Our Team

David Becker is an international lawyer specialising in the sports, media, and entertainment sectors.

David began his career at leading firm Sonnenbergs (now ENS Africa) in 1995. In 1998 he worked as an associate with magic circle firm, Freshfields, in London before joining sports lawyer Gary Blumberg and subsequently the specialist sports law and entertainment firm Townleys.

Thereafter he became a partner at Collyer Bristow, where he headed up the Sports Group.  During that time David was listed by the directories Legal 500 and Chambers as a leading entertainment and sports lawyer for several years running.

After five years at Collyer Bristow, David became Head of Legal and Senior Executive of the International Cricket Council in Dubai in 2008. In 2011, he completed the General Management Programme at Harvard Business School in Boston.

In 2012 David joined The Sports Consultancy as a senior consultant. This international professional services firm, The Sports Consultancy, offers specialist legal and business consulting services to a number of rights holders around the world.

These include Volvo Ocean Race, FEI, IRB Sevens, International Sailing Federation, Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, and Women’s Tennis Association.

David has advised a number of high-profile clients during his career. Included in this list are four-time Olympic gold medalist Sir Ben Ainslie, HRH Princess Haya of Jordan, several major golf winners (including three former world No 1s), and extreme waterman Chris Bertish. He has also advised international footballers such as Lucas Radebe and Christian Pulisic as well as heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury.

In the South African sports industry, David has advised sporting icons such as Francois Pienaar, Graeme Smith, Chad le Clos, Jean de Villiers, Kagiso Radaba, and Suray Kumalo.

David has written chapters in “Sport: Law and Practice” by Taylor and Lewis. And in 2007, he published the first book dedicated to the legal aspects of event management, entitled “The Essential Legal Guide to Events”.

David Becker has also advised several major sports associations and rights holders. His clients have consisted of the International Cricket Council, SA Rugby, SAILGP UK, Cricket South Africa, International Table Tennis, British Triathlon, WP Rugby, Benchmark Sport, EFC Africa.

In the entertainment law environment, he’s advised several bands, musicians, and events such as Ard Matthews, MOBO Music Awards, Boardmasters Festival, Sir Vincent Manzini, Ultra South Africa, NASS Festival, and Showtime.

In the media and technology sector, David has advised leading international companies. Head London, DSTV Media Sales, SuperSport, Cooking Thief, and Probia are some of his clients. He’s offered his expertise on a range of online and offline commercial agreements.

David has also advised as a sports lawyer on the establishment of the primary E-Sports leagues in the United Kingdom and South Africa.

He has appeared on BBC News 24, BBC World, Radio Five Live, and BBC Prime Time News on regular occasions. In these appearances, he has advised on diverse matters ranging from slide tackles to doping scandals to the valuation of global media rights and technology deals.

A competitive sportsman and keen endurance athlete, David has represented Western Province at Jarvis Cup and completed 27 marathons, including the 7-day Sahara Ultra-marathon.

He is a co-founder of the South African Aids charity Starfish, a director of the Sports Industry Group, and a trustee of Beyond Sport, the Legends Trust, and the Lewis Pugh Foundation.

Matt is a Partner in the firm and focuses on various commercial and litigious matters in the sports law, media and entertainment sectors.

Matt’s interest in all things digital has resulted in his becoming an industry leader on this aspect and the impact it has. As a result, he has been able to walk (and talk) the firm’s clients through the inevitable digitisation of their businesses and offerings.

In counter-balance to this, Matt’s general practice background has resulted in wide-ranging experience. It has left him with a solid understanding of many various aspects of the legal complexities about which clients may seek advice.

Matt obtained his BA LLB degrees from the University of Cape Town in 2007. After studying towards a Masters in Sports Law at Melbourne University, Australia he joined McLoughlin Clark as a candidate attorney in 2011. He was admitted as an Attorney in the High Court of South Africa in February 2013.

Matt is an avid sports enthusiast and played water polo for the South African national team, and refereed rugby at the national level.

On the home front Matt has teamed up with a loving wife, Kimberly, and immensely enjoys the pleasures that being a father brings.

Guy began his career in 1999 at one of South Africa’s largest law firms specialising in corporate and commercial law.

In early 2001, just as Hollywood was discovering South Africa, Guy joined what was then a fledgling firm. He saw an opportunity to take his experience in commercial law and combine it with his love of film and music. This led to the development of an entertainment law practice providing legal services to studios, film production companies, and individual producers.

The government rebates introduced in 2004 further fuelled the growing South African film industry. By 2006 Guy was focusing exclusively on film and television. Since then Guy’s entertainment law practice has developed into the leading entertainment law practice in South Africa and one respected internationally by his peers and clients.

Guy and his team concentrate on the development, production, and exploitation of feature films. Their particular focus is on the legal and financial aspects of international co-production. But they also run a general practice of media law and commercial law.

A recent push by the firm into the music world has yielded Guy’s involvement in “the Sony Xperia Mashlab”. This is a unique collaboration of artists giving rise to master royalty deals that span the globe.

He remains the only South African entertainment lawyer with credits in major Hollywood films and has tasted Oscar success with “Tsotsi”, “Invictus” and “Life Above All”.

Guy’s clients range from Starz Entertainment and Warner Brothers in Los Angeles to Moonlighting Films (Pty) Ltd and Triggerfish Animations Studios in Cape. He is also a guest lecturer at the AFDA film, TV, and performance school and works pro bono for up-and-coming producers.

Outside of the office, Guy is married with two children. Any spare time is spent on the beach (weather permitting) or pursuing his hobbies of movies and music.

Bryge was admitted as an attorney in 2010. He worked as an associate with the firm in Irish Inc, a boutique firm of attorneys specialising in sport, employment, and entertainment law.

He has provided legal opinions on various film production issues, script clearances and has provided clients with production legal documents. These have included but are not limited to cast, crew, location, writer, release, and stunt agreements. For his contribution, he received a credit in the movie “Vehicle 19” starring the late Paul Walker.

During his time with the firm Irish Inc, he was also exposed to sport injury claims and doping matters for cricket players such as Rory Kleinveldt represented by the South African Cricket Players Association (SACA).

In 2012, he joined Africa’s largest law firm Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs (now known as ENSAFRICA), and continued to work on high-profile sport and entertainment matters.

Under the guidance of Michael Murphy, he has appeared before specialised sporting tribunals. He was involved with both dispute resolution and disciplinary proceedings, representing some of South Africa’s top football teams and players.

In 2014 he joined Black Leopards Football Club, a professional football club campaigning in the national First Division of the National Soccer League. Bryge was the club’s legal advisor and chief executive officer. He managed 45 employees and successfully headed the club to the promotional playoffs of the 2014/2015 season.

In 2016 he returned to the legal practice. He has since continued to assist clients, especially in matters before the SAFA Dispute Resolution Chamber and SAFA Disciplinary Committee

As a sports lawyer, Bryge has represented top football clubs such as Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates in PSL disciplinary hearings relating to spectator misbehaviour. He also assisted the SAIDS tribunal that vindicated Mr. Ludwick Mamabolo (the 2012 Comrades Marathon winner).

Bryge is passionate about sports and is proud to have completed a number of marathons in particular the Comrades Marathon as well as the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon.