Clarke Willmott signs England rugby star

Clarke Willmott & Clarke, the Bristol firm, has signed-up rugby player Kyran Bracken as a consultant in an attempt to bolster its sports law practice.

The England and Saracens player, who trained as a lawyer, has been given the brief of finding more clients for the firm from the sporting, and particularly rugby, fields.

David Powell, a sports lawyer with Clarke Willmott & Clarke, says Bracken's legal knowledge and sport connections uniquely qualified him for the job. "He is well respected within the sport both because of his sporting abilities but also because of his background and law training," he says.

The appointment of Bracken comes soon after Clarke Willmott & Clarke appointed former Bristol Rovers player Philip Purnell as a football consultant. The appointment was considered a success after several professional players asked the firm to act for them.

"We have much more business in the pipeline and with these new people on board I believe we are a real force in sports law with the ability to compete on at least an equal basis with the top London firms," Powell says.