Nilo Aguillar Effori

Effori Sports Law

London www.efforisl.com

nilo@efforisl.com Tel: +44 7860 600 222

Biography

Nilo specialises in international sports disputes and contractual matters. With more than 16 years of experience in this field, he has advised clubs, athletes, agents, intermediaries and international sports federations and has successfully represented his clients in disciplinary, regulatory, contractual and doping disputes mainly in proceedings before the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Nilo is also an arbitrator at the International Panel of Sports Resolutions UK.

What types of matters have you been advising clients on in the past year?

Regulatory proceedings never stop. Our firm has been very active, especially in football. An interesting case was a football association breaching its own rules, so we managed to overturn such action in favour of a football club.

How has the sports market evolved since you first started practising?

It was unthinkable when we started practising sports law that esport and regulation of NFTs would play such an important role nowadays. It’s is practically impossible not to add a commercial vision to sports law in order to understand where the world of sports is moving to.

What do you enjoy most about working for clients in a diverse range of sports? What challenges does this pose?

I think not only drafting contracts or claims but helping them to structure a deal with a commercial view is very important.

What motivated you to start your own firm?

I still do believe that a special personal relationship with a client is the most important part. Having a boutique firm specialised only in sports law allows you to avoid some bureaucracy and be faster and more efficient.

Are you noticing an increasing politicisation in sports? If so, how is Effori Sports Law navigating the challenges surrounding this?

Sports and politics walks together. There is no problem with that as long the principle of fairness and respect to the rules are followed, when sometimes personal interests take over and this is where we as lawyers must safeguard such principles.

How has your role as an arbitrator help with your people skills? What advice would you give to up-and-coming sports lawyers?

It helps to see the cases from many different perspectives. For the upcoming ones, don’t give up. It’s a small phrase but you can make it through with hard work.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

You’ve got to be persistent.

WWL says: Nilo Aguillar Effori has an “excellent” knowledge of sports law and is “very experienced in representing clients before the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS)”.