Washington, D.C., London, 18 December, 2023 – Global law firm Hogan Lovells guided client Michele Kang in the purchase of a 100% interest in the London City Lionesses, an English Women’s Championship Level Football Club from founder Diane Culligan.
A Washington- and London-based Hogan Lovells team, working alongside co-counsel Northridge, worked on the transaction. Hogan Lovells previously helped Kang, a businesswoman, investor and philanthropist, purchase controlling interests in the 2021 National Women’s Soccer League champion Washington Spirit in Washington, D.C., and eight-time Champions’ League winner Olympique Lyonnais Féminin in Lyon, France.
Speaking on the deal, Kang commented: “I want to inspire young female athletes to keep playing and see a future for themselves in the sport they love.”
The timing follows a recent announcement that the Barclays Women’s Super League (BWSL) and Barclays Women’s Championship (BWC) will move to a new governance structure with a club-owned model and away from Football Association control by the time of the 2024-2025 season.
Hogan Lovells’ globally recognized Sports Team represented Kang in completing this transaction. The team was lead on the U.S. side by attorneys Steve Argeris, Mark Weinstein and Robert Welp. The leading attorneys in London were Karen Hughes, Daniel Norris, Adela Komorowska, Rosie Shields, and Paola Bruni.
