Our team has represented clients in major sports arbitration proceedings, as well as in connection with anti-doping violations. The RGD team members have represented athletes, and have been appointed as arbitrators, on numerous disputes regarding anti-doping violations, civil and labour matters between athletes and clubs as well as civil law disputes between clubs and sports leagues. Such disputes have been handled by RGD lawyers in the following sports: athletics, triathlon, hockey, tennis, powerlifting, swimming and rowing. Our team also participated in drawing up the Model Law On Professional Sports for the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the CIS. Members of our team advised clients in the following landmark disputes*:

• Representing an international sports non-governmental organisation in numerous matters, including multi-million disputes in Russian courts over ownership of the Olympic centre and hotel in Sochi

• Representing the Russian Chess Federation in a dispute with the Organising Committee of the 2014 World Chess Olympiad in Tromsø, Norway, in connection with non-admission of the Russian women’s team. As a result, the Russian team was admitted to compete and received official apologies from the organisers

• Representing former FC Lokomotiv head coach Leonid Stanslavovich Kuchuk with respect to unlawful dismissal from the Club. The RFU Players’ Status Committee ruled that the dismissal was illegal and awarded compensation to the coach. Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in 2016 upheld the RFU Players’ Status Committee’s decision and stated that the Club unlawfully dismissed the coach and owes a compensation to the latter

• Representing several former FC Tyumen football players with respect to non-payment of the bonuses to the players which had left the club. The players’ claims were granted by the RFU Players’ Status Committee and Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)

• Representing FC Arsenal (Tula) in several disputes with former football players heard by the RFU Players’ Status Committee

• Representing famous Russian hockey player in a dispute with the International Ice Hockey Federation in connection with the application of a disciplinary measure against him based on accusations of doping. The dispute ended with the conclusion of a settlement, ratified by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, on terms favourable for the athlete. In particular, it allowed him to promptly return to playing professional hockey

• Representing Russian national and international athletes in anti-doping cases in the course of the results management procedure and at the hearings before the Disciplinary Anti-doping Committee (DAC) of RUSADA, the disciplinary panels of international federations and before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne. As a result, it was possible to prove the absence of a violation, or to eliminate or reduce the sanction on appeal.

• Challenging acts and statutory documents of national and international federations that infringed on the athletes’ rights or discriminated athletes.

• Advising the Russian Judo Federation on specific issues

• Advising an Olympic champion, multiple world rowing champion, on sponsorship contracts

  
  *This includes experience of our team members prior to joining RGD.