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

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.

Drinks Reception at World Aquatics

To mark the Grand Finals a drinks reception is being hosted by World Aquatics on the 12 April 2024 following the quarter finals and semi-finals which take place earlier in the day.

Sports Law Seminar

The Grand Finals is preceded by a Sports Law Seminar bringing together experts to discuss and debate important topics in sports disputes and career development in sports.

There a limited spaces left to attend but you can register here if you would like to attend and support the event.

Political Neutrality & 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:

Assessing Damages in Sport Disputes

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.

From In-House Counsel to Sports Executive - How Build a Successful Career in Sport

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.

Winning in Advocacy: Keynote Speech

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".

We would like to thank the arbitrators, advocates, the LawInSport team, volunteers, sponsors and supporters for making this possible, and of course the students who have participated which is the reasons for the SLAM being established.

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 is application and future influence on awarding damages sports disputes. Speakers:

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

A fireside chat with Ian Smith about his career from … and reflection on transitioning to a

Ian Smith, Managing Director, International Business DevelopmentRelevent 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

Michael Beloff KC will provide a keynote speech will provide insights and advice on how to win in advocacy, drawying on his illustratus career as an advocate, arbitrator and judge.

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

The teams in the finals rounds are:

University of Ghent (Belgium)
2 teams from University of Chicago (USA)
O.P Jindal Global University (India)
UCLA School of Law (USA) & University of Essex (UK)
University of Ljubljana (Slovenia)
Australian National University (Australia)
University of Law (UK)

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.

JAMS announced as Gold Sponsor for the 5th Edition of LawInSport’s Sports Law Arbitration Moot

With the Grand Finals of the 5th edition of the global Sports Law Arbitration Moot (SLAM) competition just a few days away, we are delighted to announce JAMS as a Gold Sponsor. The SLAM Grand Finals of the competition will take place on 12-13 April 2024 at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (“CAS”) in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The Grand Finals involve privately held quarter final and semi-final rounds followed by a pre-finals drinks reception on 12th April kindly hosted by World Aquatics. We then host a sports law seminar on 13th April with topics such as political neutrality in sport and athletes’ freedom of expression, winning damages cases in sports arbitration and the journey in transitioning from a lawyer to a sports executive. If you would like to attend, please register your interest here and we will confirm your seat soon.

The SLAM is a student moot competition, organised 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 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 complimentary training on drafting written submissions and advocacy from some of the world’s leading advocates and arbitrators in world sport.

Students compete for the chance to win:

£1500 for the winners of the competition
£1000 for the runners-up of the competition

Jeffrey Benz, Mediator and Arbitrator at JAMS, said “The SLAM provides a unique opportunity for aspiring sports lawyers to participate in the world leading sports arbitration moot court, with the chance to argue in the semifinal and later rounds in the home of the world's supreme court of sport, the Court of Arbitration for Sport, before the top sports law advocates and arbitrators in the world. We use cases drawn from real life sports disputes, across doping, football, governance, and safeguarding and only accomplished CAS arbitrators judge the later rounds. The topical on site seminar adds another dimension to the learning process. JAMS is proud to sponsor this leading event.”

Sean Cottrell, CEO at LawInSport added “We're delighted to welcome JAMS as a sponsor for the SLAM competition. Their involvement as a leading alternative dispute resolution provider adds tremendous value to the experience we offer students. Their support empowers us to equip future sports lawyers with a well-rounded skillset, preparing them for the ever-evolving landscape of the legal industry."

About SLAM

SLAM welcomes legal students from all over the world and strives to be diverse in its student and judging base. Deserving students are provided with financial assistance for both the registration fee and the costs of appearing in the in-person rounds of the competition (if they advance), where there is demonstrated financial need, to ensure that financial barriers do not prevent students from receiving the exposure to sports law through the competition.

SLAM is a non-for-profit initiative that brings together people from around the world to support and provide opportunities for students to connect, gain valuable experience that will help them in their career in law and sport. SLAM has seen:

120 teams from 20+ countries entering the competition
80+ teams have benefited from receiving written submission and oral advocacy training from leading advocates and arbitrators.
80+ CAS Arbitrators & 100+ advocates, from 20 countries, have volunteered their time and expertise to help judged the written submissions. 23 CAS arbitrators judged the oral rounds (which were all judged solely by CAS arbitrators

For more information on the competition, please visit here or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For more information on sponsoring SLAM, please reach out to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

About JAMS

JAMS successfully resolves business and legal disputes by providing efficient, cost-effective and impartial ways of overcoming barriers at any stage of conflict. JAMS offers customized, in-person, virtual and hybrid dispute resolution services through a combination of first class client service, the latest technology, top-notch facilities and highly trained mediators and arbitrators.

“Our panel includes more than 400 retired state and federal court judges, attorneys and other ADR professionals with proven track records and extensive practice area and industry expertise. JAMS neutrals and clients are supported by more than 200 associates, including ADR systems design experts and case managers with decades of experience.”

For more information on JAMS, please visit here.

About LawInSport

LawInSport is the world leading sports law knowledge hub and global community that provides practically focused expert analysis and commentary on the latest legal developments in sport. LawInSport collaborates with our community of over 30,000 lawyers, sports executives, sports administrators, athletes, coaches, academics and students and their organisations helping them to “understand the rules of the game”™