City have reportedly brought leading barrister Mark Howard KC into their legal team for the club’s appeal against the Premier League commission’s findings.
Howard, joint head of Brick Court Chambers, is advising City on the case, according to The Lawyer. He is regarded as one of the UK’s leading commercial silks and has worked on several major fraud and commercial disputes.
City lodged their appeal on 1 October after an independent commission found the club guilty of serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules over a nine-season period, as well as the majority of charges relating to a failure to co-operate with the investigation.
The club denies wrongdoing and says the commission’s opinion contains “clear material errors” of law, principle and fact.
Who is Mark Howard KC?
Howard was called to the Bar in 1980 and became a King’s Counsel in 1996. One of his most prominent recent cases came when he represented Nigeria in its long-running dispute with Process & Industrial Developments.
He reportedly received a £9m brief fee for the case in 2023, which has been described as the highest known fee paid to a barrister in a UK case. The figure relates to his work for Nigeria, and there is no suggestion City are paying Howard £9m.
Howard joins a City legal team that already includes Lord Pannick KC, Paul Harris KC and Philip Marshall KC. The Premier League confirmed earlier this month that City’s appeal has been lodged with the chair of the Judicial Panel. The hearing will remain private and confidential until publication of the outcome is permitted.
City have confirmed the appeal, maintaining that they are innocent of the accusations and have evidence supporting their position. No timetable has been announced for the appeal outcome.
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