Fielding a wide-ranging practice that encompasses litigation, arbitration and mediation, the ‘absolutely stellar’ Bär & Karrer Ltd. is noted for its contentious and non-contentious work for a diverse multitude of football, tennis, and other sports organisations. ‘One of the top experts’, Michele Bernasconi spearheads the practice with his substantial experience in handling commercial and transactional work for a range of domestic and international clients, and the team is further bolstered by arbitration expert Saverio Lembo. Other names to note include the ‘highly knowledgeable’ Emanuel Cortada, who possesses a strong grounding in disciplinary sanctions and disputes, and the ‘very talented’ Jonáš Gürtler, who excels in sports, media and entertainment matters.

Recommended for its ‘unmatched experience of representing institutional clients before CAS’, Kellerhals Carrard is well-positioned to advise on football and doping-related disputes, alongside demonstrating notable strengths in commercial programs, and regulatory and governance issues. The practice is jointly led by the ‘masterful’ David Casserly, who frequently handles matters pertaining to significant commercial deals, and Nicolas Zbinden, who is a very experienced practitioner on the anti-doping side of the sports sector and is praised for his ‘unwavering judgement and integrity’. Jean-Pierre Morand is particularly well-versed in regulatory and commercial disputes as well as sport commercial contracts, and other key practitioners in the group include Andrea Fioravanti, Philippe Frésard, Massimiliano Maestretti, Stefano Perucchi, Jean-Philippe Rochat and Adam Taylor.

Considered ‘an exceptional firm that is highly regarded in the industry’, Lenz & Staehelin is entrusted by international federations, clubs and individual athletes and agents for assistance with a variety of sports issues, with a particular emphasis on the contentious side. The ‘exceptionally sharp’ Xavier Favre-Bulle, who is highly capable in relation to sports law, arbitration and litigation, and Stephan Erni, who demonstrates particular proficiencies in the remit of trade mark licensing and sponsorship agreements, co-helm the department. Lucien Masmejan is frequently active on sport organisation and structuring mandates. Other players to note in the group include Hikmat Maleh, Sevan Antreasyan, and Peter Ling.

The ‘very experienced, pragmatic and responsive’ András Gurovits and Thomas Hochstrasser jointly steer the sports offering at Niederer Kraft Frey AG, a team that is noted for its wealth of experience in sports-related commercial disputes, sanctions, doping issues and eligibility work, operating for a range of individuals and associations. Gurovits routinely advises sports governing bodies and athletes on an array of contentious and non-contentious work, while Hochstrasser is highly capable on the acquisitions side of the sports industry. Another key contact in the practice is Daniel Eisele, who is adept at managing a host of commercial sports mandates, from cross-border arbitration to media and marketing rights issues. Boris Vittoz is well-versed in international sports arbitration and crisis management.

Counting a variety of international bodies, actors and state governments among its key roster of clients, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan (Schweiz) GmbH fields a varied sports practice that spans the sectors of basketball, boxing, hockey and a range of others. The group is led by the ‘highly skilled’ Thomas Werlen, an experienced practitioner in relation to criminal investigations and a host of strategic sport-based mandates, and ‘great talent’ Remo Decurtins, who maintains a wide-ranging practice that encompasses media rights agreements, corporate governance and crisis management.

A strong presence in the litigation sphere, TIMES Attorneys retains a broad client roster that extends from international federations and sponsors to media companies and individual athletes; the team is capable of advising on a host of agreements, disputes and other sport mandates. Olivier Ducrey, whose considerable strengths lie in various sponsorship, licence and labour agreements, and Mirjam Koller-Trunz, who is a solid choice for sport players, sponsors and federations, are the practice heads. Stephan Netzle left the firm.

VISCHER leverages its multi-faceted expertise across the football, e-sports and TV arenas, with issues of sports betting, marketing and broadcasting rights being staples within the firm’s day-to-day operations. The ‘business-savvy’ Moritz Jäggy, who is equipped to handle football, investments and media rights, and Robert Bernet, who deploys his skills in corporate and venture capital issues to act for sizeable sport organisations, jointly spearhead the practice. Rolf Auf Der Maur acts for a plethora of TV and online platform clients in relation to marketing and media rights issues, while Christian Oetiker demonstrates prowess on the disputes side.

Able to draw upon its international office network, CMS von Erlach Partners Ltd. handles a litany of sports mandates, varying from anti-doping and negligence issues to contractual and employment disputes. The practice is co-led by Pierre Ducret and Philipp Dickenmann; the former enjoys extensive experience in the arbitration sphere, while the latter is regularly entrusted by sports clubs and retail manufacturers for litigation and arbitration issues. Olivier Carrard is also highly experienced in the disputes realm and frequently handles matters for global scale clients.

Helmed by Jean Marguerat and Peter Schramm, MLL Legal works with a wide variety of football, cycling, beach volleyball and gymnastics clients across the spectrum of contentious and non-contentious sports mandates, such as contract negotiation and litigation. Marguerat excels on the disputes side, whereas Schramm bolsters the firm’s offering with his extensive expertise on the IP side of the sports sector. Dmitry A Pentsov and Urs Boller are also recommended.

The ‘extremely sharp, legally strong and extremely strategic’ Schellenberg Wittmer Ltd excels in handling sponsorship agreements, broadcasting rights and infrastructure issues for a variety of athletes and sports federations. Philippe Bärtsch, who acts for a panoply of clients in relation to international commercial and sports arbitration, and Christopher Boog, who acts for a myriad of sports officials, athletes and private entities with regard to a range of disciplinary, contractual and tort matters, lead the practice.

Regarded as an ‘excellent team’ with ‘great experience’, Archipel‘s multi-faceted practice is comprised of disciplinary issues, sports arbitration, anti-doping mandates and player transfers. The practice is steered by the ‘extremely knowledgeable’ and ‘very pragmatic’ Giulio Palermo, who is noted for his proficiencies in agency agreements, contractual issues and a plethora of other sports-based mandates. Palermo is also an arbitrator of the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The ‘extremely sharp, detailed-oriented and knowledgeable’ practice at Bonnard Lawson is headed by the ‘outstanding’ Fabrice Robert-Tissot, who employs his knowledge in arbitration, contracts and insolvency in the sport field to lead the team. The team holds a wealth of experience that encompasses image rights, arbitration and enforcement proceedings in the sport industry, routinely acting for clubs, players and coaches. Another name to note is Sumin Jo, who capitalises on her considerable experience working at UN agencies to assist clients with an array of international arbitration cases.

Often assisting a range of sport federations, agencies and sponsors, among others, Charles Russell Speechlys AG is noted for its core streams of work that are comprised of disciplinary disputes, regulatory issues and media mandates, among others. The practice is helmed by Benoît Pasquier, who possesses a wealth of experience in relation to commercial contracts, ethics proceedings and sport integrity issues, and experienced litigator Pierre Bydzovsky, who has been involved in the development of new rules within sport.

Able to draw upon its corporate, tax and finance teams, the ‘versatile’ Homburger routinely advises on cross-border issues and contractual and IP related issues within the sports industry. The group is headed up by former professional football player Stefan Blunschi, who handles sponsorship, advertising and governance work. Gregor Bühler and Georg Rauber leverage their extensive experience to routinely advise sports marketing companies and organisations.