Clarke Willmott advises on Portuguese takeover of Swindon Town

Bristol firm Clarke Willmott has become the latest firm to benefit from the series of foreign takeovers of UK football clubs, advising the board of Swindon Town Football Club on its acquisition by Portuguese company Best Holdings.

Sports partner Trevor Watkins led the Clarke Willmott team. He said: "We are seeing more and more of these deals across the leagues, with three or four similar transactions in the pipeline.”

He added: “Getting it right off the pitch in the longer term will be as crucial as results on it if we are not to see a return to the financial instability prevalent only a few years ago.”

Boutique practice Anthony Seddon & Co advised the Portuguese buyers.

In June, Hammonds advised former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on his takeover of Manchester City, with Denton Wilde Sapte advising the club.