Case Studies
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Anti-doping
Legal advice to a suspended athlete
The firm assisted an athlete that was found to have committed an antidoping rule violation after being tested positive for a specified substance. During the proceeding, the national antidoping prosecutor claimed that the athlete intentionally breached the rules and thus requested the imposition of a period of ineligibility of 4 years according to the applicable regulations. Following the reasonings and defensive arguments advanced by the athlete, the adjudicatory body ruled that the athlete’s conduct was unintentional and therefore limited the […]
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Anti-doping
A driver’s defense from doping charges before his international federation’s disciplinary body
We were involved in the joint defense with other colleagues of a world-renowned driver who tested positive in an anti-doping control for a so-called unspecified substance. Considering that in these cases the applicable regulations always hold the athlete responsible for what is found in his body, and that it is therefore up to the accused person to exonerate himself, the defense focused on finding evidence that could prove the absolute absence not only of intentionality but also of fault or […]
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Anti-doping
Legal advice for the International Cycling Union on anti-doping technology matter
In 2015, we assisted the UCI (International Cycling Union) in both legal and logistical-organisational confidential activities. We worked in cooperation with the judicial police and the competent public prosecutor’s office on checks carried out for the first time during a UCI World Tour ‘classic’ (Milan-San Remo). The aim of the checks was to uncover possible mechanical infringements in the bikes used by the athletes in the race, i.e. so-called technological doping. The Elite Law team offered legal advice during the […]
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Contracts
Legal advice to agents, intermediaries and players in relation to international transfers. The cases of players De Jong, Vlahovic and Barella and clubs Al Nassr and Montpellier.
Elite Law has assisted hundreds of agents, intermediaries, clubs and players over the years in connection with transfers of an international nature. Among the many, the most egregious transfers in which we have been involved, both from a media and economic perspective, were those of Dutch national team player Frenkie De Jong from Ajax Amsterdam to FC Barcelona, that of striker Dušan Vlahović to Juventus FC, and that of Italian national team midfielder Niccolò Barella to FC Internazionale. In these […]
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Contracts
Legal advice to a boxer’s company with respect to his participation in a world tournament
We assisted the company of an internationally renowned British boxer in reviewing a contract with the organizer of a world tournament that took place with several bouts over the course of 12 months. In particular, we had to analyze the contract from the perspective of Swiss law, its applicable law and chosen by the organizer based in Switzerland. The analysis focused mainly on the internal relationship between the boxer and his company and with respect to the obligations assumed towards […]
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Sports courts
An international dispute between a Euroleague club and a world-renowned coach and former basketball player before the Basketball Arbitration Tribunal
Elite Law represented before the Basketball Arbitration Tribunal (BAT) a leading Greek Euroleague club in a dispute that arose following the dismissal of its coach, a former world-renowned basketball player, and his staff. The peculiar aspect of the dispute was the interpretation of a clause in the contract, inserted by the club to encourage locally trained youngsters to join its first team, and the club’s right to raise a serious and persistent breach of that clause to dismiss the coach. […]
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Sports courts
A successful case before FIFA and TAS/CAS in favour of footballer Houssine Kharja
We assisted the Moroccan international footballer Houssine Kharja, in his cases against the club Al Arabi SC, of Qatar, first before the FIFA DRC and then before the TAS/CAS. The player had been sacked by the Qatari club for a fight on the pitch with a player from the opposing team, resulting in his disqualification. We worked to prove that the dismissal was disproportionate, because the player had been the victim of an opposing attack and had simply defended himself. […]
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Sports courts
A successful case before FIFA concerning a pre-contract
The Elite Law team assisted a well-known Uruguayan international footballer in his lawsuit against a Mexican club, before the FIFA DRC, regarding a pre-contract signed but then not fulfilled by the club for his recruitment. We assisted the player to prove that the pre-contract was binding between the parties and that the club’s refusal to fulfil it amounted to a termination without just cause. To do so, in addition to the testimonies, we emphasised the legal elements of the pre-contract […]
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Sports courts
A contract termination case in favour of the club FC Rubin Kazan
We assisted FC Rubin Kazan, a Russian club, in a multi-million dollar case against PSV Eindhoven, a Dutch club, before the FIFA PSC. The case concerned a transfer of a player, which was not finalised due to problems during medical examinations. We assisted the Russian club by enforcing an interpretation of specific contractual clauses so that the lack of medical clearance was considered a just cause to terminate the transfer contract, which had already been formalised. Normally such an issue […]
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Sports law
Legal advice to agents, intermediaries and players in relation to international transfers. The cases of players De Jong, Vlahovic and Barella and clubs Al Nassr and Montpellier.
Elite Law has assisted hundreds of agents, intermediaries, clubs and players over the years in connection with transfers of an international nature. Among the many, the most egregious transfers in which we have been involved, both from a media and economic perspective, were those of Dutch national team player Frenkie De Jong from Ajax Amsterdam to FC Barcelona, that of striker Dušan Vlahović to Juventus FC, and that of Italian national team midfielder Niccolò Barella to FC Internazionale. In these […]
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Sports law
Legal advice to a boxer’s company with respect to his participation in a world tournament
We assisted the company of an internationally renowned British boxer in reviewing a contract with the organizer of a world tournament that took place with several bouts over the course of 12 months. In particular, we had to analyze the contract from the perspective of Swiss law, its applicable law and chosen by the organizer based in Switzerland. The analysis focused mainly on the internal relationship between the boxer and his company and with respect to the obligations assumed towards […]
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Sports law
International Chess Federation’s defense against one of its leading members for bringing the sport into disrepute through political messages
Elite Law’s team assisted the International Chess Federation (FIDE) against one of its prominent members who had repeatedly misused its social platforms to channel political messages that had caused several media controversies. In the course of the lawsuit, we were able to prove that these messages had been issued by the athlete in his capacity as a member of the association and not as a private citizen, had crossed the threshold of the right to freedom of speech and expression, […]
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Sports law
Legal advice for the image rights of footballer Radja Nainggolan
From 2015 to the present day, Elite Law’s team has assisted and still assists Belgian international footballer Radja Nainggolan in advising, negotiating and drafting contracts concerning the athlete’s image rights and the marketing of the same with various companies in different sectors: sports betting agencies, media and television companies, private sponsors, as well as endorsement contracts with Nike.