Bridge McFarland Partner Richard Parnell moving to Sunderland Football Club

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Specialist sport lawyer and Partner at Lincoln-based solicitors Bridge McFarland will be leaving the company after nearly 16 years.

Richard Parnell, 41, will become a Commercial Solicitor with Sunderland Football Club from January 2017.

Having started his career in his early 20s, after training at the College of Law in York and applying for a training course at Chattertons Solicitors in Horncastle and Boston, Richard was awarded the position of partner at Bridge McFarland by the time he was 30.

With a passion for sport, Richard worked closely with organisations such as Lincoln City Football Club, Lincolnshire Sport, the Amateur Swimming Association and Basketball England. He has also been sought-after nationally as an expert in child protection and doping in sport.

In a cover interview with Lincolnshire Business, Richard said: “I’m really interested in sport and ethics and the ethical questions around performance enhancing drugs being one method of enhancing the human form in sport specifically.

“I’m also really interested in bioethics and biotechnology, so genetic engineering and the question of whether or not genetic engineering is going to be the next challenge when it comes to doping the human body.”

On announcing his departure from the firm, Richard said: “I am very sad to be leaving the firm after almost 16 years, but am also really excited about my new role and the opportunities and challenges this will bring.”