You may be an athlete, a member of a sporting club or a parent concerned about an issue in the sporting industry.

We are passionate about sport and understand the legal needs of athletes, members of sporting teams, clubs and other participants within the industry.

Our sport law team has a comprehensive understanding of the application of law to your needs in sport with particular expertise in member protection, equality and integrity issues.

Employment law issues in sport include employment contracts, and terms and restraint of trade clauses, including transfer, draft and salary cap rules. We can also provide advice on termination and redundancies.

Discrimination and equal opportunity are hot topics across the sporting sector. We can assist you in asserting your rights in relation to discrimination centred on disability, race, religion, gender and age. We advise locally and nationally on gender discrimination and pregnancy issues. You can also be represented in cases of harassment, bullying and vilification.

What are your rights in relation to defamation and privacy? In the ever evolving area of online defamation, we are abreast of the current issues and can assert your rights around defamatory comments in all forms of media.

You may be concerned about injury and consequential problems as the result of participating in a sport. Our team can review both on-field and off-field incidents and provide tailored advice. We have a particular expertise in the evolving debate about concussion and liability.

Liability for injuries in sport varies by state or territory. It may include possible claims under insurance or workers compensation. The issues involved in personal injury can cover risk management; negligence by leagues, clubs and athletes; intentional and negligent actions; pre-existing injuries; liability of venues, such as gyms and fitness centres; and the duty of care owed by the coach, manager or team doctor.

Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) is a flexible, time-efficient and cost-efficient mechanism that helps parties in sports disputes to come to practical and satisfactory solutions. Parties can choose a mediator, arbitrator or expert with specific expertise in sports law, intellectual property (IP) and dispute resolution.

A Member Protection Policy (MPP) is designed to enable a sport or associated organisation to deal with all the off-field occurrences that are not able to be dealt with under the on-field procedures. Most MPPs deal with things such as child protection, taking images of children, discrimination, intimate relationships involving people in positions of power or authority, pregnancy and gender identity, responsible consumption of alcohol, smoke-free environments, bullying (including cyber bullying) and social networking: all issues that are relevant to the day-to-day operations of sporting organisations.

The role of an elite athlete involves balancing their rights with the responsibilities that come with competing at an elite level. We can provide advice relating to:

  • media and imaging rights
  • sponsorship deals
  • privacy and publicity rights
  • discipline issues – such as bringing a sport into disrepute.

We can support you in resolving a wide range of sport-related disputes, including issues related to:

  • employment and the workplace
  • discrimination, defamation or harassment
  • member protection policies (MPPs).

We can represent you at disciplinary tribunals and appeals at any court or tribunal, including the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Our team is renowned for its expertise in the area of sports integrity and is at the forefront of providing advice and solutions in this complicated field of sports law.  We can advise you on all drug and anti-doping issues, including anti-doping rule violations.

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