Sports lawyers
An athlete is also a brand. It needs protecting.
INFLUXIO is an independent law firm protecting athletes' image, sponsorship deals, accounts and reputation, and advising them on their contracts and sports disputes.
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What does a sports lawyer do?
A sports lawyer secures an athlete's contracts (employment contract, mandate, sponsorship, image rights) and defends them in disputes: early termination, disciplinary sanctions, federation appeals or arbitration before the Court of Arbitration for Sport. INFLUXIO also handles what traditional sports firms leave aside: the athlete's brand, personal sponsors, social media accounts and online reputation.
Our services
How we can help you.
Practical examples
Early termination of a professional player's contract
A club wanted to end a player's contract mid-season, citing a drop in performance. As this is not one of the grounds the law allows for ending a fixed-term contract early, the firm challenged the termination and opened negotiations. A settlement covering the remaining salary was obtained, together with a joint statement that protected the player's career.
Challenging a federation disciplinary sanction
An athlete had been suspended by her federation's disciplinary committee without access to the full case file. The firm raised the breach of the rights of the defence before the federation's appeal body, then prepared the conciliation stage. The sanction was reduced and the athlete was able to compete the following season.
Sponsorship, social media and an athlete's image
A sportswear brand kept posting an athlete's photographs on its social media and in its campaigns several months after the sponsorship agreement had ended, although he had just signed with a competitor. The firm sent a formal notice based on image rights and on the terms of the expired agreement. The posts were withdrawn and the new agreement was completed with a clearly defined exit clause and period of use.
Commission dispute with a sports agent
An agent claimed a commission on a player's transfer although his written mandate had expired before the negotiations began. The firm showed that no mandate was in force under the requirements of the French Sports Code. The agent dropped his claim and the player entrusted his next negotiations to a lawyer acting as his representative.
Client reviews
4.9/5 on GoogleWhat our clients say about us.
“Great responsiveness from all team members, with solutions found quickly and efficiently.”
Christ C.
“We entrusted INFLUXIO with a complex case. Their technical expertise, strategic vision and the quality of their legal briefs were decisive.”
Mia-Line C.
“We particularly appreciated the firm's professionalism, responsiveness and ability to defend our interests with conviction, while remaining measured and factual.”
The News A.
“I contacted this firm when launching my influencer marketing agency. Very satisfied with the quality of the work, the responsiveness and the quality of the exchanges.”
Alex E.
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The athlete, a brand to protect.
For many athletes, image income exceeds salary or prize money. Image rights allow control over the use of name, voice and likeness.
French law also allows a club to conclude with the professional athlete it employs a separate contract for the commercial exploitation of their image, name or voice, paid as a royalty distinct from salary, under the conditions set by the sport's collective agreement (Article L222-2-10-1). A trademark filing protects a name, nickname, signature or recognisable celebration.
Ambassador, sponsorship and kit supplier agreements.
Exclusivity, territory, consideration, performance clauses, morality clauses and post-term rights: each clause affects the athlete's freedom and future partnerships.
Personal sponsors versus club partners.
A personal kit supplier may clash with that of the club, the league or the national team. We check that contracts are compatible before signing and negotiate the exceptions needed.
Parasitic exploitation.
A brand that trades on an athlete's fame without a contract, through a visual, a lookalike or an obvious allusion, can receive a formal notice and then face action based on image rights and parasitic exploitation.
Social media and partnerships.
Sponsored posts by athletes in France fall under the law of 9 June 2023 on commercial influence. Our practice in influencer contracts applies directly to athletes, who must also follow their federation's and club's rules.
Crisis, harassment and online reputation.
A defeat, a red card or a statement can trigger thousands of abusive messages within hours. We act against online harassment: preserving evidence, reporting to platforms, criminal complaints and requests to identify authors.
We protect athletes' online reputation against false or disparaging content and the publication of private information without consent.
Hacked or suspended official accounts.
An athlete's account carries their sponsorship deals. We handle the recovery of Instagram and TikTok accounts or a YouTube channel through a reinstatement request letter to the platform.
Press and privacy.
Stolen photographs, revelations about health or family, transfer rumours presented as facts: privacy law and the right of reply allow swift action.
Sports agent or lawyer acting as representative?
In France, the activity of sports agent is regulated by Articles L222-7 et seq. of the French Sports Code: a licence issued by the relevant federation, a written contract and a fee capped at 10% of the value of the contract concluded.
A French lawyer may also represent an athlete, a coach or a club without an agent's licence (Article 6 ter of the Law of 31 December 1971). The mandate sets the lawyer's fees, which may not exceed 10% of the value of the contract, including in total where several lawyers or a sports agent are involved, and the lawyer may only be paid by the client (Article 10 of the same law). The lawyer combines negotiation and legal advice under professional secrecy.
Advice for the whole career.
Paid only by the client, a lawyer acting as representative has no financial tie to the club or brand on the other side. The advice covers contract length, consistent sponsors, the brand and life after sport, with fees set out in advance.
Commission disputes.
No written contract, an excessive commission, conflicting mandates or an unlicensed intermediary may call the agent's fee into question.
The disciplines we work with.
Our practice is aimed first at athletes whose career rests on their name as much as on their club.
- ✓Combat sports (MMA, boxing): promotional agreements with organisations such as the UFC or the PFL, number of bouts, exclusivity, extensions, image rights and permitted sponsors.
- ✓Olympic athletes and individual sports (tennis, swimming, athletics, board sports): personal sponsors, federation and Olympic committee rules, image contracts.
- ✓Hybrid formats: competitions such as the Kings League, content on Twitch and YouTube, links with esports.
- ✓Clubs, organisers and brands: partnerships, media rights, ambush marketing.
Professional athlete contracts in France: a specific fixed-term contract.
The contract of salaried professional athletes and coaches is a specific fixed-term contract which, save for exceptions set out in the texts, may not be shorter than one season nor longer than five years (Articles L222-2 to L222-2-8 of the French Sports Code). It may in principle only end early in the cases provided by law: mutual agreement, serious misconduct, force majeure or unfitness certified by the occupational doctor.
Unlawful termination by the employer gives rise to damages at least equal to the pay remaining due until the end of the contract (Articles L1243-1 and L1243-4 of the French Labour Code). International federation rules, such as FIFA's transfer regulations, may also apply.
Disciplinary sanctions: what remedies?
Federations hold disciplinary power over their members, subject to the rights of the defence: access to the file, notice, assistance by a lawyer and a reasoned decision.
In France, where a dispute arises from a decision taken by an approved federation in the exercise of public authority powers or under its statutes, conciliation before the French National Olympic and Sports Committee is mandatory before any court action, except in doping matters (Article L141-4 of the French Sports Code and Article R141-5). It must be requested within fifteen days of notification or publication of the challenged decision (Article R141-15). For an individual sanction, the appointment of the conciliator suspends its enforcement, unless the president of the conciliators' panel lifts the suspension for acts of violence (Article R141-6).
Court of Arbitration for Sport and anti-doping.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport, seated in Lausanne, decides many international disputes: transfers, contracts, decisions of international federations and doping. Under its code, the time limit for an appeal is in principle 21 days from receipt of the challenged decision, unless the federation concerned sets a different deadline.
In France, the French Anti-Doping Agency conducts testing and proceedings; sanctions are imposed by its sanctions committee, subject to review by the Conseil d'État. Betting and match-fixing are covered on our gambling law page.
Organisers and events: media and commercial rights.
In France, federations and organisers own the exploitation rights in the events they organise (Article L333-1 of the French Sports Code), including the right to consent to betting on those competitions (Article L333-1-1). We draft partnership and broadcasting agreements and act against parasitic exploitation and ambush marketing.
Why choose INFLUXIO?
Sports law firms handle the contract and the dispute. We also handle what surrounds them: the brand, the sponsors, the accounts, the reputation. Our firm brings together contract law, intellectual property, influence and action against platforms.
We work in English and French, with fees set out before any work begins, as shown on our fees page. To discuss your situation, use the contact form.
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
It depends on the matter: a fixed fee for a contract review or negotiation, hourly or staged fixed fees for a dispute. You receive a quote before any work begins.
Never pay a ransom. Never send us your password or login codes. Keep the evidence, warn your sponsors if fraudulent posts are circulating, then submit a reinstatement request to the platform. We prepare that request and first check whether the case is viable.
It depends on your employment contract, the collective agreement, league regulations and the clauses of your sponsorship deals. We check that they are compatible before signing and negotiate the exceptions needed.
It is often worthwhile if you plan a product line, collaborations or a strong commercial presence. Registration protects your name, nickname or a distinctive sign against unauthorised use in the classes chosen.
Yes. We review the term, number of bouts, exclusivity, extension clauses, assignment of image rights and permitted sponsors, then explain what each clause means before you sign.
Largely, yes. In France, a lawyer needs no agent's licence to represent an athlete or a club and negotiate their contract, within the rules of the profession. The lawyer's fees are capped at 10% of the value of the contract and may only be paid by the client. The lawyer also provides legal advice under professional secrecy.
In France, a sports agent's fee may not exceed 10% of the value of the contract concluded between the athlete and the club. The mandate must be in writing and the agent must hold a licence issued by the relevant federation. For a minor's contract, no fee may be paid to the agent or representative (Article L222-5 of the French Sports Code).
First check the internal appeals set out in your federation's rules and their deadlines. In France, conciliation before the National Olympic and Sports Committee is required before any court action against a federation decision, except in doping matters. It must be requested within fifteen days of notification and, in principle, suspends enforcement of an individual sanction: act without delay.
CAS has jurisdiction when a clause or a federation's statutes provide for it, often in international disputes. The appeal deadline is in principle 21 days from receipt of the decision, unless the federation concerned sets a different deadline.
Yes. A minor's contracts require the involvement of their legal representatives.
In France, no fee may be paid to an agent or representative for concluding a minor's contract, even if the minor comes of age during the contract (Article L222-5 of the French Sports Code). For children aged sixteen and under in compulsory schooling, part of their sports income is deposited with the Caisse des dépôts et consignations until they come of age. We advise families and training centres.
Many sports careers and disputes run through European leagues, federations and CAS in Lausanne. An independent firm used to European contract, image rights and data protection rules, and to disputes with platforms, can defend your interests alone, with no ties to a club, an agency or a brand.
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In short
INFLUXIO is a law firm specialized in sports, based in Paris. Image and athlete brand, sponsorship, online reputation, hacked accounts, contracts, sanctions and CAS. Reply in 24h. More than 800 clients have already trusted INFLUXIO.
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Written and reviewed by
Partner · Head of Artists & athletes
Admitted to the Paris and Brussels Bars and co-founding partner of INFLUXIO, Maître Alexandre BIGOT-JOLY trained in media law, intellectual property and criminal law. Recognised as one of the leading figures in French music law, he advises independent labels and majors, publishers, producers, managers and recording artists, has spent more than a decade working with content creators, influencer agencies and advertisers, and advises athletes, clubs and brands on sports law. He lectures on music and communications law at CELSA, ISCOM and ESP.
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