Aird & Berlis LLP‘s sports, media and entertainment group has expertise in handling issues in the sports sector for amateur and professional athletes, professional sports organizations, professional sports teams and leagues. The team advises on a mix of issues from corporate and commercial matters to IP advice. It also assists with governance issues related to the Canadian and International Olympic Committee and Pan American Sports Organization. Peter Czegledy is well-versed in an array of transactional and regulatory matters, assisting both start-ups and established multinationals with a focus on sports and esports. Jennifer Bishop leverages her experience playing tennis at national and international level to advise on tennis-related matters. Competition and antitrust matters are handled by Stephen Zolf, while Dasha Peregoudova is praised for her expertise in litigation involving employment and labour issues for the sports sector. She is a former Canadian national team athlete and advises both athletes and sports organizations on governance. The aforementioned lawyers all co-lead the group from Toronto.

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP fields a strong sports law practice that advises Canadian sports leagues on the full gamut of sports-related issues. Typical matters include assisting with league expansions and team relocations, advising on financing and constructing sports venues, brand management, licensing and broadcasting regulations. The team also leverages the firm’s expertise in corporate and commercial transactions as well as tax and employment to advise sports sector clients. The team has assisted with a wide range of sporting tournaments and events for various sports including football, hockey, basketball and American football. Josh Jones leads the Toronto practice and is a tax specialist who advises professional and amateur sports leagues and international sports organizations on their operations in Canada. Jeffrey Shafer advises sports clients on structuring and disputing transfer pricing matters, while David Kruse handles corporate issues.

Goodmans LLP is a leading firm in the sporting sector for bet-the-farm sports matters such as complex M&A. The team advises local, national and international clients from the sports industry from professional sports teams to ownership groups, broadcasters, leagues, esports teams and gaming organizations. Its corporate-focused practice advises on purchases and sales of sports franchises, equity and debt financing, arena and stadium development, endorsements and sponsorships as well as licensing, broadcasting and ticketing. The team are also adept at assisting with league formations, governance and approvals. Brad Ross chairs the practice from Toronto and excels in transactional sports law issues, advising on corporate finance and M&A involving hockey, football and golf entities. Dale Lastman is known for his work in the sports and entertainment sector, advising on acquisitions and sales. Tara Hunt is noted for her work on public and private M&A for sports clients.

Gowling WLG centres its sports law practice on advising athletes, leagues, teams, rightsholders, sponsors and investors on commercial, IP, tax, and corporate issues. The team has advised on key issues such as arena refinancing and major stadium redevelopment projects. It advises on a range of domestic sporting issues but has also been active in overseas international sporting events. Susan Abramovitch spearheads the Toronto team and is well-versed in representing sports federations including football, hockey and rugby organizations as well as Olympic organizations, professional athletes and sporting brands. She is sought out for her expertise on commercial transactions, disputes, sponsorships, endorsements and IP. Ryan Steeves is a name to note, utilizing his experience as a former professional hockey player to advise on IP issues in the sports sector.

Lavery, de Billy‘s sports and entertainment practice is led out of Montréal by Sébastien Vézina, who stands out for his expertise in handling a range of legal issues for sports clients. The firm advises on issues which affect sports teams, professional and amateur leagues, agencies and event promoters such as M&A, governance strategies, development and financing of commercial projects as well as day-to-day operational advice. It is experienced in negotiating, managing and drafting a range of sports-related contracts as well as assist with brand image, marketing and sponsorship agreements. Vézina excels in handling commercial agreements for sports clients and is involved in charitable, community and sports organizations and associations. He also advises on sports franchise investments and acquisitions, team-related transactions, IP protection and sports facility management.

Loopstra Nixon fields a dedicated sports group which is led by founding partner and sports law expert Elliot Saccucci. The sports law practice unites the firms expertise in employment law and litigation to advise amateur and professional athletes, coaches and sporting bodies. Saccucci is an international sports arbitrator and certified agent to processional lacrosse players who advises on contracts, transactions, governance and contentious disputes. Chris Lee is the go-to for sprots-related litigation involving sports clubs and not-for-profit entities, while associate Alessia Grossi acts as counsel to athletes and sports organizations.

Lucentem Sports & Entertainment PC is a sports-focused boutique founded by practice head Layth H. Gafoor, who was previously a competitive boxer and now advises other professional athletes on legal issues. The firm is based in Toronto and mainly advises Canadian professional athletes, entertainers, teams and rights-holders. The team handles contract negotiations, crisis management, media training, corporate and commercial governance support. It also has experience assisting sports individuals with immigration and taxation. The firm is noted for its work on NIL (name, image and likeness) matters for athletes and sports organizations. Mahvish H. Mian is a primary team member and is well-versed in sports law and litigation.

Tyr LLP is the go-to firm for sports professionals and associations requiring representation in sports-related disputes. The firm is particularly well-versed in handling anti-doping violations, equality and inclusion and civil claims arising from international investigations. It assists with disciplinary matters for leagues, clubs, teams, players and coaches as well as assist with sport governance disputes and safe sport investigations. James Bunting jointly leads the Toronto practice alongside Carlos Sayao. Bunting is a founding partner of the firm and litigation expert who is experienced in commercial and sports disputes. Sayao represents athletes, coaches and sports organizations in domestic and international disputes as well as arbitrations and administrative proceedings.