Nick De Marco expects 'nearly all' of his hearings will be conducted via video link in 2021 and COVID-19 will surely influence how Newcastle United's legal team prepare for their dispute with the Premier League.
Last November, the Magpies officially confirmed that the club had issued arbitration proceedings against the top-flight after a proposed takeover by a Saudi-backed consortium fell through four months previously.
While Newcastle have not disclosed the 'substance' of their dispute, owner Mike Ashley is pressing 'for a fair, full and timely hearing' and the billionaire has enlisted the help of two QCs from Blackstone Chambers: De Marco and Shaheed Fatima.
De Marco, a leading sports lawyer, has acted for sports governing bodies, players, clubs, sponsors, broadcasters and agents while Fatima has vast experience of dealing with high-profile commercial matters, standing in front of regulatory bodies and tribunals and handling cases with a political edge and an international dimension to them.
While the pair may yet end up physically representing Newcastle and Ashley in person, the world's ongoing battle with COVID-19 suggests that the virtual tools at their disposal, such as Zoom, will be important in the months ahead.
'The first full day back at work and I have re-arranged my home office space in London,' De Marco tweeted ahead of England being plunged into another lockdown.
'I expect that, like 2020, I shall spend most of ‘21 working from this desk – and nearly all my hearings will be done by video from this chair.
'I miss going into chambers (sometimes), having a hearing in person and the odd FA hearing at Wembley Stadium, and I hope to have the chance to go to Italy and Hove in ‘21 – but who knows?
'The only thing guaranteed is that I shall be spending most of my time here, and I know how lucky I am to have lots of absorbing work I enjoy doing and a nice cosy organised space from which to do it.
'So here is to a happy and successful 2021!'
