The Sports Industry accounts for more than 3% of the world trade. In the
Money is primarily made from the commercial exploitation of image rights, sponsorship, broadcasting, branding, merchandising, sportsman employment agreements, disputes. Other parallel sources of revenue are also to be considered.
Sport Business Law is the discipline that regulates the legalities of all the aspects relating to the Sport Industry. It characterises itself by being transnational, extraordinarily creative, changing and innovative discipline with incredible international implications and ramifications. Just think how many players are moving from Country to Country on a seasonal basis and in any sport.
Fairly new discipline on itself, some say no older then 25 years, it does contain elements of commercial law, IP law, Trademark law, Privacy and Human rights law, Media law etc. But increasingly it is a discipline on its own. With its own laws, procedures, standard terms and Jurisdictional bodies, there to sanction, arbitrate and mediate disputes and make sure the “law” is correctly and consistently applied.
As such, the need of specialist Sport and Media lawyers is a fairly new and niche phenomenon. Historically some Solicitors have been involved with specific aspects of a sport related operation (Sponsoring or occasional invasion of privacy or employment) but few firms have dedicated resources.
Simon Vumbaca is and International and European registered Lawyer with practice in Sport Business Law. His involvement in sport started as a sportsman. He has since become a Lawyer and has been involved in major motorsport sponsorship deals, events rights organisation, media protection, IP matters, FIFA related matters, Athletes image and rights, etc. His ability to deal and work in French, Spanish, and Italian perfectly fit the international dimension of Sport Business Law.
Brief:
The work is incredibly varied and primarily includes:
- event sponsorship
- the exploitation of media and marketing rights
- competition and broadcasting rights
- intellectual property rights
- anti-ambush marketing
- general liability in sport
- contracting and Competition
- anti-ticket touting
- anti-corruption
- the drafting and negotiation of rules and regulations
- disciplinary and anti-doping proceedings
- bringing and defending challenges to the decision of governing bodies
- club takeovers, player transfers, Terminations
- exploitation of commercial rights
- brand management, event organisation
- regulatory and disciplinary issues
- sport Disputes and dispute resolution (Special Bodies CAS etc)
We are also able to draw on advice and support in corporate, competition, employment, immigration, data protection and other areas of law relating to the sports sector.
A Simon Vumbaca Del Vivo is a Registered European Lawyer with the Law Society of England and Wales and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (www.sra.org.uk). He is a member of the CCBE (European Bar), Abogado, Advocat and Avvocato (registered with the CGAE, Spain).