Daniel Saoul
Sports Law
Dan has developed a reputation as a prominent player in the sports law arena. He is rated by both the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners as a leading junior in this field, and is described as a "rising star of the Sports Bar", “distinguishing himself through his personal involvement in the sector”.
A former rowing cox, with honours at the Rowing World Cup, Commonwealth Rowing Championships and Henley Royal Regatta to his name, he remains actively involved in the sport as the Secretary of Britain’s leading rowing club, Leander. He has also served on the executive body of British Rowing, the national governing body of the sport in the United Kingdom. He therefore has first-hand experience as a competitor, coach and administrator of the kinds of legal issues that arise in sport. In addition, he is on the arbitral panel of Sport Resolutions, the UK's leading sports dispute resolution body, and on the Lawn Tennis Association's disciplinary panel, giving him valuable judicial perspective, and is a director of the British Association for Sport and Law. His expertise in sports law was also recently recognised by his appointment to the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics Sports Advocacy Service.
Dan acts for sporting governing bodies, athletes, clubs and other entities in the full range of sports related cases, including relating to selection, doping, funding, governance, media concerns, disciplinary issues, child protection, sponsorship and other commercial matters. He will act as advocate, adviser or arbitrator in disputes and also takes instructions in non-contentious matters, such as constitutional or transactional advice and drafting. He has appeared before domestic and international tribunals at all levels, including the National Anti-Doping Appeal Panel and the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Examples of Dan’s work include:
- Acting for the Montenegrin Olympic Committee before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in the successful defence of a Montenegrin boxer’s right to participate in the London 2012 Olympic Games
- Acting for the International Canoe Federation in a successful appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport on an anti-doping matter
- Sitting as arbitrator on several Olympic Games selection disputes, including Aaron Cook’s well-publicised challenge to Sport Taekwondo UK’s refusal to select him (co-arbitrator) as well as an appeal to an Olympic selection decision taken by British Shooting (sole arbitrator)
- Being appointed Standing Counsel to the British Wrestling Association, the governing body for Olympic wrestling in the United Kingdom, with work arising including acting on challenges to national team selection decisions (both for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi as well as the London 2012 Olympic Games), advising on doping issues, governance disputes and press publication concerns, and also arguing a high profile appeal against a decision by the British Olympic Association relating to the participation of British wrestlers at London 2012
- Acting for a rugby league player in a landmark appeal to the National Anti-Doping Panel’s Appeal Tribunal following his suspension for methylhexaneamine use, getting a 2 year ban reduced to 6 months
- Advising British Taekwondo on its constitutional structure and re-writing relevant documentation
- Acting for a British champion professional boxer on a successful challenge to a ban imposed by the European Boxing Union
- Acting on myriad player-agent contractual issues in a number of sports, such as football, rugby and boxing, including, recently, appearing before the British Board of Boxing Control on a boxer – agent dispute