included advising emoney institutions on material outsourcing, custody and clearing and appointed representative arrangements, as well as on consumer credit matters and the implementation of the new FCA Consumer Duty.
In the sporting world, Charles has acted for clubs, teams, unions, sponsors, agencies and player management companies, predominantly in motorsport, football, rugby and golf. Charles also has significant experience on the football regulatory aspects of the acquisition and disposal of football clubs, and works closely with Nick Atkins in our corporate team to provide a full service offering to owners and potential owners of sports clubs. Charles has also undertaken a number of high-profile transactions in a sports retail context.
Recent highlights include advising:
- Fintech and digital assets
- A leading emoney institution on its key customer documentation, including complex card issuer arrangements
- Papa Johns in connection with the minting and subsequent transfer of approximately 10,000 NFTs, including working with developers to structure all associated smart contracts
- A de-fi platform on the use of open source licensing arrangements
- Asset managers on key commercial arrangements, including new custody and clearing deals, bespoke AR arrangements and the interaction with the regulatory perimeter
- A market leading financial information business on the review and roll-out of its customer contracts
- Advising on the full range of consumer credit matters, including application of legislation and analysis of enforceability of loan portfolios
- IT, data and ecommmerce
- Samsung, in connection with its key collaboration with TikTok for marketing purposes
- Managed service provider, Zenitech, in connection with its key customer arrangements
- SecurMed on its implementation and management of the UK Medicines Verification System
- A leading digital infrastructure business on the roll out of its pioneering full fibre offering in the UK
- A first-to-market ESG-focused housing business, on the purchase and set up of a robotics-led production line
- A range of businesses on international data transfers, including the application of the new UK international data transfer agreement (IDTA) and addendum
- A world-renowned art auctioneer on its data protection strategy
- Sports
- On football regulatory aspects of the sale and purchase of a number of football clubs, including in the Premier League, EFL and Vanarama League
- In connection with the establishment and operation of a leading sports retail buying group in the UK and Ireland
- A consortium of US investors in Dugout, a JV arrangement involving top European football clubs
- MediaDrive in connection with its deal with Discovery Channel for the sale of digital advertising across the PGA and European Tour digital platforms
- Jenahura in connection with its player management and sponsorship arrangements with tournament professional golfers as well as the establishment of the Jenahura Tour Academy
Charles regularly contributes articles on a wide range of topics, and his sports law blog can be read at www.lawinsport.com/item/charles-maurice. He is also a member of the Society for Computers & Law.
Charles is regularly recognised for his work in leading legal directories, and is regarded as a “Next Generation Partner” in the latest edition of The Legal 500.