Intl Cricket Council secures Collyer-Bristow sports chief
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has hired the former head of Collyer-Bristow's sports practice to head its commercial legal department.
David Becker was a partner at Collyer-Bristow for more than four years before his move to the ICC's Dubai headquarters last week. He joins as senior counsel in charge of media and commercial deals, reporting to CEO Malcolm Speed.
Becker will lead on commercial transactions to exploit the ICC's rights, such as cricket tournament sponsorship and media deals. He replaces Richard Verow, who left to become head of legal at Sky Sports earlier in the year.
Becker said: "It's an interesting time for the ICC. They're going through a period of commercialisation and that programme is being handled in-house."
Daniel Hersee, a lawyer at sports management company IMG, will join Becker as an assistant in the legal team.
The ICC uses Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Preston Gates Ellis for commercial deals.
"We'll deal with the firm with relevant expertise as required; we're not tied in to any arrangement and we're beefing up on the legal side in-house," said Becker.
Becker began his career as an M&A lawyer at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer 10 years ago, moving to sports boutique Townleys and then to Collyer-Bristow in 2003, two years after Townleys merged with Hammonds.
