Lucas Ferrer de Robles

His experience in the sports field encompasses, in the broadest possible way, all kinds of contentious and non-contentious matters, at the national and, above all, international level. He regularly advises clubs, agents and athletes on transfer operations, and contracts pertaining to labor, image rights commercialization, intermediation, and sponsorship, among others, as well as on disciplinary, doping and regulatory compliance issues. Lucas also represents these clients in sports federation proceedings and arbitrations before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS-CAS), a court in which he also served as counsel for more than 4 years and in which he participated in more than 400 international arbitration proceedings. One of the more important specializations in his practice is the handling of complex procedural matters of a sporting nature, especially multijurisdictional conflicts, either directing or coordinating the clients’ defenses across the various jurisdictions involved in the dispute or representing clients in any of them.

He also provides his services to international federations and leagues in, among others, regulatory, contractual, disciplinary, and audiovisual rights matters, and defends the interests of said entities in all types of proceedings before sports courts. Furthermore, he represents various stakeholders in the sports industry in legal proceedings before the Spanish courts and in national and international commercial arbitrations concerning sports matters.

On the other hand, Lucas has extensive experience in resolving disputes of a sporting nature, as an arbitrator or member of dispute resolution chambers for sports entities. He is an arbitrator for Sport Resolutions, the EBDRC Board (Euroleague Dispute Resolution Chamber) and a member of the World Athletics Disciplinary Court. He has also participated as an arbitrator in the 35th edition of the America’s Cup (sailing) and in the ad hoc chambers of the 2021 Rugby League World Cup and the 2022 Billie Jean King Cup (tennis).

Also of note is his work as author, editor, and coordinator in several important written works in the sports sector, as well as his time as a teacher and director in some of the most relevant sports law academic programs worldwide.

Lucas has been recognized for his work by legal directories such as Chambers & Partners, Who's Who Legal, and Best Lawyers.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Law, Universitat Pompeu Fabra

• LL.M. Honoris Causa in International Sports Law, Instituto Superior de Derecho y Economia 

Teaching Engagements

Lucas teaches in various master’s degree programs and specialized courses, such as the FIFA Diploma in Sports Law, the UEFA Football Legal Program, the Master’s in Sports Law at the Escuela Universitaria Real Madrid-Universidad Europea, the Master’s in Law Applied to Professional Football at LaLiga, the International Sports Law Program at SSBM in Geneva, Switzerland, and the International Sports Law Masters at ESADE.

Publications

• "Estudio y análisis de la normativa FIFA relativa a la protección de los menores de edad", in CRESPO, D., Derecho deportivo: ordenamiento nacional e internacional del fútbol. Editorial Estudio, 2024.

• CAS 2022/A/8592 USD Lavagnese 1919 v. FIFA. Football Legal, issue. 19 (2023).

• Actualidad derecho deportivo 2023. TEROL GÓMEZ, R., FERRER, L. (coord.), et alia. Tirant lo Blanch, 2023.

• "La legitimación «ad causam» en el TAS", in BELLVER, R., PÉREZ TRIVIÑO, J.L., et alia, El arbitraje en el TAS. Funcionamiento, procedimiento y cuestiones prácticas más relevantes. Aranzadi, 2021. 

• "Cuestiones relevantes en el derecho deportivo internacional", in ORTEGA BURGOS, E., GARCÍA CABA, M.Á., FERRER, L., et alia, Derecho deportivo 2021. Tirant lo Blanch, 2021.

• "Responsabilidad objetiva de los clubes de fútbol por conductas de sus aficionados: regulación deportiva internacional y aproximación práctica a través de la jurisprudencia en la materia", in Revista Aranzadi de Derecho de Deporte y Entretenimiento, issue 67 (2020).

• "Understanding the FIFA rules on International transfer and first registrations of minors", in European Sports Law and Policy Bulletin, issue I-2020.

• Actualidad derecho deportivo 2020. TEROL GÓMEZ, R., FERRER, L. (coord.), et alia. Tirant lo Blanch, 2020.

• "Conflictos de ley aplicable en materia contractual futbolística: apuntes sobre su tratamiento en la jurisprudencia del Tribunal Arbitral du Sport (TAS)", in Revista Aranzadi de Derecho de Deporte y Entretenimiento, issue 63 (2019).

• "The LAMPTEY case: A decision without Precedents", in Football Legal, issue 9 (2018).

• "17 Years of Article 17 RSTP: An Overview", in Football Legal, issue 4 (2018).

• "Spain", in The Chambers Global Sport Law 2018.

• "The truth about the sanctions imposed on Atlético de Madrid: a thorough analysis about the legal aspects of the sanctions and conduct of the Spanish Club", in Football legal (2017).

• "Spain", in CAVALIERO, M., COLUCCI, M., et alia, Disciplinary procedures in football: an international and comparative analysis. Sports Law and Policy Centre, [2017].

• "El acceso de disputas al Tribunal Arbitral du Sport (TAS): algunos apuntes sobre problemas y patologías de jurisdicción", in Revista Aranzadi de Derecho de Deporte y Entretenimiento, issue 57 (October-December 2017).

• "El caso FC Barcelona y la protección de los menores de acuerdo con el Reglamento FIFA sobre el Estatuto y las transferencias de jugadores", in Direito do Trabalho e Desporto, vol. II, Quartier Latin (2015).

• "Practical anlaysis of Article 64 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code", in World Sports Law Report, vol. 14, issue 2 (2016).

• "Applicable law in Sport-related Disputes and the influence of Swiss Law", in Football Legal, 2015.

• "Spanish Football: A patient receiving treatment", in World sports law report: the monthly journals for sports regulation, 2015.

• "El concurso ya no sirve de excusa ante la FIFA: un breve análisis del laudo del TAS 2854. UC Sampdoria v. Club San Lorenzo de Almagro and FIFA", in Revista Aranzadi de derecho de deporte y entretenimiento, issue 41 (2013).

Presentations and conferences

• International Seminar on Sports Law. Universitas Fundación (October 2023)

• Congress on Football Agents. Federación Venezolana de Fútbol (Caracas, September 2023)

• "Clubes y deportistas: temas contractuales". XVII Congreso de la Asociación Española de Derecho Deportivo (AEDD, Barcelona, November 2022).

• "La legislación antidopaje: intereses en conflicto. La defensa del deporte y los deportistas". Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo (Santander, Spain) (September 2022).

• "TPO, transferencia de menores y nueva reglamentación sobre agentes". Congreso Internacional de Derecho del Fútbol, Cámara de Comercio de Cali (Colombia) (March 2020).

• Ponencia sobre los aspectos legales de los traspasos de jugadores menores, centrado en los casos del Real Madrid, FC Barcelona y Atlético de Madrid. Congreso Internacional en Derecho de Fútbol (Ciudad del Fútbol, 2017).

• "The differences between European and American sports systems". University of Portland (2017).

• Mesa Redonda y Presentación sobre el TAS y la jurisprudencia reciente. 42ª conferencia de la Sports Lawyers Association (SLA) (Los Ángeles, 2016).

• "Protection of minors within FIFA regulations". Player's Contract. Player’s Contract (London, 2016).

• "The history of TAS and its recent decisions". 41st Conference of the Sports Lawyer Association (Baltimore, 2015).

• "Media rights in Spanish football". Player's Contract (London, 2015).

• "What a party should know when being engaged in a football related matter". 5th Congress CAS & FSA/SAV (Lausanne, 2014).

• "The TAS and its procedures". New York University Arbitration Association (IAA) (New York, 2011).

• "El TAS y su jurisprudencia". Real Federación Española de Fútbol (Madrid, 2011).

• "El TAS y su historia". Segunda Reunión Anual del Fútbol Mexicano (2010).

• "El TAS y su funcionamiento". Congreso de Derecho Deportivo de la AEDD (Madrid, 2010). 

• "El TAS y su jurisprudencia". Sesión de derecho. Barra de Abogados (Ciudad de Mexico 2009).

• "International Sports Arbitration". Sports Law Development Congress (Damamm, Arabia Saudí, 2010).

• "El TAS y sus procedimientos". Curso Arbitraje Deportivo River Plate (Buenos Aires, 2009).

• "Arbitraje deportivo internacional y a la jurisprudencia del TAS". Seminario de Direito Desportivo (Porto Alegre, Brasil, 2009).

• Talk and round table. Jornada de Arbitraje Deportivo. (Madrid, Club Español de Arbitraje, 2009).

• Speaker. Rule of Sports Law and Olympic Games Congress. Shangai Sports Federation (Shangai, 2008).

• Speaker. Congress IASL (México, 2007).