London law firm takes stake in esports talent management agency


Spillthetea: A Feenix Talent cosplaying client

A London law firm has launched a talent management agency for esports, gaming and other online talent, in partnership with an established esports business.

William Bowyer, associate at Lawrence Stephens, said Feenix Talent would “fill a gap in the market for talent management in esports – there’s nothing quite like it out there”.

He went on: “We’ve not had a situation before where a very well-established agency has partnered with a law firm to create a talent management agency.”

The initial “talent roster” includes rapper P-Money, EA FC streamers The Gara Show and RoccosEleven, cosplayer Spillthetea, and professional Fortnite player Hen, amongst others.

Mr Bowyer, a director of Feenix Talent, said the law firm had taken a minority stake in the agency, in the first investment of its kind for Lawrence Stephens.

“This is a new sector, where we’re building a strong client base. We want to transfer skills from traditional sports to the e-gaming sector.”

Mr Bowyer said the agency would be looking after professional eSports athletes, who competed for large cash prizes, and the content creators whose work was streamed on YouTube or Twitch.

Feenix Talent will operate as part of the Feenix Group and sit alongside its three other “pillars” – Feenix Studio, which builds “branded game experiences that captivate, engage and leave a lasting impression”; Feenix Agency, which specialises in youth marketing; and Feenix Esports, which “acts as both a sponsorship broker and an incubator, helping teams grow, connect, and succeed”.

Mr Bowyer said the law firm would help athletes understand their contracts so their rights would be protected.

“All the client onboarded via the agency will be formal clients of the law firm.”

He said Lawrence Stephens could offer athletes and content creators “a range of IP-related services”, such as image rights, trade mark protection and protection of their brand and images in the contracts they sign.

Feenix Talent will more broadly support with career planning, branding and wealth management.

Mr Bowyer acts for elite footballers, talent management and commercial agencies, golfers, sports brands and tech brands, among others.

He added: “Elite gamers and content creators must stand out from the competition and build their unique brands to ensure long-term success.

“We are delighted to partner with Feenix Group to bolster their offering by enhancing their suite of services for young professionals and top talent within this growing industry.”




Blog


Modern search is about ‘knowledge’ retrieval

Search has long been understood as data retrieval – the ability to call back information and check a box on finding something. Legal professionals today need more of a 360-degree view on a matter.


Lessons from Sir Keir Starmer for SRA chief

The proposed 29%, or £25m, increase in the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s budget announced last week should really come as no great surprise.


The hidden risks in client account reconciliations

The client account reconciliation process will be second nature to most people in legal finance – and so is also a potential area for a problem to be undetected until it becomes serious.


Loading animation