Lévy Kaufmann-Kohler has a strong reputation in international sports law, with a number of dedicated sports specialists. It regularly advises a wide range of clients across all the main areas of sports including football, cycling, basketball, swimming, athletics and Formula 1. Its clients include prominent sports-governing bodies such as FIFA, UEFA and the UCI and other sports organizations, as well as elite-level athletes, clubs, teams and individual sport representatives.
Specifically, our areas of expertise include:
- Litigation and dispute resolution, including contract, financial, disciplinary and doping disputes, other disputes involving challenges of decisions of sports governing bodies, in particular before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and other sports tribunals.
- Governance and regulatory issues as well as the drafting of rules and regulations for sports bodies at all levels.
- Pre-and post- dispute matters, including attachment of assets and enforcement of decisions.
Consistently ranked as one of Switzerland’s top sports law practices, the team is headed by Antonio Rigozzi, who is listed in Chambers & Partners‘ Band 1 for Sports Law, recognized as a Global Elite Thought Leader in the field by Who’s Who Legal (2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019), and seen by clients and peers as “excellent”, “the man; the stand-out name”, “a giant in the sports sphere”, and “one of the most sought-after” counsel in international sports law and dispute resolution, whose “knowledge and advocacy are second to none” (Chambers & Partners, 2020; Who’s Who Legal Arbitration, 2018; Who’s Who Legal Sports & Entertainment, 2017; Who’s Who Legal Switzerland, 2021; Legal500 EMEA, 2023). Partner Sébastien Besson also earns praise as “absolutely outstanding” (Who’s Who Legal Sports & Entertainment, 2021), “a strong, first-class player”, “clearly a top name”, “great to work with” (Who’s Who Legal Sports & Entertainment, 2020, 2022), and for his “impressive and concise oral advocacy” and “wealth of experience in handling high-profile sports arbitrations” (WWL Switzerland – Sports & Entertainment, 2022, 2023).
Lévy Kaufmann-Kohler’s lawyers have acted in some of the most high profile and complex international sports arbitrations, including AC Milan v. UEFA (CAS 2018/A/5808); Jerôme Valcke v. FIFA (CAS 2017/A/5003); Sepp Blatter v. FIFA (CAS 2016/A/4501); Michel Platini v. FIFA (CAS 2016/A/4474); Juventus v. Chelsea (CAS 2013/A/3365 & 3366); Karpov Inc. et al. v. FIDE (CAS 2010/O/2166); USOC v. IOC (CAS 2011/O/2422); WADA and UCI v. Alberto Contador (CAS 2011/A/2384 & 2386).
With multi-lingual lawyers and a global network of contacts in the sports law industry, LKK’s sports specialists are well placed to assist any client in the field of sport.
