Sports & Entertainment
The sports and entertainment sector in Switzerland is a vibrant and diverse industry that has a worldwide reach and caters to a wide range of interests and passions. Switzerland is home to the headquarters of more than half of the governing bodies of global sporting organisations, including the International Olympic Committee, FIFA, UEFA and IIHF. It is also a hub for dispute resolutions bodies of sports federations, including the International Court of Arbitration for Sport. Many of largest and important media, sponsoring, marketing, hospitality, ticketing, sports events organisation agreements for global sports events are governed by Swiss law.
During the last three decades, NKF has had a unique role in the area of sports law. NKF was at the legal forefront in relation to the worldwide commercialisation of many of the largest and most prominent global sports events. In addition, NKF was also involved in sports law legislation processes in four different countries on three continents.
NKF’s demonstrated cross-practice track record advising large international sporting associations and world-class athletes keeps the NKF team at the top of the legal sports game with the necessary up to the mark experience to help clients realise strategic, long-term and immediate success. NKF has over the last decades been retained by clients in relation to many of the largest commercial agreements of global sports regarding media, marketing, ticketing and hospitality rights. We know that our clients in the competitive world of sports need speed, efficiency and results-oriented legal advice.
As sports club board members, sports arbitrators, fans and former professional players, the NKF sports team maintains close knowledge of the sports market and regulation so as to give our clients the best possible legal and commercial advice.
NKF has also a proven track record of advising global sports organisations, top athletes and international sports personalities on global tax planning and optimisation as well as on contractual relationships with the goal of structuring each relationship in the most tax efficient manner. NKF also boasts extensive experience in delivering expert legal advice to sports associations on matters such as the organisation of major sporting events (including hosting agreements, stadia agreements, host city agreements, security arrangements, etc.), or the exploitation of all types of media rights (including Free TV, Pay TV, Pay-per-View), sponsorship, marketing and merchandising rights and other commercial rights.
Our NKF Art team advises individuals, foundations and associations in relation to extensive art collections and art trading, inheritance, insurance and taxation of art. We represent owners of art and art traders on customs and VAT and we advise on ownership structures and loans secured by works of art.
Experience:
- Counsel to Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) on various legal matters, e.g. in relation to television, sponsorship, media, ticketing, hospitality, hosting and licensing agreements, contractual, corporate, association law
- Swiss counsel to Sportradar, the world’s leading provider of sports data intelligence and sport entertainment solutions, on various legal matters, including
- its landmark 10-year global partnership with the National Hockey League (NHL)
- its long-term global partnership with National Basketball Association (NBA)
- its successful IPO and trading on the Nasdaq with a total market capitalisation of approximately USD 8 billion
- its acquisition of Synergy Sports
- Advising Ironman Group in relation to the world’s ultimate trail-running circuit UTMB World Series’ expansion in the UK, Corsica and Switzerland
- Advisor to Swiss national football player and entrepreneur David Degen on the acquisition of a majority of shares in FC Basel Holding AG
- Advising the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the world governing body in ice-hockey, in matters relating to the protection of intellectual property, exploitation of media rights as well as compliance issues
- Advising to the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation (SIHF) in various compliance and judiciary matters, in particular, the adaptation of the judiciary system and data protection compliance
- Advising Grasshopper Football Ltd, which is the legal entity organising professional football within Grasshopper Club Zurich, on a variety of matters, including corporate, governance, employment, transfer of players, regulatory and litigation
- Advising Stadtcasino Baden on its acquisition of a majority stake in Casinò Locarno
- Advising on the founding of an art gallery in Switzerland
- Global lead tax advisor for one of the world’s largest sports events