The Sports Law Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

The Sports Law Podcast returns! Join Nick De Marco KC as he presents recorded highlights from the 2025 Blackstone Chambers Competition in Sport Law Conference. 

Recorded at The Royal Society of Arts (RSA), this session featured Blackstone barristers Adam Lewis KC, James Segan KC, Ava Mayer, Ravi Mehta, Tom Coates, Tom Mountford along with Nick De Marco KC. 

During this session, the panel discussed where competition law in sport stands after a spate of important decisions before domestic arbitral and disciplinary Tribunals and in the EU courts, before considering where we may be heading including by reference to object infringements and justification, fora and the interplay between competition law and restraint of trade post Brexit.

To access the PowerPoint slides used at the seminar, please head to the Sports Law Podcast landing page on the Blackstone Chambers website and navigate to episode 14.

In episode 13 of the Sports Law Podcast, Nick De Marco KC is joined by 4 expert guests to explore 4 recent highly significant Competition Law cases in the world of sport.

Ravi Mehta, a prominent junior barrister from Blackstone Chambers with a strong competition law and sport practice, kicks off the podcast by sharing his insights on the European Super League case.

Professor Okeoghene Odudu, a Director of the Centre for European Legal Studies and lecturer in Competition Law at Cambridge University, delves into the Football Agents case in England against the FA and FIFA.

Natasha Simonsen, another leading junior barrister from Blackstone Chambers with a busy competition law practice, provides insights into the Royal Antwerp Case.

Kieron Beal KC, a leading silk in competition law and sport from Blackstone Chambers discusses the International Skating Union case.

The episode concludes with a riveting open discussion on some general competition law in sport issues.

In this, Episode 4 of the Sports Law Podcast, Nick will focus on one of the most significant and often controversial aspects of professional football, the role of the Football Agent. Together they will talk about what football agents do, some of the difficult legal issues that arise,  the new FIFA Regulations and the proposed cap on agents fees and what the future might hold for football agents. In closing, guests will explain how they ended up doing the fascinating work in football they do today. 

Special guests include: 

Jonathan Barnett, Sports Agent and Chairman, ICM Stellar  

Kelly Skeggs, Chief Operating Officer & General Counsel, Omnisports 

Dan Lowen, Partner & co-founder, Level Law 

In Part II of ‘Conversation with the Godfather’ Nick De Marco QC and Michael Beloff QC have a fascinating discussion about some of the most controversial and pressing issues in sports law and football in particular:

• What are the limits of judicial intervention in sport and how has this developed over the years?
• Has self-regulation of football failed, and do we need an independent statutory regulator?
• Will the courts now exercise judicial review over the football regulator and will special interest groups, like supporters associations, be able to intervene in proceedings?
• How does competition law and the law relating to the restraint of trade sit with a system in which some sports bodies have acted like cartels?
• What are the differences in being a sports advocate and an arbitrator?
• How does an arbitrator deal with apparent bias challenges, and how did Michael feel about Nick’s challenge to him in the recent Newcastle United case?
• Is there a need for greater transparency and more open justice in sports decisions?
• And why is sports law by far the most gratifying area of law to practise in?

Download and listen to this frank and insightful discussion between two of the key players in the law of sport in Episode 3 of the Sports Law Podcast.

In this episode, Nick De Marco QC welcomes the "Godfather of Sports Law", Michael Beloff QC, in a 2-part interview, In Conversation with the Godfather, to discuss sports law and Michael’s newly published memoir, MJBQC - A Life Within and Without the Law. In this episode, Michael shares his fascinating career as a barrister and arbitrator of sports disputes.

Special guests include:

Michael Beloff QC

This first episode of The Sports Law Podcast explores the existence and growth of Football Law. Host Nick De Marco QC speaks with leading personalities in sport to find out about their roles, how they came to work in the field and the key legal issues currently facing those working in football.

Special guests include:

Ben Mansford, Chief Executive Officer of Blackpool FC

Lloyd Thomas, General Counsel at Brighton & Hove Albion FC

Liz Coley, sports solicitor at Level Law  

Peter Limbert, General Counsel and in house lawyer at Fulham FC

Rebecca Todd, General Counsel and in house lawyer at Fulham FC

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Welcome to the twelfth episode of the Sports Law Podcast and our second recording at Wembley Stadium Campus. This episode is presented in collaboration with University Campus of Football Business (UCFB), its Global Institute of Sport (GIS), The Amsterdam Institute (AIAS), and the European Football Agents Association.

Join Nick De Marco KC as he moderates a further insightful discussion on the regulation of football agents and the practical considerations of FIFA's Agents Regulations in “An Industry on Fire: The search for effective agent regulation in the international transfer business”.

The expert panel of international lawyers and agents comprises:

Jan van Baal, Owner of JB Sports

Fahri Ecvet, COO at Global Football, Boxing and Rugby, Wasserman

Raffaele Rigitano, Vice President of AIACS

Bruno Satin, President of B&S Partners Football Consulting; Board member, EFAA

Kelly Skeggs, COO and General Counsel at OmniSports

Join Nick De Marco KC in a discussion on ‘Discrimination and Diversity in Sport’.

Welcome our expert panel as they discuss tackling discrimination, achieving gender equality, and building an atmosphere of inclusivity in sport from grassroots to elite levels.

Expert panel comprises:

• Jane Purdon is the director of Women in Football, Chair of the Professional Game Academy Audit Company and a newly-appointed member of Premiership Rugby’s Sporting Commission. She has recently authored The Homecoming: The Lionesses and Beyond.
• Sanjay Bhandari is Chair of Kick it Out, football’s equality and inclusion charity. In this role, he is a frequent public commentator and recognised thought leader on issues related to discrimination and equality.
• Tom Mountford is a barrister at Blackstone Chambers, ranked as one of the leading junior barristers in human rights. He also successful practises across a range of areas, including commercial litigation and employment.  

Join Nick De Marco KC in a discussion on Sport and the Metaverse.

Join Blackstone Chambers’ Nick De Marco KC, and our esteemed guests, where they venture into the captivating realm of 'Sport and the Metaverse'. In this episode, they’ll unravel the legal complexities that arise from these pioneering technological advancements, providing invaluable insights into the intersection of sports and the digital world. This promises to be an enlightening discussion.

Our expert panel comprises:

• Eitan Jankelewitz is an accomplished legal professional and the head of the Data department at Sheridans. With a focus on crypto, privacy, technology, and advertising, Eitan has established himself as a leading expert in these fields. Eitan's gained recognition early on when the Wall Street Journal featured him as 'Britain's Bitcoin Barrister' in 2014. His expertise in cryptocurrencies has been invaluable to clients seeking guidance in this rapidly evolving landscape. His areas of specialization include software licensing, supply of digital services, software as a service (SaaS), software development, online advertising, video games, cryptocurrency and blockchain, data protection, and e-privacy.
• Tom Grogan is an accomplished professional leading the Blockchain Group at Mishcon de Reya and serving as the CEO of MDRxTech, the technology consultancy within the Mishcon de Reya Group. With a background as a lawyer specializing in emerging technologies, particularly in the realm of sports, Tom has evolved into a seasoned expert in designing and developing software and technology strategies for major enterprises. As CEO of MDRxTech, Tom spearheads the organization's technological initiatives, leveraging his deep understanding of a broad range of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), blockchain, and other distributed ledger technologies (DLTs).
• James King serves as the General Counsel at the Professional Footballers Association (PFA). In this influential role, he tackles a diverse range of legal matters that impact professional football players, encompassing the breadth of legal issues within the football industry. With his wealth of experience and insight, James King contributes invaluable expertise to the PFA, ensuring the protection and representation of professional football players' legal rights and interests. Before joining the PFA, James held the position of Senior Legal Counsel for Football Operations at Arsenal FC and Employment Department and Sports Group at Mishcon de Reya.

Streaming now, the latest episode of Blackstone Chambers' The Sports Law Podcast with host, Nick De Marco KC, on Disciplinary Proceedings in Sport.

Join panellists as they dive into explaining what disciplinary proceedings are and how they differ from other legal proceedings, tips for preparing for a sports’ disciplinary proceedings, and what important developments we can expect to see in the future.

Our expert panel comprises:

• Catherine Beloff, is the Director of Legal, Governance and Business Partners at the British Horseracing Authority (BHA). Previously, in private practice, she was a senior member of DLA's Global Sports. Media and Entertainment Team. Catherine is also the Chair of the British Association for Sport and the Law (BASL)
• Geoff Cunningham is Head of Legal (Regulatory) at the Football League (or EFL). Before joining the EFL, Geoff was in private practice acting on many big sports disciplinary cases.
• Alistair McHenry, is the Head of Sport at Tyr.Law where he acts for governing bodies, clubs, players and athletes across regulatory, contractual, financial, disciplinary and selection issues. He is also a Sport Resolutions Arbitrator and a Director of BASL.
• James Segan KC is a leading silk at Blackstone Chambers. He acts in sports law matters both commercial and regulatory. James is often instructed in disciplinary hearings and has appeared for a number of different governing bodies including in football, rugby union, cricket and horse racing. He is recognised as a leading practitioner in the field by Chambers and Partners, Legal 500 and Who's Who Legal. He is co-editor of "Challenging Sports Governing Bodies", a contributor to "sport: Law and Practice" and to "Football and the Law".