Geraldine Ryan defends Wayne Rooney against multi-million-pound claim

Who? Geraldine Ryan, 44, head of commercial litigation at north-west firm Hill Dickinson.

Why is she in the news? Successfully defended footballer Wayne Rooney and his wife Coleen against a multi-million-pound claim brought against them by their former management company.

Rooney signed up with management company Proactive when still a 17-year-old player at Everton. Paul Stretford, who set up the company, had won the trust of Rooney and his parents. Rooney transferred to Manchester United in 2004 for £20m and became a member of the England squad, winning multi-million-pound sponsorship deals. When Stretford left Proactive in 2008, Rooney and his wife went with him. Proactive maintained that they were not free to leave and owed the company £4.5m in commission on deals negotiated before and after their departure.

The judge dismissed Proactive’s claim, ruling that the footballer owed the agency a ‘restitutional remedy’ of just £90,000.

Proactive’s solicitor James Martin from Yorkshire firm McCormicks said the judgment had not been a ‘resounding victory’ for the Rooneys and his client hoped to recover ‘more than £1m’ at a forthcoming quantum meruit hearing.

Thoughts on the case: ‘This underlines how important it is for younger celebrities and sports people to seek proper legal advice when signing a contract with an agency. It also raises the question of whether the Football Association, which involves itself in all aspects of a player’s activities on the football pitch, should also – in the best interests of the player – get involved in negotiations over image rights as well.’

Career low: ‘I was a trainee and a district judge told me that if I crossed my legs, I would be held in contempt of court.’