Commercial Disputes & Winning In Advocacy: Seminar & SLAM Grand Finals 2024

The SLAM Grand Finals weekend is now underway (12-13 April 2024), LawInSport is hosting the 5th Edition of the International Sports Law Arbitration Moot (SLAM) at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The Grand Finals is a fantastic occasion to celebrate the contribution of the sport and legal community who have helped develop this world-class competition; and to give an opportunity for top law students from around the globe to showcase their legal and advocacy skills in the setting of international sports arbitration.

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

Agenda

FRIDAY 12 April 2024

10:00 – 11:30: Quarter Finals Round 1 and 2 (Private)

12:00 – 13:30: Quarter Finals Round 3 and 4 (Private)

16:00 – 17:30: Semi Finals 1 and 2 (Private)

19:00 – 21:00: Drinks reception at World Aquatics

Day 2: 13 April 2024 (Saturday)

10:00 – 10:30: Welcome reception

10:30 – 10:40: Welcome address by Matthieu Reeb, Director General, Court of Arbitration for Sport

10:40 – 11:30 - Political neutrality in sport and athletes' freedom of expression

Our expert panel will discuss athlete rights to freedom of expression and how this influences and sports regulation and commercial interest in sport. Speakers:

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

11:35 – 12:30 - Winning damages cases in sports arbitration

Our expert panel will be exploring 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.

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

12:45 – 13:45 - Lunch

13:45 - 14:30 - From Lawyer to Sports Executive

In a fire-side chat, Ian Smith, Managing Director at Relevent Sports Group, will share 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.

Previously, Ian has held roles including Director, Commercial & Operational Legal, FIFA, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Catalyst Media Group Ltd & Senior Business Affairs Counsel, TEAM Marketing AG and Director, Legal Affairs, Sportfive.

Ian Smith, Managing Director, International Business Development
Relevent Sports Group & Former Director, Commercial & Operational Legal, FIFA
Sean Cottrell, CEO, LawInSport

14:45 – 16:00: Grand Finals

16:00 - 17:15 - Refreshments & networking

17:15 - 18:30 - Awards & Keynote Speech by Michael Beloff KC - Winning in advocacy

After the SLAM Grand Finals am award ceremony will following a keynote speech by the esteemed barrister, arbitrator and judge, Michael Beloff KC, where he will share his secrets on "Winning in Advocacy".

About SLAM

The international Sports Law Arbitration Moot ("SLAM") is a world class competition, with the aim to promote greater knowledge of the values and rules of international sports arbitration, the go to dispute resolution mechanism in the sector.

SLAM provides students from around the world, no matter their background, the opportunity to:

Develop and showcase their legal and advocacy skills before the world’s leading arbitrators and practitioners virtually and in-person;
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.

The Grand Finals (Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals and Final) of the 5th Edition of SLAM, will take place on 12-13 April 2024 at the spectacular new offices of the Court of Arbitration for Sport ("CAS") where the final eight teams battle it out to emerge as champions. The CAS Director General, Matthieu Reeb, will be giving the opening address.

To celebrate this occasion, we are delighted to be hosting a limited access:

Drinks reception for distinguished guests from sport, law and business on the evening of the 12 April 2024.
Sports Law seminar on the 13 April 2024
The Grand Final of SLAM 24 on the 13 April 2024, followed an Awards drinks receptions.

The confirmed judging line up for the semi-finals and finals of the competition are:

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

Attending Organisations

4 New Square Chambers
Active Rights Management
Arnecke Sibeth Dabelstein
ASD Law
Barandun AG
BianchiSchwald LLP
Blackstone Chambers
BMDW Advocaten
Brantjes Advocaten
Cambiaso & Ferrari
Court of Arbitration for Sport
Criminal Court Vienna
Federal Ministry of Justice
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA)
FIBA
Genius Sports
Gymnastics Ethics Foundation
nternational Business Development
JAMS
Jindal Global Law School
KanzleiWelten
Kellerhals Carrard
Luzzatto
Mazzei Sports Law
Mills & Reeve
O.P. Jindal Global University
Rechtsanwalt
Secretariat Advisors
Swiss Arbitration Centre
Synergy Group
TAS
The University of Chicago
UCLA School of Law
Università degli Studi
Universiteit Gent
University of Chicago
University of Lausanne
University of Ljubljana Faculty of Law
University of Milano
University of Neuchâtel

Registration

There are only a limited number of spaces available. Therefore, if you would like to attend please register your interest and we will reach out to you once your space is confirmed.