OUR PRACTICE
At AQUILAW, we understand the dynamic and competitive world of sports. Our sports law practice is designed to meet the legal, regulatory, and commercial needs of businesses involved in the sports ecosystem and all stakeholders such as athletes, teams, clubs, leagues and sports organizations.
Whether you are on the field or behind the scenes, we are here to protect your interests and help you win all the way.
Our Service Offerings
Transaction
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End-to-end transaction structuring, due diligence and advisory on investments in sports leagues, teams and franchises and drafting of transaction documents for such investments and acquisitions
Corporate and Tax Advisory
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Drafting, negotiating and finalizing sports contracts including endorsement agreements, franchise agreements, team management agreements and broadcasting right agreements etc
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Advisory on regulatory compliances, player transfers, disciplinary matters, licensing and club operations and compliances required by sports regulatory bodies
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Expertise in drafting and finalization of contracts with players, coaches and support staff including advisory on the tax structuring especially for overseas players
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Drafting high value commercial contracts with detailed tax structuring such as branding agreements, revenue share agreements, ticketing services agreements, sponsorship agreements etc. for marquee sports clientele
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Complete tax structuring and advise in relation to player contracts and transaction structuring
Litigation
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Litigation and disputes before the Supreme Court of India and High Courts relating to management of sports federation, selection of players, etc
Key Clients
Notable Deals
End-to-end transaction structuring, advisory and documentation for acquisition of sports teams, including (i) strategic investment in premier football clubs participating in football competitions conducted by AIFF; (ii) majority investment in entity operating a cricket team in celebrity cricket league; and (iii) investment in an entity operating a cricket team in the Bengal Pro T20 League.
Advised leading football clubs on various aspects including sponsorship agreements, acquisition and transfer of players, correspondence with AIFF etc.
Participated in the negotiation on behalf of an IPL team during final discussions with the sponsors, brands, national and overseas players for optimum tax compliance.
Filed a special leave petition before the Supreme Court aggrieved by the order of the High Court which held that the sports code is applicable to Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in its full measure despite the stand of the Union of India that it has not formulated guidelines with respect to the structure of IOA and for its internal functioning.
Represented an Arjuna Awardee, who was selected to represent India in Dressage event in the 2024 Paris Olympics. A writ petition was filed before Delhi High Court challenging the selection criteria laid down by the Equestrian Federation of India and the subsequent selection of our client, which was done as per the said selection criteria. We have successfully defended the selection of our client, and the writ petition was dismissed by the High Court.