Sports law

Sports law covers comprehensive legal support for professional athletes, sports clubs, federations, and other participants in the sports industry, from contracts and transfers to disciplinary disputes and reputation protection. Our team provides legal support in sport, taking account of international standards, the regulations of sports organisations, and the specifics of national law.

Key services

Contract work in sport

• drafting and legal review of sports contracts
• preparing and analysing transfer agreements
• structuring relations among athletes, clubs, and agents
• agreeing the terms of remuneration, bonuses, and the parties’ liability
• checking that contracts comply with federation regulations

Legal support for negotiations

• taking part in negotiations on transfers and contracts
• forming the client’s legal position
• assessing the risks and legal consequences of deals
• structuring the arrangements and documenting them

Disputes in sport

• resolving disputes over transfers and compensation
• recovering outstanding amounts (wages, bonuses)
• settling conflicts among athletes, clubs, and agents
• supporting disputes over solidarity payments and training compensation

Out-of-court settlement of disputes

• analysing the conflict and developing a strategy
• preparing claims and legal correspondence
• conducting negotiations on the client’s behalf
• preparing settlement agreements and other documents

Representation before sports jurisdictions

• representation before national federations and disciplinary bodies
• participation in international sports institutions
• representation before CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport)
• preparing procedural documents
• supporting disciplinary proceedings

Anti-doping disputes and disciplinary proceedings

• legal analysis of doping-control procedures
• preparing objections and explanations
• defence in disqualification cases
• appealing decisions of disciplinary bodies

Commercial projects in sport

• drafting and supporting sponsorship contracts
• legal audit of advertising agreements
• protecting the image rights of athletes and clubs
• settling disputes over use of a brand

Support for sports organisations

• registering sports clubs and federations
• drafting internal documents
• legal support for the activities of associations
• ensuring compliance with regulations and the law

A sports-law attorney: legal support for athletes, clubs, and other parties to sports legal relations

Professional sport today extends far beyond physical training and competition. It covers complex legal relations among athletes, clubs, federations, agents, and sponsors. Sports law combines elements of employment, civil, corporate, and international law, which makes professional legal support necessary.

Involving a specialist in time makes it possible not only to prevent financial losses, disqualifications, reputational risks, and other adverse consequences, but also to secure effective protection of infringed rights, restoration of the legal position, and recovery of the compensation due.

Proper documentation of legal relations is particularly important, including sports contracts, transfer agreements, and compliance with federation regulations and doping-control requirements. A sports-law attorney provides comprehensive protection of the client’s interests, from advice and participation in negotiations to representation before disciplinary bodies, sports judicial bodies, and international arbitration.

An attorney’s services in sport

Legal assistance in sport covers a wide range of matters connected both with the professional activity of athletes and with the operation of sports clubs, federations, associations, and other sports organisations.

The key areas of work include:

• drafting and analysing contractual documents in sport
• supporting and advising the client at every stage of negotiations, including talks on transfers, the conclusion of contracts, athletes’ moves, and cooperation with agents, clubs, sponsors, and other counterparties
• legal support for commercial projects in sport
• settling disputes and conflicts out of court
• representing and protecting clients’ interests before sports jurisdictional bodies, courts, and international arbitration
• protecting rights and interests in disciplinary proceedings

A professional approach makes it possible to take account of the specifics of sports legal relations and to reduce the risks at the stage when they arise.

Drafting and legal review of contracts in sport

A well-drafted sports contract that reflects the individual circumstances and terms of the parties is the basis of stable legal relations among athletes, coaches, clubs, agents, and other participants in sport. Errors or imprecise wording can lead to reputational or financial losses, conflicts, and litigation.

In this area, a sports attorney:

• analyses and prepares draft contracts among athletes, sports clubs, and agents
• takes the client’s terms into account when contracts are concluded, and any applicable restrictions
• checks that the documents comply with federation regulations
• reduces the risk of unilateral termination and helps to prevent it

Particular attention is given to the transfer agreement, wage terms, bonus payments, the term of the contract, the parties’ liability, and mechanisms for protecting the parties’ interests.

Support and advice at every stage of negotiations

In sport, negotiations are often decisive, because this is the stage at which the key terms of future cooperation, a transfer, a contract, or a commercial deal are formed. Proper legal support during the talks makes it possible not only to strengthen the client’s position but also to reduce the risks of unclear arrangements, unfavourable terms, or possible breaches of the regulations.

In this area, a sports-law attorney provides comprehensive support at every stage of the negotiations, including:

• a preliminary legal analysis of the situation and identification of the best negotiation strategy
• assessment of the legal, financial, and regulatory risks of the proposed deal
• preparation of the client’s legal position on the material terms of cooperation
• participation in negotiations with clubs, athletes, coaches, agents, federations, sponsors, and other parties
• legal support for talks on athletes’ transfers, including footballers, covering agreement of the terms of the move, compensation, bonuses, solidarity mechanisms, and other payments
• checking that the proposed terms comply with the law and the regulations of national and international sports organisations
• structuring the arrangements between the parties and properly documenting the outcome of the negotiations
• preparing, analysing, and agreeing draft contracts, transfer agreements, additional agreements, letters of intent, memoranda, and other supporting documents
• checking the legal accuracy of wording that may be material to the parties’ rights and obligations
• advising the client on the legal consequences of accepting particular terms
• supporting performance of the agreed terms after the negotiations end

Resolving disputes over transfers, compensation, and outstanding amounts

Financial disputes are among the most common in sport. They may concern the payment of wages and compensation where an employment relationship ends improperly, or a failure to perform, or improper performance of, the terms of a contract in a particular transfer, with adverse financial and reputational consequences.

An attorney in sports law supports:

• disputes over transfers and training compensation
• solidarity payments
• recovery of outstanding amounts
• settlement of conflicts between the parties

A comprehensive approach makes it possible to protect the client’s interests both before a formal dispute and in arbitration.

Support for advertising and sponsorship contracts and protection of image rights

The commercial side of sport requires proper legal documentation of relations with sponsors and partners.

This area covers:

• drafting advertising contracts
• supporting sponsorship agreements
• protecting the image rights of athletes and sports clubs
• settling disputes over use of a brand

This provides legal protection of the client’s interests in commercial activity.

Out-of-court settlement of sports disputes

Out-of-court settlement of sports disputes covers a set of legal measures aimed at a legal and commercial result without a formal dispute, or with its consequences kept to a minimum.

In this area, a sports-law attorney provides:

• a legal analysis of the conflict and identification of the best way to settle it
• an assessment of the prospects of a dispute and of the possible risks and legal consequences for the client
• preparation of the legal position and a strategy for pre-dispute settlement
• negotiations on the client’s behalf, or support for the client during those negotiations
• preparation of claims, formal notices, demands, objections, and other legal correspondence
• participation in settling conflicts between an athlete and a club, a club and an agent, an athlete and a federation, a coach and a sports organisation, and between other participants in sport
• support for the settlement of disputes over performance of contracts, transfer arrangements, and the payment of remuneration, bonuses, compensation, and outstanding amounts
• legal documentation of the arrangements reached, including settlement agreements, additional agreements, protocols recording the parties’ positions, and other documents
• reduction of the risk that the conflict will escalate and move to arbitration or court
• protection of the client’s interests at the pre-dispute stage, taking account of the law, the contracts, and the regulations of sports organisations

Representation before sports judicial bodies, international arbitration (CAS), and disciplinary bodies

Disputes in sport are often heard by specialised judicial bodies of the relevant sport, both nationally and internationally. In some cases they may also be heard by international arbitration. Legal assistance in sports cases covers effective protection of the client’s interests at every level of sports jurisdiction, including specialised bodies, courts, and international arbitration.

An attorney in sports law provides:

• preparation of procedural documents
• representation before national federations, committees, dispute-resolution chambers, and other sports jurisdictional bodies
• representation before international committees, dispute-resolution chambers, and judicial institutions in the relevant sport
• representation before international sports arbitration, in particular CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport)
• defence in disciplinary proceedings
• support in cases concerning breaches of the regulations and appeals against the relevant decisions

Matters connected with doping control and disciplinary liability are of particular importance.

Legal protection in doping and disqualification cases

A breach of anti-doping rules can have serious consequences for an athlete’s career. These cases call for a prompt response and a professional legal position.

An attorney in sport provides:

• analysis of doping-control procedures
• preparation of objections and explanations
• representation before disciplinary bodies
• appeals against disqualification decisions

The right defence strategy can materially affect not only the outcome of the case but also the athlete’s later career.

Registration and legal support for sports clubs and federations

Legal support for sports clubs, federations and associations, and other participants in sport is no less important.

Assistance with sports disputes and corporate matters includes:

• registration of sports clubs
• drafting of internal documents
• support for the activities of federations and associations
• ensuring compliance with the law and the regulations

A comprehensive approach makes it possible to organise a sports organisation’s activities effectively and to avoid legal risks.

Why professionals choose the sports lawyers of Attorneys’ Association “Shkrebets and Partners”

Turning to specialist lawyers is a key factor in resolving disputes successfully and in properly documenting legal relations in sport.

The advantages of working with us:

• a deep understanding of sports law and of the specifics of a particular sport
• experience with complex disputes
• a comprehensive approach to protecting the client’s interests
• support at both national and international level

The lawyers provide full legal support, taking account of each client’s individual needs and of the specifics of their activity in sport.