Sports Law
Because we care.
Tonucci & Partners With a long tradition of expertise and success we offer premium legal and tax services across the full breadth of business.
What you need defines who we are. We really care about people and their interests and we are conscious that competence, experience, understanding and reliability must be our commitment to clients and drive our success in assisting them. That’s what makes us the ideal partner for legal and tax solutions. We strive to ensure that our clients are constantly supported by a team of highly skilled professionals with extensive competence, experience and knowledge of the business industry and any related needs, who are dedicated to meeting the highest client expectations with practical and prompt solutions, while devoting high attention to detail. Your trust is our highest commitment.
TO SUPPORT YOU IS TO UNDERSTAND YOU. Our mission is to look beyond purely legal issues and help clients to meet the challenges of their continuously evolving businesses. We focus on strategic innovation and on creating an enduring added value for our clients. Our professionals are educated abroad and have international experience. We encourage a dynamic and flexible attitude in carrying out our services, focusing on both academic accuracy and a practical, problem solving approach.
A past which strengthens our future. Founded in Rome in the early nineties, Tonucci & Partners has achieved impressive results in Italy and abroad, being a pioneering foreign law firm in Eastern European areas. Since our establishment, we have focused on both transactional and litigation activities, providing domestic and cross-border perspective to our clients. Despite our success, we maintain our independence and are proud of our past. We ensure a qualified and affordable consultancy to a wide range of clients. Our long tradition of expertise ensures strong future prospects, and is strengthened by our investment in people, research and innovation.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING PRESENT. Our offices are located in Italy (Rome, Milan, Padua, Brescia, Florence and Prato), in Albania (Tirana), Romania (Bucharest) and Serbia (Belgrade). Through our local offices, we ensure day to day assistance to domestic and international clients, in both local and cross-border matters. We work closely with top law firms all around the world. When we say we are close to our client’s needs, we really mean it.
Sports Law
Introduction Tonucci & Partners is considered one of the most active Italian law firms in the sports and games law sector. Our Sports Law group is comprised of a large team of lawyers with extensive experience and a high profile in every sector of the sports industry. This allows us to provide continuous advice and support to domestic and international clients on sports regulations, media, sponsorship, disputes, IP, marketing, corporate and labor matters, and financial services relating to a wide range of legal and tax matters. Our industry-specific knowledge enables us to pursue our client’s objectives by focusing on successful, pragmatic strategies and remedies. Our primary aim is to help each client by focusing on its commercial goals, selecting a tailored approach for each case, and providing the most commercially advantageous solution.
Our expertise •
We are honored to have built a long-lasting valuable advisory relationship with the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) and other domestic and international sport federations.
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We have drafted constitutional documents, commercial rules and sporting regulations, including the Rules of National Sport Federation (FSN) and offer legal assistance on pursuing the best practice in compliance with the latest directives of the National Olympic Committee (CONI).
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We handle sport arbitration cases, including anti-doping procedures. Some of our professionals have also been appointed as sport judges.
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We advise on tailor-made solutions for structuring and managing sports associations, clubs and businesses.
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We provide premium support and advise on M&A transactions and other strategic transactions, carrying out focused due diligence processes, dealing with compliance issues and assisting with any contractual documentation.
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We provide highly specialized advice relating to any intellectual property and data protection matters, contracts and transactions (including merchandising, website implementation and administration, protection of on-line intellectual property rights, agreements with Internet Service Providers, etc.).
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We assist in setting up compliance programs (including pursuant to Italian Legislative Decree 231/01) and provide advice for pursuing compliance requirements (including assistance to unrecognized sport federations in joining the Italian National Olympic Committee).
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We partner with sport federations, local authorities and other entities in organizing and sponsoring meetings, conferences and sporting events. We provide advice and legal assistance to organizers of sporting events with respect to involvement of any outside parties (e.g. TV channels) and legal matters. Our track record includes the assistance in tournaments and championships of primary standing organized in Italy such as: a) b) c) d) e) f) g)
International Tennis Championships – Italian Open; Italian Golf Open Championships; FINA World Swimming Championship held in Rome; Six Nations Rugby Tournament; World Handball Championships; European Field Hockey Championships; Equestrian competitions of the CSIO Piazza di Siena in Rome.
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We assist in tenders and auctions processes (also for supplying of goods and/or services) operated by national sport federations and/or national and local authorities.
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We draft and advise on any sports related commercial and labor contracts (e.g. sponsorships, agreements by and between sport clubs, managers and athletes, contracts for sport facilities management, agreements between athletes and sport proxies, transfer agreement etc). On labor matters we also provide specific assistance with reference to immigration related legal issues (such as immigration procedures for extra-EU sports workers, etc.).
Our Track Record We have provided legal assistance a to:
Italian National Olympic Committee
Italian Tennis Federation
Italian Swimming Federation
International Swimming Federation
Italian Rugby Federation
Italian Federation of Equestrian Sport
Italian Golf Federation
Italian Handball Federation
Italian Gymnastics Federation
Italian Bowls Federation
Italian Federation of Judo Wrestling Karate Martial Arts
Focus on Football:
Infront Sport & Media AG • Advice and legal assistance to Infront Sports & Media AG and its Italian branch on its strategic advisory activities to Lega Nazionale Professionisti Serie A and Lega Nazionale Professionisti Serie B for the commercialization of the audiovisual rights related to the Serie A Championship, Serie B Championship, Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana to be sold at the domestic and international level. • Legal assistance in the proceeding started by the Italian Competition Authority in May 2015, in which it was alleged the existence of an agreement restricting competition in respect of the assignation’s proceedings of the Serie A Championship audiovisual rights for the sport seasons 2015/2016, 2016/2017 and 2017/2018. Year 2008 Status On going
Serie B League • Advice and legal assistance in the drawing up of the “Ethics Code”.
A.S S. Roma • Legal assistance a in the acquisitions of the Club lub on 2011. • Legal advisor on an ongoing basis concerning, inter alia: corporate and financial activities, commercial contracts (licensing, sponsorships, etc.), sports contracts, litigation on sports and commercial disputes, disputes and advice on IP, IT and data protection, with particular focus on new media marketing (social networks, networks, web communities). communities) • Legal assistance in the project of the new “Stadio Stadio della Roma Roma”. • Legal assistance in the assessment of an organizational, organization managerial and control model pursuant to Legislative Decree 231/2001 for sport justice and corporate activities. Year 2011 Status On going
Cagliari Calcio • Legal advisor on an ongoing basis concerning, inter alia: corporate and financial activities, commercial contracts (licensing, sponsorships, etc.), sports contracts, litigation of sports and commercial disputes and advice on IP, IT and
data protection, with particular focus on new media marketing (social networks, web communities). communities • Legal assistance assi in the project of the new stadium “Karalis “ Arena and in all administrative procedures and proceedings. Arena” proceedings • Legal assistance in the administrative and sport procedures of the stadium “Is “ Arenas” located in Quartu Sant’Elena (Cagliari). • Legal assistance on the new delegation agreement with the City Council of Cagliari for the use of the stadium “Sant’Elia”. “ • Legal assistance before the Courts and arbitrators (including sport arbitrators) in all the proceedings related to the activities of the Club. Year 2005 Status On going
Venezia Football Club • Legal assistance in the incorporation of the Club in 2015. • Legal advisor on an ongoing basis concerning, inter alia: corporate and financial activities, commercial contracts (licensing, sponsorships, etc.), sports contracts, litigation on sports and commercial disputes, disputes and advice on IP, IT and data protection, with particular focus on new media marketing (social networks, networks, web communities). communities) • Legal assistance (e.g. real estate, administrative law, corporate and financial structure of the deal) in relation to the
project of the new “Venezia Stadium” as well as to the realization of the new training center. • Legal assistance in the assessment of an organizational, managerial and control model pursuant to Legislative Decree 231/2001, for sport justice and corporate activities. Year 2015 Status On going
Leeds United Football Club • Legal advisor on an ongoing basis concerning, inter alia: corporate and financial activities, commercial contracts (licensing, sponsorships, etc.), sports contracts, litigation on sports and commercial disputes, and advice on IP, IT and data protection, with particular focus on new media marketing (social networks, web communities). • Assistance in the relationship with the UK Football Association. • Cooperation in the assistance in all sport arbitrations proceeding related to the Club, the directors and the players. Year 2014 Status On going
Frosinone Calcio • Legal assistance for the City Council of Frosinone to the tendering and contracting procedures related to the construction project management of the new stadium. Year 2015 Status On going
Foggia Calcio 1920 • Legal assistance in the acquisition of the Club on 2015. • Legal advisory on an ongoing basis concerning, inter alia: corporate and financial activities, commercial contracts (licensing, sponsorships, etc.), sports contracts, litigation on sports and commercial disputes and advice on IP, IT and data protection, with particular focus on new media marketing (social networks, networks, web communities). communities) • Legal assistance in the assessment of an organizational, organization managerial and control model pursuant to Legislative Decree 231/2001 for sport justice and corporate activities. Year 2015 Status On going
Bologna Football Club 1909 • Legal assistance assistance in the acquisitions of the Club. Club • Legal advisory on an ongoing basis concerning, inter alia: corporate and financial activities, commercial contracts (licensing, sponsorships, etc.), sports contracts, litigation on sports and commercial dispute and advice on IP, IT and data protection, with particular focus on new media marketing (social networks, web communities). communities) • Legal assistance in the assessment of an organizational, organization managerial and control model pursuant to Legislative Decree 231/2001 for sport justice and corporate activities. • Legal assistance of Covisoc’s and Coavisoc’s sports justices bodie bodies. • A Arbitration proceedings before the CONI Sports Arbitration Chamber Chamber. Year 20 2014 Status On going
U.S. Lecce • Legal assistance for sports justices bodies and take action under administrative law about failure to excluding for the “Serie A TIM Championship” concerning sports offences of
““Calciopoli Case”” against AC Milan, ACF Fiorentina and SS Lazio. Year 2006
Reggina Calcio • Legal assistance for sports justices bodies and take action under administrative law about failure to excluding for the “Serie A“ Championship regarding sports offences of “ “Calciopoli Case”. Year 2006
Our People Complementing the firm’s lawyers qualified in an overseas jurisdiction, most of the firm's Italian attorneys have undertaken post-graduate legal education and training abroad, particularly in the U.S. and U.K. and are able to work and correspond in English, while French, German, Spanish, Albanian, Romanian and Slovak are also used to transact business on a daily basis.
ITALY
ALBANIA
Rome Via Principessa Clotilde, 7 00196 (RM) T +39 06 36227.1 F +39 06 3235161 mail@tonucci.com
Tirana (Albania) Torre Drin - Rruga Abdi Toptani 1001 (TR) T +355 42 250711/12/14 F +355 42 250713 tirana@tonucci.com
Milan Via Borromei, 9 20123 (MI) T +39 02 85919.1 F +39 02 860468 milano@tonucci.com Padua Via Trieste, 31/A 35121 (PD) T +39 049 658655 F +39 049 8787993 padova@tonucci.com Florence Via Gustavo Modena, 21 50121 (FI) T +39 055 5048523 F +39 055 5532000 firenze@tonucci.com Brescia Corso Matteotti, 46 25122 (BS) T +39 030 2942095 F +39 030 2942095 brescia@tonucci.com Prato Via Giuseppe V, 8/A 59100 (PO) T +39 0574 29269 F +39 0574 604045 prato@tonucci.com
ROMANIA Bucharest Str. Academiei 39 - 41 Etaj 2, Birou 2.1, Sector 1 010013 (B) T +40 31 4254030/1/2 F +40 31 4254033 bucharest@tonucci.com
SERBIA Belgrade Bulevar Kralja Aleksandra 298a 11000 T +381 11 6149183 F +381 11 6149184 belgrado@tonucci.com