Everton produced a mock-up of what the stadium will look like with the HD name
Hill Dickinson (HD) has agreed the highest-profile sports sponsorship in legal history by securing a “long-term” naming rights deal for Premier League football club Everton’s new stadium.
Set to officially open in August this year, the new name of the 52,888 capacity Hill Dickinson Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock received a mixed reception from fans.
No figures for the deal have been confirmed but Andy Hunter, a journalist at The Guardian, wrote on X that it “could be worth up to £10m per year”.
As part of it, HD will work with Everton in the Community to “amplify the reach and impact” of its charitable programmes, as well as its own Hill Dickinson Foundation.
HD, which was founded in Liverpool in 1810 and remains headquartered there, employs over 1,000 people, including more than 200 partners and legal directors. It has 11 offices in total – six in the UK, along with Hong Kong, Limassol, Monaco, Piraeus and Singapore.
The commercial firm’s most recent accounts, for the year to 30 April 2024, said it managed pre-tax profits of £59m on a turnover of £146m.
A joint statement said: “This transformational partnership represents one of the largest stadium naming rights deals in Europe. It brings together two Liverpool institutions, united by a global outlook, a deep commitment to the city of Liverpool, and a shared history that dates back to the very founding of Everton in 1878.”
They said Everton was founded by the trustees of St Domingo’s church, one of whom was Will Cuff, who went on to set up local law firm Cuff Roberts. The former Liverpool office of Cuff Roberts was acquired by HD in 2010, with several former Cuff Roberts partners and employees still at the firm today.
Angus Kinnear, chief executive of Everton, said: “Welcoming Hill Dickinson as our naming rights partner is a bold and strategic step forward. This partnership goes beyond branding – it’s a shared commitment to progress, excellence, and the regeneration of our city.
“Hill Dickinson Stadium will stand as a symbol of Everton’s ambitions, our values, and the global future we are building together.”
HD chief executive Craig Scott said: “To put our name to Everton’s new stadium is a once-in-a-generation opportunity. We believe deeply in what this project stands for – a bold, transformational vision for Liverpool and its future.
“This partnership is about legacy, ambition, and the power of two globally recognised organisations coming together to make a difference.
“As Hill Dickinson continues to grow nationally across the UK and internationally, we remain proud of our Liverpool roots – and we are honoured to be part of one of the most exciting waterfront developments in Europe.
“It couldn’t come at a more opportune time, with the deal providing the perfect platform to launch our new brand to a global audience.”
The firm would not comment on what commercial benefits it expected to see from the sponsorship.
Reaction from Everton fans was mixed. Many considered sponsorship by a ‘local’ law firm to be underwhelming – speculation had suggested much bigger names – and that fans would continue to call it Bramley Moore or Bramley Dock.
Some were unhappy with the slang for penis that is in HD’s name.
There was also a recognition that it was better than some alternatives. One fan on the message board Grand Old Team said: “At least it’s not a murdering Arab oil state, so we can keep the moral high ground. But it’s a bit Mickey Mouse isn’t it?”
Another added: “A UK law firm is technically a step up from dodgy African and Australian betting companies, to be fair.” A third said: “Did not expect that… pleased they are reputable and not some junk crypto scam artists, anyway.”
One fan said: “They’re global with offices all over the world. Not like it’s James Murray Solicitors on Stanley Road.”
Some questioned HD’s motivation: “How many people are going to go, ‘ah, I was going to get legal advice from Bill Smith & Co, but after seeing Everton draw 2-2 after being 2 nil up, I’m going to give Hill Dickinson a call’.”
Another wrote: “Well I guess millions of people (myself included) who had never heard of them an hour ago now have. So I guess these things work. In a way it makes more sense than a major brand everyone has heard of anyway. At the same time, how many of their new audience are in immediate need of commercial legal advice?”
HD will not be the first legal business to have its name on a football stadium – Cambridge United played at the R Costings Abbey Stadium from 2009 and 2015 in a deal with the local legal costs firms – while many law firms have sponsored sports teams, as well as bits of their stadiums – memorably, there was the SSB Law Stand at Sheffield United before the firm collapsed.
Indeed, also on Friday, south-coast law firm Ellis Jones announced a five-year agreement with Wimborne Cricket Club, renaming the Dorset Cricket Premier League side’s home, The Leaze, as The Ellis Jones Leaze.
Perhaps the most high-profile sports sponsorship up to this point was back in 2001, when City firm Norton Rose (as it then was) became one of four co-sponsors of what was then called the Heineken Cup, rugby union’s leading European competition, in a bid to increase its international profile.
It was reported to have cost £1m for two years.
Did you not think to test that joint statement? It says Will Cuff was a Trustee of St. Dominoes when Everton FC was founded in 1878. He was born in 1868. Did well for a 10 year old, eh? The “link” they are trying to establish between the club and the sponsors is tenuous at best.