Samuel is a Barrister practising from chambers at 4 New Square Chambers. Samuel specialises in sports litigation, with a focus on sports injury. He is particularly interested in head injuries in sport, having spoken and written widely on the subject.

Samuel acts for clubs, athletes, agencies, and national governing bodies. His practice encompasses sports regulation, betting, safeguarding, disciplinary cases, anti-doping cases, and commercial sports matters. Samuel regularly appears in CAS proceedings, rule K arbitrations, and sporting appeals. Samuel is also instructed in sports related inquests, and is also experienced in litigating head injuries in sport. Samuel is currently instructed in High Court proceedings on behalf of a major football club in a multi million pound dispute with its key sponsor, and has previously acted in arbitrations born out of similar facts. He recently appeared before the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Appeal Board in a matter for which the underlying claim was worth £5,000,000.

Samuel is equally comfortable in both regulatory and commercial sports work. He has acted for the FA in safeguarding appeals, and has appeared in the Court of Arbitration for Sport most recently in a dispute relating to the sale of media and advertising rights during an international football match. Samuel has excellent experience in Rule K arbitrations, and has acted for players and clubs in both the Premier League and the Championship. He frequently acts in multi-day hearings and arbitrations, which serves to indicate the complexity of the work he is undertaking in this area.

Samuel has also been variously instructed in anti-doping proceedings on behalf of behalf of athletes, governing bodies, and the regulator. His anti-doping work has covered a range of issues from athletes allegedly tampering with samples, to backdating bans, and protecting the anonymity of athletes.

Other examples of recent sports law experience includes:

• Representing the National League following Southend FC’s appeal against the imposition of a £1m bond
• Representing an international football player in disciplinary proceedings following alleged breaches of the FA betting rules;
• Appearing in the Hight Court in matters relating to the transfer of Emiliano Sala from Nantes FC;
• Appearing for a National Governing Body in a series of selection disputes;
• Acting in regulatory dispute following match postponements before a Scottish Professional Football League Panel’
• Advising a horse racing syndicate on matters of regulatory enforcement;
• Acting for a professional rugby player in anti-doping proceedings;
• Appearing for a National Governing Body in a regulatory prosecution of a coach and securing a lifetime ban from the sport;
• Appearing for Motorsport UK a high-profile motorsports inquest;
• Appearing for a number of National Governing Bodies in a joint regulatory prosecution of an international athlete;
• Acting in a high-profile safeguarding matter;
• Appearing for a National Governing Body in a complex Olympic programme selection dispute;
• Acting for a Paralympic triathlete in an Olympic programme selection dispute
• Acting for an international athlete in a multi-day disciplinary and safeguarding arbitration;
• Acting for an international ice hockey player in anti-doping proceedings;
• Advising on the construction of an insurance contract for a professional footballer who incurred a career ending injury;
• Regularly assisting a National Governing Body with its Olympics selection process;

Samuel is frequently published in LawInSport, and co-authored the 2022 annual review on betting and corruption. He is appointed to the Sports Resolutions Pro Bono Panel. Samuel has given interviews to CNN relating to sports law issues, and is regularly asked for comment on sports law matters by media outlets and newspapers. Notably he has featured in the Guardian, the Athletic, and has assisted the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project on their investigation into historic breaches of financial fair play rules. Samuel has recently appeared on several football themed podcasts. Samuel frequently speaks at events and conferences on legal issues arising in a sporting context.