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Blackstone Chambers - Sports Law Analysis

Blackstone Chambers is acknowledged as the leading sports set at the Bar.”  “The set stands apart from its peers for sports work: no other set can match either the breadth of its expertise or the sheer number of its sports experts.”

Chambers
| Nick De Marco KC | Blackstone Chambers, Blogs, Football, Dispute Resolution , Articles

Why sports tribunals should embrace public hearings

As a barrister acting in sports disputes for over 20 years, I have long argued for greater transparency, fairness and therefore publicity. Over those years we have seen great stri…

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Blackstone Chambers, 1 Garden Court, Temple, London, EC4Y 9BJ DX: LDE 281

Football stadium
| Shane Sibbel | Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Blogs, Football, Dispute Resolution , Articles, Regulation & Governance

CAS, the War in Ukraine and Russian football bans

The Russian invasion of Ukraine commenced on 24 February 2022. Four days later the Bureau of the FIFA Council suspended…
Footballer
| Nick De Marco KC | Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Blogs, Football, Dispute Resolution , Articles, Regulation & Governance

The Standard of Proof and the Threshold for Appeal in Sports Disciplinary Cases (The FA v Imran Louza)

The decision of an Appeal Board dismissing the FA’s appeal in the case of FA v Imran Louza1 is significant for thr…
Fans celebrating
| Tom Mountford | Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Blogs, Football, Articles, Regulation & Governance

World Cup Qatar 2022 - Why The UK Government’s Advice To LGBT+ Fans Could Put Them At Risk

In under a week, Qatar will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. As English and Welsh football fans prepare to travel to Qatar…
Cricket ball in hand
| Nick De Marco KC | Cricket, Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Athlete Welfare, Blogs, Dispute Resolution , Articles, Regulation & Governance

ECB Racism Disciplinary Proceedings To Be Held In Public: Open Justice In Sports Disputes

On 3 November 2022, the BBC announced that in an “unprecedented” move the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (‘ECB’) dis…
Dangerous slide tackle
| Luka Krsljanin | Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Blogs, Football, Dispute Resolution , Articles

Fulham FC v Jones: When Is There Civil Liability For Causing A Serious Injury In Football?

This article examines the case between Fulham Football Club and Mr Jordan Levi Jones which concerns the circumstances i…
Title images - Football with bank notes raining down
| Will Bordell | Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Blogs, Football, Dispute Resolution , Articles, Regulation & Governance

The perilous state of EFL club finances: A review of the Derby County and Sheffield Wednesday cases

This article examines several cases involving the English Football League (EFL) and two of its clubs: Sheffield Wednesd…
| Holly Higgins | Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Blogs, Contract, Horseracing , Dispute Resolution , Gambling, Articles, Intellectual Property

The Racing Partnership Case – The Rights and Obligations Of Distributors Of Live Sports Betting Data

The Court of Appeal’s recent judgment in The Racing Partnership v Sports Information Services[1]  is ess…
| Will Bordell | Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Blogs, Football, Employment, Articles, Regulation & Governance

From rags to riches: what next for salary caps in football?

A month ago this week, the English Football League (EFL) confirmed[1] that it would immediately withdraw sala…
Disciplining discrimination in football: The FA’s new policies and guidelines
| Nick De Marco QC | Employment Law, Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Athlete Welfare, Blogs, Football, Dispute Resolution , Articles, Regulation & Governance

Discrimination in football: a guide to The FA’s new charging policies and sanctioning guidelines

In August 2020, after consultation with various stakeholders, The Football Association (The FA) published new char…
Goalkeeper Save
| Nick do Marco | COVID19, Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Blogs, Football, Dispute Resolution , Articles, Regulation & Governance

The power to end the football season: lessons from the decision in South Shields FC v The FA

The distinguished arbitral panel, chaired by Lord Dyson with Charles Flint QC and Andrew Green QC, recently delive…
Rugby Players
| Celia Rooney | Blackstone Chambers, Competition/Anti-Trust, Articles, Regulation & Governance, Rugby

For the love of money: exploring the decision in the Saracens salary cap case

In November 2019, an Independent Panel of Premiership Rugby handed down its eagerly anticipated decision concerning the…
Football Players
| Nick De Marco QC | Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Blogs, Football, Articles, Regulation & Governance

A guide to The FA’s new Intermediaries Regulations 2019-2020

The FA recently brought in various amendments to its Regulations on Working with Intermediaries1 and, on 29 June 2019 p…
Athletics Track
| Celia Rooney | Athletics, Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Athlete Welfare, Blogs, Dispute Resolution , Articles, Regulation & Governance

Sex on a spectrum in the binary world of sport: the CAS’s decision in the case of Caster Semenya & Ors v the IAAF

On 30 April 2019, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) delivered its award in the case of Caster Semenya &…
Football on line under shoe
| Nick de Marco | Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Blogs, Football, Articles

Does ‘Football Law’ exist and what is it?

This May sees the publication of the first comprehensive guide to legal issues in football in the world as well as a "F…
Football player kicking ball on grass
| LawInSport | Blackstone Chambers, Blogs, Football, Dispute Resolution , Articles, Regulation & Governance

Key points from The F.A. -v- Massimo Cellino case on unauthorised agents and the disciplinary process

Almost a year since the case was heard before an FA Regulatory Commission, the final decision in the case of The FA v M…
Football Agent
| Nick De Marco | Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Blogs, Football, Employment, Articles, Regulation & Governance

Important changes to The FA’s Regulations on Intermediaries

 As spending rose ever higher during the 2017 summer transfer window, The FA has been busy making some important c…
Handshake to show a dispute being resolved
| Daniel Burgess | Athletics, Cricket, Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Blogs, Football, Dispute Resolution , Articles, Rugby

An explanation of interim injunctions in sports litigation

Injunctions are a mandatory order requiring a party to act or, most often, refrain from acting in a particular way. The…
Placing bets on sports
| Manali Kulkarni | Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Football, Dispute Resolution , Gambling, Articles, Regulation & Governance

Clarifying The FA’s prohibition on betting activities: an analysis of the Nick Bunyard decision

The application and interpretation of The Football Association’s (“The FA’s”) rules prohibiting betting activities, con…
Maria_Sharapova
| Blackstone Chambers, Anti-Doping, Sports, Blogs, Articles, Tennis

A review of key points from the ITF's decision in the Sharapova doping case

The recent decision1 of The International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) Anti-Doping Tribunal in the Sharapova case is a fas…
Signing_a_Contract
| Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Blogs, Football, Contract, Employment, Articles

Fiduciary duties, football, and the fundamental importance of the contractual relationship

Can a senior employee be ordered to pay back his past contractual remuneration to his employer as a remedy for breach o…
Football_Balancing_Finger
| Blackstone Chambers, Anti-Doping, Sports, Blogs, Football, Articles

The FA v Jake Livermore – Proportionality trumps mandatory doping sanction in exceptional circumstances

In Football Association v Jake Livermore,1 an FA Regulatory Commission on 8 September 2015 applied the proportiona…
Pitch_Invasion
| Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Blogs, Football, Articles, Regulation & Governance

How do we address inconsistent pitch invasion sanctions? The FA v. Reading FC

Walk into the boardroom of many a football club and you are likely to pass a proudly displayed framed photograph reflec…
Hands Wrapped
| Boxing, Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Blogs, Articles, Regulation & Governance

Another round in favour of sports arbitration: Court confirms boxing disciplinary appeal panel is an Arbitration

In Bruce Baker v The British Boxing Board of Control,1 the Chancery Division found the Boxing Board’s appeal proce…
Playing Bridge
| Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Blogs, Articles, Regulation & Governance

How does the law define a sport?

What is a “sport”? What activities are included in the legal definition of "sport"?  The legal status of the card…
Football Tackle
| Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Blogs, Football, Commercial, Contract, Corporate, Employment, Articles

A round up of recent football case law

In this round up we highlight some interesting football cases to have taken place during the first quarter of 2015. All…
Youth and Suit playing football
| Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Football, Contract, Articles, Regulation & Governance

The new FA Intermediaries Regulations & disputes likely to arise

In this article1, barrister Nick De Marco2 explains the new FA and FIFA Regulations on working with Intermediaries, and…
Hull City Logo on Grass
| Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Football, Articles, Regulation & Governance

Hull City Tigers v The FA - the importance of procedural fairness

Hull City (the “Club”) have been successful in quashing the high profile decision of The FA Council1 to refuse its appl…
The Oracle Sailing
| Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Blogs, Articles, Regulation & Governance

Sailing through sports disciplinary proceedings

The recent decision1 of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Dirk de Ridder (D.) v International Sailing Federat…
Goal being scored
| Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Blogs, Football, Articles, Regulation & Governance

The end of the licensed football agent?

Earlier this year Football’s World governing body, FIFA, published its Regulations on Working with Intermediaries1. The…
Boxing Ring
| Boxing, Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Blogs, Regulation & Governance

Boxing case underscores courts' reluctance to interfere in decisions of national sporting bodies

In a recent bout in the High Court, the specificity of sporting disputes once again came to the fore. In Bruce Baker v…
Danish_Kaneria
| Cricket, Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Blogs

Kaneria’s life ban upheld

The Commercial Court has dismissed a challenge by Pakistani international bowler Danish Kaneria to a lifetime ban uphel…
Claudia Pechstein
| Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Blogs

Sports arbitration: A matter of choice for athletes?

Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights provides a litigant with a right to a fair and public hearing by a…
Andy Carroll and Riccardo Montolivo
| Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Blogs, Football

West Ham v FA – Interim Relief in urgent football cases and the test for Red Card appeals

The Football Association (“FA”) have just published the full written reasons in the West Ham United v FA Rule K Interim…
Force India Cars
| Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Blogs, Competition/Anti-Trust, Contract, Employment, Motorsport, Intellectual Property

Force India and damages for misuse of confidential information

In the world of Formula 1 (“F1”), millions of pounds can be won or lost over the matter of a few seconds. Mega-rich com…
Footballs
| Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Blogs, Football

Football’s match fixing wake up call

The recent allegations and arrests made in relation to match fixing in football have served as an important wake up cal…
Armstrong Cycling
| Blackstone Chambers, Anti-Doping, Cycling, Sports, Blogs, Articles

Lessons from Lance – Recovering Sponsorship and Endorsement Monies

James Segan discusses the difficult issue of how sponsors can recover endorsement payments when the sponsored athlete c…
Papiss Cisse
| Sean Cottrell | Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Blogs, Football

A lot of Wonga at stake

Papiss Cisse’s dispute with Newcastle United Football Club about wearing the official shirt sponsor’s logo raises some…
Cricket Ball
| Sean Cottrell | Cricket, Blackstone Chambers, Sports, Blogs

10 key considerations arising from Kaneria

In our last blog (Cricket disciplinary appeal is an Arbitration) we we discussed in detail the Commercial Court ruling…
Cricket Stumps
| Sean Cottrell | Blackstone Chambers, Blogs

Cricket disciplinary appeal is an Arbitration

In this, the first Blackstone Chambers blog for LawInSport Nick De Marco explains why the Commercial Court ruling in th…
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