The winner of the Sport Law Arbitration Moot 2024 is Edouard Goguillon from UCLA School of Law (USA).

A big congratulations to not only our winner but also to:  

• The finalists and runners up: Vikram Ramaswamy & Cherie Fernandes from University of Chicago (USA);
• Semi-finalists: Lea Zahrastnik & Tina Lihteneker from University of Ljubljana Faculty of Law (Slovenia) and Belinda Curtis & Amber Baxter-Simner from University of Law (UK). 
• Quarter-Finalists: Swara Popat & Abhimanyu Sharma from O.P Jindal Global University (India); Chloe Hosking & Ethan Rozanic from Australian National University (Australia); Emma Vandevyvere & Jorne Geenens from Ghent University (Belgium); and Zachary Harrison & Pranav Padmanabhan from University of Chicago (USA). 

The offices at the Court of Arbitration for Sport played host to this event, with significant talent and ambition on show from all participants. 

Mr. Goguillon’s teammate, Jordan Adetiba, was unable to make it to the Grand Finals due to last minute personal exigencies. 

Across the two days, 8 teams from 6 different countries battled it out in front of 14 CAS Arbitrators for the right to be crowned SLAM 2024 Winners and receive the £1,500 prize money.

The Quarter Finals & Semi-Finals both took place on Friday 12th April 2024, before a drinks reception was held at World Aquatics in the evening. On Saturday (13th April 2024), the Grand Finals alongside a series of panels took place. 

SLAM Seminar 

The day began with a welcome address from Matthieu Reeb, Director General, Court of Arbitration for Sport, before we moved into our first panel - Political neutrality in sport and athletes' freedom of expression.

The expert panel discussed athlete rights to freedom of expression and how this influences sports regulation and commercial interest in sport. The panel involved:

• Dr. David Stadtfeld, Senior Associate, ASD Law
• Vincent Warnecke, Associate, ASD Law
• Lea Krüger, German National Athlete (Fencing)
• Stephen Townley, JAMS Mediator & Arbitrator & CAS Arbitrator

We then moved onto our second panel - Winning damages cases in sports arbitration. The panel explored the financial tools that can be used to assess damages in commercial arbitration and its application and future influence on awarding damages in sports disputes. The panel consisted of the following speakers:

• Shalabh Gupta, Associate Director, Secretariat Advisors
• Mark Hovell, Partner, Mills & Reeve & CAS Arbitrator
• Andre Brantjes, Founder & Managing Partner, BrantjesAdvocaten & CAS Arbitrator
• Amran Nawaz, Manager, Secretariat Advisors

Following these panels, Ian Smith, Managing Director at Relevent Sports Group, sat down for a chat with Sean Cottrell for a ‘From Lawyer to Sports Executive’ session. Ian shared his experience and lessons learned from his successful career across some of leading sports organisations, and sports agencies and media, and moving from legal director to sports executive.

The SLAM Grand Finals then took place, with some extremely talented individuals going head to head. A huge congratulations again to all participants. 

To finish a wonderful day, an award ceremony took place followed by a keynote speech by the esteemed barrister, arbitrator and judge, Michael Beloff KC, where he shared his secrets on ‘Winning in Advocacy’.

We thank everyone involved in this year's, and previous editions of the Sports Law Arbitration Moot (SLAM), including the judges, teams, speakers and guests, for their time and support which has enabled us to provide opportunities to hundreds of students, regardless of their background or location, across the world to:

• Develop and showcase their legal and advocacy skills before the world’s leading arbitrators and practitioners;
• Gain real world experience of international sports arbitration under the leading procedural rules;
• Receive training on writing submissions and advocacy from some of the world’s leading advocates and arbitrators in world sport.

We would also like to state our gratitude and appreciation to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and in particular CAS Director General, Matthieu Reeb and CAS Counsel, Björn Hessert, for being so generous with their time and resources by hosting the Grand Finals at the CAS offices in Lausanne, Switzerland. 

We would also like to thank World Aquatics, and Brent Nowicki, the CEO/Executive Director, for generously hosting our pre-finals reception.

List of Participating Universities

The following universities have registered teams (with some having multiple teams) for the 5th Edition of SLAM:

1. Tehran University, Iran
2. University of Brasilia, Brazil
3. BPP University, UK
4. Bologna University, Italy
5. Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, USA
6. Kharazmi University, Iran
7. Ghent University, Belgium
8. SMU Dedman School of Law, USA
9. The law school of Tanzania, Tanzania
10. Australian National University, Australia
11. King’s College London, UK
12. University of Ljubljana Faculty of Law, Slovenia
13. The University of Lagos, Nigeria
14. O.P. Jindal Global University, India
15. University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
16. Kenyatta University, Kenya
17. University of Law, UK
18. Nigerian Law School, Nigeria
19. University of Chicago, USA
20. China University of Political Science and Law, China
21. University of Kent, UK
22. Faculty of Law University of Maribor, Slovenia
23. Edge Hill University, UK
24. University of Exeter, UK
25. UCLA School of Law, USA
26. University of Essex, UK
27. Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko- Ondo state, Nigeria
28. Waseda University, Japan
29. University of Rijeka, Faculty of Law, Croatia
30. Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
31. Farabi University affiliated with University of Tehran, Iran
32. The University of Adelaide, Australia
33. ISDE, Spain
34. School of Excellence in Law, The Tamil Nadu Dr.Ambedkar Law University, India
35. Institut D'Etudes Francophones - Université Paris XIII, France
36. Mount Kenya University, Kenya
37. Tashkent State University of Law, Uzbekistan

Grand Finals Judges

• André Brantjes, Founder & Managing Partner, BrantjesAdvocaten
• Bernhard Welten, Founder, KanzleiWelten
• Despina Mavromati, Of Counsel, Valfor Attorneys-at-Law
• Frans de Weger, Chairman, FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber & Partner/Founder, BMDW Advocaten
• Jeffrey Benz, Mediator Arbitrator Referee Special Master, JAMS & Door Tenant, 4 New Square
• Kwadjo Adjepong, CAS Arbitrator
• Marianne Saroli, Senior Legal Counsel, Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA)
• Mark Hovell, Head of Sport & Partner, Mills & Reeve & CAS Arbitrator
• Martina Spreitzer-Kropiunik, Vice President, Criminal Court Vienna
• Michael Beloff KC, Barrister, Blackstone Chambers
• Prof Luigi Fumagalli, Professor, Università degli Studi
• Raphaëlle Favre Schnyder, Attorney at law, Partner - Barandun & Alternate Judge at Appellate Court of Valais/Wallis & CAS Arbitrator
• Stephen Townley, JAMS Mediator and Arbitrator

Regional Oral Finals Judges

• André Brantjes, Managing and Equity Partner, Brantjes Advocaten
• Andrea Carska-Sheppard, General Counsel, Workplace Options LLC
• Anna Bordiugova, Arbitrator, Court of Arbitration for Sport
• Anthony Lo Surdo, Barrister, Arbitrator & Mediator, 8 Wentworth Chambers
• David Benck, Senior Vice President & General Counsel, Hibbett Sports
• Daniel Cravo Souza, Partner, Cravo, Pastl and Balbuena Associated Attorneys
• Daniel Visou, Founding Partner, Visoiu Law Firm
• Diego Ferrari, Head of the Aviation Desk, C&F
• Espen Auberg, Head of Sports law, Nova Law
• Hon. Hugh L. Fraser (Ret.) OLY, Mediator, Arbitrator and Referee/Special Master, JAMS, Former regional senior justice for the East Region of Ontario & Former Olympian Athlete
• Jacopo Tognon, Attorney-at-Law and CAS Arbitrator
• James Kitching, Managing Director, The FC
• Janie Soubliere, Principal, Soubliere Sport Law
• Jeffrey Benz, Arbitrator and Mediator, JAMS & Door Tenant, 4 New Square
• Joshua Gordon, Faculty Athletics Representative, University of Oregon
• Laura Abrahamson, Mediator, Arbitrator and Referee/Special Master, JAMS
• Dr. Leanne O’Leary, Senior Lecturer in Law, Edge Hill University
• Liu Jiahe, Counsel, East & Concord Partners
• Martin Schimke, Of Counsel, Bird & Bird
• Patrice Brunet, Founder and Managing Director of patrice.brunet.avocats
• Roberto De Palma Barracco, Judge, NDRC/CNRD, Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) & Head of Research, CBF Academy
• Takuya Yamazaki, Founder & Managing Partner, Field-R
• Vladimir Novak, Associate & Co-Lead EU FDI Practice, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP

CAS Arbitrator Judges

• Alain Zahlan de Cayetti, Founding Partner, DeCayetti
• André Brantjes, Managing Partner, BrantjesAdvocaten
• Andrea Carska-Sheppard, General Counsel, Workplace Options LLC
• Anna Peniche, Legal Director, Liga MX
• Anthony Lo Surdo SC, Barrister, Arbitrator & Mediator, 8 Wentworth Chambers
• Barry Sanders, Former International Corporate Lawyer
• Benoît Pasquier, Founder & Attorney, BP Sports Law
• Bernhard Welten, Attorney and Founder & Partner, KanzleiWelten
• Cameron Myler, Clinical Assistant Professor, New York University & Former Olympian
• Carlo Dalla Vedova, Partner, Dalla Vedova Studio
• Carol L. Roberts, Mediator and Arbitrator, Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada
• Carolyn B. Witherspoon, Director/Attorney, Cross, Gunter, Witherspoon & Galchus, P.C.
• Dan Visoiu, Founding Partner, Visoiu Law Firm
• Daniel Cravo Souza, Partner, Cravo, Pastl e Balbuena Advogados Associados
• Daniel F. Brent, Arbitrator/Mediator, Daniel F. Brent
• David Benck, Senior Vice President & General Counsel, Hibbett Sports
• Despina Mavromati, Attorney-at-law, Valfor Attorneys-at-Law
• Diego Ferrari, Partner, Cambiaso & Ferrari
• Dr An Shouzhi, Managing Partner, Anjie Broad Law Firm Xiamen Office
• Dr. Anna Bordiugova, Attorney-at-law, Member of the World Athletics’ Disciplinary Tribunal
• Dr. Jakub Laskowski, Director of Legal & Sport Administration, Legia Warszawa
• Dr. Jan Räker, Senior General Counsel, VfB Stuttgart
• Dr. Janos Katona, Partner, Kende, Molnár-Bíró Katona
• Dr. Leanne O’Leary, Senior Lecturer in Law, Edge Hill University
• Dr. Mingchao Fan, Director of Arbitration and ADR for North Asia, International Chamber of Commerce
• Emin Özkurt, Managing Partner, Ozkurt Law Office
• Ercus Stewart SC, Senior Counsel and Arbitrator, Bar of Ireland
• Espen Auberg, Partner, Advokatfirmaet Nova DA
• Fabio Iudica, Professor, Milano-Bicocca University
• Frans de Weger, Chairman, FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber & Partner/Founder, BMDW Advocaten
• Hans Nater, Senior Partner, Nater Dallafior Rechtsanwälte AG
• Hon. Hugh L. Fraser, Mediator, Arbitrator and Referee/Special Master, JAMS & Former Olympian
• Jacopo Tognon, Lecturer, University of Padua
• James Drake KC, Barrister, 7 King's Bench Walk
• James Kitching, Independent Consultant & Former Director of Football Regulatory, FIFA
• Janie Soubliere, Principal, Soubliere Sports Law
• Jeff Mishkin, Mediator and Arbitrator, Phillips ADR
• Jens Evald, Professor, dr.jur., Aarhus University
• Jingzhou Tao, Managing Partner, Dechert LLP
• Jonathan Hall, General Counsel & Company Secretary, International Cricket Council
• Jonathan Rennie, Partner, Level
• Jordi López Batet, Partner, Statim Legal, SLP
• Joshua Gordon, Faculty Athletics Representative, University of Oregon
• Juan Pablo Arriagada, Partner, Arriagada y Cia.
• Ken Lalo, President, Israeli National Federation
• Kwadjo Adjepong, Assistant Director, Competition and Markets Authority
• Lars Hilliger, Partner/Founder, Advice Advokatfirma
• Laura Abrahamson, Mediator, Arbitrator and Referee/Special Master, JAMS
• Liu Jiahe, Counsel, East & Concord Partners
• Lu Song, Professor, China Foreign Affairs University
• Luigi Fumagalli, Professor, Università degli Studi
• Malcolm Holmes KC, Chartered Arbitrator, Eleven Wentworth Chambers
• Marianne Saroli, Senior Legal Counsel, FIA
• Mark Baker, Global Head of International Arbitration, Norton Rose Fulbright
• Mark Hovell, Partner, Mills & Reeve LLP
• Martina Christina Spreitzer-Kropiunik, Vice President, Criminal Court Vienna
• Michael Beloff KC, Barrister, Blackstone Chambers
• Namrata Chatterjee, League Secretary, Indian Super League
• Nguyen Thi My Dung, Deputy Director General, PVF Football Academy
• Nir Inbar, Lecturer, Reichman University.
• Patrice Brunet, Founder & Managing Director, patrice.brunet.avocats
• Prof Yoshihisa Hayakawa, Professor of Law, Rikkyo University
• Prof. Dr. Martin Schimke, Martin Schimke, Of Counsel, Bird & Bird
• Prof. Dr. Ulrich Haas, Professor, University of Zurich
• Prof. Zhi Li, Professor, Fuzhou University
• Raphaëlle Favre Schnyder, Partner, Barandun AG
• Ricardo de Buen Rodriguez, Founder & Managing Partner, de Buen Rodríguez Abogados, S.C
• Roberto Barracco, Judge, NDRC/CNRD, Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) 
• Rui Botica Santos, Partner, Coelho Ribeiro e Associados
• Russel F. Sauer Jr., Retired Partner, Latham & Watkins LLP
• Stephen Townley, JAMS Mediator and Arbitrator
• Steve Bainbridge, Partner, Squire Patton Boggs
• Takuya Yamazaki, Founder & Managing Partner, Field-R Law
• Vladimir Novak, Antitrust & FDI Associate, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP
• Wouter Lambrecht, Former Attorney-at-law, FC Barcelona
• Xianyue Simon BAI, Managing Partner, Grandall Law Firm

Advocate Judges

• Adam Taylor - Sports Lawyer, Kellerhals Carrard
• Aine Power - Deputy Legal Director, Fédération Equestre Internationale
• Alastair Campbell - Partner, Level
• Alistair McHenry - Partner, TYR
• Andrew Moroney - Senior Associate, Greenberg Traurig
• Anna Thorstenson - Legal Counsel, FEI
• Ben Rutherford - Senior Director Legal, International Tennis Integrity Agency
• Beth French - Legal Counsel, FIFA 
• Brianna Quinn - Arbitrator, Basketball Arbitral Tribunal
• Celia Rooney - Barrister, Blackstone Chambers
• Chris Anderson - Sports Lawyer, Sports Executive & Consultant
• Christopher Keidel - Partner, Lentze Stopperhas
• Christopher Stoner KC - Barrister / King's Counsel, Serle Court
• Cliodhna Guy - Head of Licensing, Legal & Compliance, Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board
• Daniel McDonagh - Associate, Charles Russell Speechlys
• David Sharpe KC - Barrister, 12 King’s Bench Walk & The Bar of Ireland
• Dr. David Stadtfeld - Senior Associate, Arnecke Sibeth Dabelstein
• Farai Razano - Partner, Razano Attorneys
• Guo Cai - Attorney, Jin Mao Law Firm
• Hannah Kent - Associate (Dispute Resolution and Regulatory), Onside Law
• Howard Jacobs - Attorney at Law Offices of Howard L. Jacobs
• Ian Mill KC - Silk, Blackstone Chambers
• Jaime Cambreleng - Partner, Cavaliero & Associates SA
• James Segan KC - Barrister, Blackstone Chambers
• Jiří Janák - Attorney at Law, JUDr. Jiří Janák
• John Shea - Senior Associate, Lewis Silkin
• Josh Charalambous - Senior Associate, RPC
• Karena Vleck - General Counsel World Athletics 
• Kendrah Potts - Barrister, 4 New Square
• Lindsay Brandon - Director of Safeguarding, WTALouis Weston - Barrister, Outer Temple Chambers
• Lydia Banerjee - Barrister, Littleton Chambers
• Marc Cavaliero - Founding Partner, Cavaliero and Associates
• Matthew Kaiser - Associate, Global Sports Advocates
• Michele Colucci - Avvocato and Founder, Sports Law and Policy Centre
• Nan Sato - Attorney, Field-R Law Offices
• Natalie St Cyr Clarke - Legal Affairs Manager, FIBA
• Paolo Lombardi - Founder and MD of Lombardi Associates
• Patrick Kerr - Barrister, 12 King's Bench Walk
• Paul Greene - Attorney/Founder, Global Sports Advocates
• Peter Crowther - Partner, Winston & Strawn LLP
• Richard Bush - Partner, Bird & Bird
• Richard Liddell KC - Barrister / King's Counsel, Four New Square
• Robert McTernaghan - Barrister at Law, The Law Library
• Rupert Beloff - Barrister, 4-5 Gray's Inn Square
• Rustam Sethna - Associate, M&R
• Saksham Samarth - Associate, Vandellos Sports Law
• Sam Fellows - Lecturer & Teaching Fellow, University of Waikato
• Sarah Hartley - Partner, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP
• Siddharth Gosain - Associate, Munoz & Arias Sports Lawyers
• Suzanne Crespo, Partner, Bryan Cave
• Theo Barclay - Barrister, 4 New Square
• Tim Naylor - Director of Integrity and Regulation, The British Horseracing Authority
• Tim O'Connor BL - Barrister, The Bar of Ireland
• Vidushpat Singhania - Managing Partner, Krida Legal
• Vincent Warnecke - Associate, ASD Law
• William Clerk - Barrister, 2 Temple Gardens
• Zachary Calo - Professor of Law, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar

Thank you from all of us on the organising committee for making this ambitious initiative achievable. We look forward to next year’s event and welcoming the next generation of sports law arbitrators.

Sponsors

We would like to thank our sponsors for supporting the SLAM competition:

Grand Finals Venue Host: Court of Arbitration for Sport

Pre-Grand Finals Reception Host: World Aquatics

Gold Sponsors: Secretariat Advisors & JAMS

Silver Sponsors: Arnecke Sibeth Dabelstein & 39 Essex Chambers

Supporting Sponsors: BianchiSchwald, Blackstone Chambers, Brantjes Advocaten, Global Sports Advocates, Law Offices of Howard Jacobs, Lombardi Associates & Mills & Reeve

With the support of our community, we hope the Sport Law Arbitration Moot will continue to be the world’s foremost sports arbitration moot competition that has a significant impact on the next generation of sports lawyers, and international sports dispute resolution. We hope you enjoyed the competition and the seminar as much as we did organising it.

Organising Committee

SLAM is organised by:

• Sean Cottrell, CEO & Co-Founder, LawInSport
• Manan Agrawal, Editor, LawInSport
• Blaz Tomazin Bolcar, founder of SportLaw and co-founder of SLAM
• Jeffrey Benz, Attorney, Barrister, Arbitrator, Mediator, JAMS/4 New Square Chambers/Court of Arbitration for Sport

We would also like to thank the following people for all their help and assistance with administering the Oral Qualifying Rounds of the competition: 

• Charlie Kendrick, Paralegal at The Football Association & Former LawInSport mentee
• Chirayato Banerjee, Dual Qualified Soliciter (England and Wales) & Judge (India)
• Ian Laing, Associate at Lombardi Associates & Former LawInSport mentee

All organisers and judges give up their time freely and do not receive any financial remuneration from their roles in the Sports Law Arbitration Moot (SLAM).