Sports

Ogier is the leading sports law firm in Ireland. Our legal experience acting for sports governing bodies is unparalleled in Ireland - we have acted for more than 35 national governing bodies (NGBs), including the Olympic Federation of Ireland, Paralympics Ireland, the Gaelic Athletic Association, the Football Association of Ireland, Swim Ireland, Tennis Ireland, Cycling Ireland, Gymnastics Ireland, Triathlon Ireland, Irish Sailing Association and Motorsport Ireland. We also advise clients in women's sports, acting for the Ladies Gaelic Football Association of Ireland, the Camogie Association and other women's sporting bodies. Ogier strongly supports the goal that women's sports should enjoy the same opportunities and equality for all participants. 

We also act for a wide variety of clubs, athletes and commercial stakeholders and have been the official legal partner to the Federation of Irish Sport (FIS), the representative body of national governing bodies for sport in Ireland, for more than 13 years.  

We have acted for our sports clients in The Court of Arbitration for Sport, domestic arbitral bodies, the High Court in a variety of disputes including anti-doping, selection disputes, prosecuting off/on pitch infractions, challenges to internal decisions and commercial disputes. In non-contentious sports work we are typically instructed on commercial and sponsorship contracts, constitutions, disciplinary rules, governance, land acquisition and sale, licensing agreements, merchandising contracts, sports integrity rules, social media policy and data protection issues. 

We work with many sports bodies looking to introduce change to their organisations, for example overseeing the transformation of many NGBs from amateur to professionally run, which has enabled the right people to get involved and correct governance. This in turn has led to increased participation and commercial interest as well as on-field success.  

Sports services

• Anti-doping
• Constitution, Rules and Policy Reform
• Crisis response
• Cyber attacks 
• Data Protection
• Dispute Resolution
• Employment
• Equality
• General meeting oversight
• Governance
• Property
• Safeguarding
• Selection and participation agreements
• Sports hearings & arbitration (including SDSI, DRA & CAS)
• Sports technology
• Trademark and Intellectual Property law

Recent experience

• Advised NGB in respect of sanctioning major sports event with over 2000 competitors
• Acting for NGB in judicial review proceedings against the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage
• Advising various NGBs and athletes in nomination/selection disputes for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games
• Acting for an NGB in conducting an equality review pursuant to the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014
• Acting for NGB before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)
• Acting for numerous NGBs and clubs in conducting a review and overhaul of complaints and disciplinary procedures
• Advising an NGB in an intellectual property dispute over an historic sporting event
• Advising a football rightsholder on copyright enforcement in respect of illegal streaming
• Acting for a golf club at SDSI arbitration
• Advising an NGB in respect of a jurisdiction dispute with its international federation