Charles Hollander QC’s Sports Law CV

Recommended by Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500 for sports law.

Charles has long been known as having a particular expertise in sports litigation. He has appeared in a large number of sports cases, appearing in the High Court, in disciplinary tribunals, arbitration, and before the Court of Arbitration In Sport. He has chaired disciplinary and doping tribunals in athletics, football, yachting swimming and weightlifting. He has also been Chairman of the Bar Sports Law Group.

Charles was involved in the Greek Athletes case before CAS (leading Greek athletes alleged to have faked motorbike accident to avoid drugs test) and two sets of litigation against West Ham FC in relation to the Carlos Tevez transfer. Attheraces involved the High Court finding that the British Horseracing Board was guilty of excessive pricing in breach of Article 82 in relation to data rights after a four week trial, a decision subsequently reversed by the Court of Appeal. In Adidas the Claimants argued that the application by the tennis Grand Slam Committee of the dress code to the three stripes logo was discriminatory and in breach of both Art 81 and 82. In BAGS the issue in a seven week trial earlier in 2008 was whether exclusive licence agreements for picture rights from racecourses involved price fixing and were in breach of art 81. Charles argued the Digicel v West Indies Cricket Board arbitration in relation to the Stanford 20/20 cricket tournament.

Cases include:

Athletics

  • IAAF v Kenteris and Thanou (Greek athletes case before CAS)
  • IAAF v Katrina Krabbe (drugs)
  • IAAF v Linford Christie (drugs)
  • BOA v Whitlock (Chaired drugs panel)

Football

  • Colchester United v Norwich City (FA commission-tapping up manager)
  • MSI/ Just Sports v West Ham (Ch Div-Carlos Tevez)
  • Joorabchian v West Ham (Ch Div)
  • FA v Arsene Wenger (Chair)
  • Wimbledon FC v Football League (Chair-Wimbledon move to Milton Keynes)
  • Sunderland FC v Uruguay Montevideo FC (QBD)
  • Sports Management Services v Bolton Wanderers and Okocha (Manchester Merc court)
  • Southend FC v Rotherham FC (Arbitration)
  • Crystal Palace v Bradford City (Chair)

Horseracing

  • Bookmakers Afternoon Greyhound Services v Amrac (Turf TV-Article 81) (Ch D)
  • Attheraces v British Horseracing Board (Art 82 excess pricing- Ch D and CA)
  • Goodwood Racecourse v SIS (Ch D-pre race data)

Cricket

  • Digicel v West Indies Cricket Board (Arbitration-Stanford 20/20)
  • Stanford v Digicel (Comm ct-Stanford 20/20)
  • Kookaburra cricket bat (Ricky Ponting bat)

Boxing

  • Don King Productions v Frank Warren (partnership dispute)

Tennis

  • Adidas-Salomon v Draper (Article 81/82-dress code in grand slam events)

Rugby

  • Rotherham FC Enquiry (failure to win promotion)
  • Leeds Rhinos v Bradford Bulls and Iestyn Harris (rugby league-inducing breach of contract)

Polo

  • Pictet v Hurlingham Polo Assn (disciplinary proceedings)

Swimming

  • BOA v Mark Foster (Chair-non-selection for Olympic team)

Yachting

  • RYA v Johnston (Chair-drugs panel)

Other sports

  • Weightlifting (Chair- drugs panel)
  • Motor racing (logos, marketing disputes, Formula 1 disputes, lawfulness of cars)
  • Snooker (challenge to rules brought by Davis/Hearn)
  • Bobsleigh (Chaired appeal in relation to team selection for Vancover 2010)