Claude Harran
Lawyer
Claude holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Industrial Sociology and Economics from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from Nottingham University and Master of Commercial Law from Melbourne University. Prior to commencing at Kelly Hazell, Claude gained commercial and litigation experience working as a lawyer at Gadens and Dibbs Abbott Stillman. Claude has furthermore obtained an invaluable insight into the business operational requirements of a client through a secondment with Toyota Australia.
Claude is a lawyer committed to combining his commercial legal skills with his passion for sport and is one of a number of lawyers at Kelly Hazell with commercial and sports law specialist skills.
Claude is a member of the Australian and New Zealand Sports Law Association, a Law Institute of Victoria Sports Law Committee Member, a sitting tribunal member for the Football Federation of Victoria (FFV) and a regular contributor to sports business/legal publications. Claude's sports publications have covered legal topics as diverse as broadcasting regulation, sports personalities' management and image rights and the media's rights to cover sporting events.
As part of Claude's commercial skill set, Claude has advised sports related clients commercially on:
- Commercial contracts relating to a service agreement for the 2007 FINA world swimming championships.
- A distribution contract for a sporting goods distributor involving a prominent Australian cricketer.
- The interpretation of sporting bodies rules and regulations. As a tribunal member of the FFV, Claude is actively involved in the interpretation and application of the FFV's rules and regulations. This experience is readily transferable to advising other sporting bodies or athletes.
- IP issues, brand protection and exploitation. In this capacity, Claude has acted for a clothing manufacturer and retailer and for the owners of a Melbourne Cup winning race horse.
Furthermore, Claude has an association with Growth Sport Management, a related company of Kelly Hazell Lawyers. Given Claude's broad skill set, he is both comfortable acting for rights holders or sponsors. Claude, together with the specialities offered by Kelly Hazell, has the commercial experience and the resources to:
- develop and implement commercial rights programs for sports properties and events;
- advise on intellectual property and media rights strategies and issues in sport;
- negotiate sponsorship, media, licensing and endorsement contracts; and
- undertake policing, litigation and enforcement actions to protect client's rights.
A South African Australian, with an English wife and in-laws who call New Zealand home, Claude has the luxury of being able to switch sides in most major sporting events, but is first and foremost a supporter of a good sporting spectacle and then pledges allegiance to the southern hemisphere.