The Deaflympics are a world class sporting and social event for deaf and hard of hearing athletes from around the world. The first Deaflympics was held in Paris in 1924 and the Games are run under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee. It is the second oldest multi-sport festival in the world and the previous Games were held in Rome in 2001.

The standard of competition is high with the winning times at the 2001 Rome Games for the men’s 100m sprint and 50m freestyle falling well within 10 per cent of the gold medallists at the Sydney Olympics. Indeed, South African swimmer Terence Parkin, who won gold at the Rome Games in the 200m breaststroke also won a silver medal in the same event in Sydney.

The role of legal services provider covers all aspects of the organisation and running of the Deaflympics from contract preparation, sponsorship, negotiation, corporate governance, insurance and advising in relation to sporting disputes.

A dedicated Deaflympics legal team has been established, headed by partner John O’Callaghan and assisted by associates Dylan McKimmie and Stuart Leonard.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer advised the mobile satellite telephony services provider Inmarsat Ventrues plc, on the auction process, which ended in the terms of a recommended $1.54 ($2.22) billion cash offer received by Grapeclose Ltd, a company backed by Apax Partners and Permira.

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Inmarsat is owned by 86 shareholders comprising mainly government entities and national telecom companies from jurisdictions all around the world. Shareholders, including Telenor, Deutsche Telekom and Xantic, together representing 25 per cent of Inmarsat’s issued ordinary share capital, have provided irrevocable undertakings and statements of intent to support the offer.

Partner Simon Marchant led Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s team and was supported by corporate associates Victoria Kershaw and Oliver Lazenby.