Sports Law

We regularly represent athletes, clubs and sports federations in sports disputes, in particular in arbitral proceedings before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) under the Code of Sports-Related Arbitration (the CAS Code).

Our lawyers are also involved in proceedings before the adjudicatory bodies of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and in arbitrations before the Basketball Arbitral Tribunal (BAT), as well as before the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA Formula One) International Court of Appeal (ICA).

We also regularly appear before the Swiss Federal Supreme Court (Tribunal fédéral) in setting aside proceedings lodged against CAS arbitral awards. As an example, our lawyers successfully obtained the setting aside of a CAS award in the seminal Cañas case (ATF 133 III 235).

Our lawyers also have special expertise in enforcement proceedings, especially in attachment of assets and freezing orders in Switzerland, including the attachment of monies payable to clubs participating in the UEFA Europa and Champions League.

Our Expertise

• Sports arbitration, including contracts, financial, disciplinary and doping disputes before sports tribunals, sports arbitration (in particular CAS Code, BAT Arbitration Rules and Code of procedure and Rules of the FIA ICA);
• All litigation linked to sports, including contracts and commercial disputes, law of association, unfair competition, sponsorship, image rights, competition law;
• Setting aside proceedings before the Swiss Federal Supreme Court against CAS awards;

• Negotiation, advice and drafting of sports contracts and deals for clubs, players, coaches and trainers;
• Governance and regulatory issues for sports bodies at all levels;
• Enforcement proceedings, including enforcement of sports-related decisions and attachment of assets/freezing orders;
• Domiciliation in Switzerland and in foreign jurisdictions, including Dubaï.