Our clients

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Defending athletes

Who do we represent? Sports players since 1973

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Amateurs and Professionals
Since its creation in 1973, Cabinet Bertrand has been assisting players in the sporting world with their most complex legal issues. Our positioning is clear: we primarily defend athletes, players, coaches, technical, medical & administrative staff, or amateur clubs against sports institutions, federations and professional leagues.
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All sporting disciplines
From amateur athletes to top-level professionals, from regional club coaches to international technical staff, from club administrative employees to training directors, from junior agents to senior representatives, we put our exclusive expertise in sports law at the service of those who bring sport to life on a daily basis. All sporting disciplines, all levels, all issues.
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Supporting you
Identify your profile below to find out how we can help you with your sports law issues.
 
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Athletes & Sportsmen : Our core business

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Sports Professionals

Who do we represent?
  • Team sports: Football, Basketball, Rugby, Handball, Volleyball, Hockey,...
  • Individual sports: Tennis, Golf, Cycling, Skating, Motorsports, etc.
  • Status: CDD sports, professional contracts, all categories (Ligue 1/2, Pro D2, Jeep Elite, Pro B, etc.)
Bodies we represent
  • Professional leagues (LFP, LNR, LNB, LNH)
  • National federations (FFF, FFR, FFBB, FFT, etc.)
  • International bodies (FIFA, UEFA, FIBA, World Rugby, ITF, ITA, ITIA)
  • Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) - Lausanne
  • AFLD (French Anti-Doping Agency)
  • Industrial tribunals (first instance and appeal)
  • Judicial tribunals and appeal courts
Your legal issues
  • ✅ Employment contracts: Negotiating, drafting and reviewing clauses
  • ✅ Unpaid wages and bonuses: Recovery, industrial tribunal proceedings
  • ✅ Transfers and transfers: Litigation, compensation, international certificates (CTI)
  • ✅ Disciplinary sanctions: Suspensions, fines, striking off, bans
  • ✅ Doping: positive tests, AFLD/AMA procedures, CAS appeals
  • ✅ Image rights and sponsorship: Image contracts, partner disputes
  • ✅ Breach of contract: Gross negligence, just cause, unfair dismissal
My club hasn't paid me for 2 months. What can I do?
There are several remedies available to you. First of all, send the club formal notice. If the situation remains unresolved, you can take your case to the Labour Court (Conseil de prud'hommes) under an emergency procedure (référé) to obtain immediate payment. Depending on the circumstances, the contract may be terminated at the club's sole expense, with damages. We can assist you throughout the procedure.
Please note that depending on the case(sport, level, territory), you may also be able to refer the matter to a national or international sports commission(for example, for a L1/L2 soccer player, the LFP's Legal Committee, or for a French player abroad, the Dispute Resolution Chamber of the FIFA Football Tribunal).
I've been suspended by the Disciplinary Committee. Can I appeal?
Yes, you can. Any decision by a federal or league disciplinary committee can be appealed to the appeal committee of the body concerned, then possibly to the CNOSF (compulsory prior conciliation procedure) and finally to the Administrative Court. Deadlines for appeals are strict. We intervene as soon as the sanction is notified to analyze the possibilities of appeal and prepare your defense.
My transfer has been blocked by my current club. What can I do?
The abusive blocking of a transfer can constitute an obstacle to the freedom to work. Depending on your contractual situation (fixed-term contract at the end of the contract, excessive transfer compensation, abusive clause), several remedies are possible: proceedings before the federal regulatory committee, referral to the FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) for international transfers, or action before the industrial tribunal. We analyze your contract and the circumstances to define the most effective strategy.
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Individual Athletes & High-Level Sports

Who do we represent?
  • Disciplines: Tennis, Athletics, Cycling, Swimming, Equestrian Sports, Combat Sports (Boxing, Judo, MMA), Golf, Skiing, Skating, Gymnastics, ...
  • Levels: International circuits, Olympic preparation, developing athletes, etc.
Bodies we work with
  • International federations (ATP, WTA, UCI, IAAF, FEI, FIG, etc.)
  • National federations (FFT, FFA, FFC, FFE, FFSG, etc.)
  • Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) - Lausanne
  • AFLD, WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency)
  • Specialized anti-doping bodies (ITA, ITIA)
  • Judicial tribunals (contractual disputes, liability)
Your legal issues
  • ✅ Sponsoring and partnerships: Negotiation, termination, exclusivity
  • ✅ Image rights: protection, exploitation, infringement
  • ✅ Disciplinary sanctions: National and international federations
  • ✅ Doping: controls, TUEs (Therapeutic Use Exemptions), procedures
  • ✅ Disputes with agents and managers: Commissions, breach of mandate
  • ✅ Disputes with federations: Selections, participations, regulations
  • ✅ Accidents and liability: Compensation, insurance disputes
How can I protect my image rights as an athlete?
Your image rights are a major commercial asset. We can help you set up an image company, negotiate sponsorship contracts with appropriate exclusivity clauses, and protect your image from unauthorized use.
In the event of infringement or misuse, we take the necessary legal action to stop the use and obtain compensation.
I've tested positive for doping. How can I defend myself?
A positive test does not automatically mean a sanction. There are several possible defenses: accidental contamination, authorized substance (TUE wrongly granted), laboratory error, procedural error.
We immediately analyze your case, contest the test methodology if necessary, and represent you before the AFLD in the first instance, then on appeal before the Conseil d'Etat or CAS. Timing is critical: contact us as soon as you are notified of the test.
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Amateur athletes and young people in training

Who do we represent?
  • Levels: Regional, departmental, national competitions
  • Categories: Youth (minors), hopefuls, amateurs in all categories
  • Disciplines: All (Football, Rugby, Basketball, Tennis, Handball, Athletics, etc.)
Bodies we appear before
  • Federal and regional commissions (disciplinary, regulatory)
  • Regional leagues and departmental districts
  • CNOSF (compulsory prior conciliation for certain disputes)
  • Courts of law (civil liability, accidents)
  • Administrative courts (appeals against federal decisions)
Your legal issues
  • ✅ Disciplinary sanctions: violence, unsportsmanlike behavior, suspensions
  • ✅ Transfers and licenses: blockages, refusals, inter-club disputes
  • ✅ Disputes with amateur clubs: Training allowances, U-21 commitments
  • ✅ Protection of minors: Contracts, exploitation, education rights
  • ✅ S ports accidents: Club liability, compensation
  • ✅ Federal disputes: contesting regional/departmental decisions
My 16-year-old son has been suspended for 6 months after a fight on the pitch. Can he be challenged?
Yes, any disciplinary sanction can be contested, especially if it seems disproportionate or if the procedure did not respect the rights of defense. We analyze the disciplinary file, check that the adversarial procedure has been respected, and prepare an appeal to the federal appeals commission. If necessary, we refer the matter to the CNOSF or the administrative courts. The protection of minors requires reinforced procedural guarantees, which we assert.
What should I do if my amateur club opposes my transfer?
Abusive opposition to your transfer constitutes a sporting obstacle and a breach of regulations. We analyze the reasons put forward by the club (training allowance, debt, etc.) and defend your interests before the appropriate sports commissions.
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Sports Professionals & Unions: A long-standing & strategic client base

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Coaches, Technical, Medical & Administrative Staff

Who do we represent?
  • Coaches: Head and assistant coaches, all sports, all levels (professional and amateur)
  • Trainers: Physical, mental, technical
  • Medical staff: Sports doctors, physiotherapists, osteopaths
  • Administrative staff: sports, administrative, financial or communication managers for clubs, federations and leagues.
Bodies in which we intervene
  • Industrial tribunals (salary disputes, termination of employment)
  • Federal and league disciplinary commissions
  • Judicial tribunals (civil liability)
  • CNOSF (conciliation and arbitration)
Your legal issues
  • ✅ Employment contracts: Negotiation and drafting of fixed-term and permanent contracts, specific clauses (targets, bonuses)
  • ✅ Dismissals: Wrongful dismissal, contested serious misconduct, sports results
  • ✅ Unpaid wages and bonuses: Recovery, urgent industrial tribunal proceedings
  • ✅ Disciplinary sanctions: Practice bans, suspensions
  • ✅ Professional liability: Involvement in accidents, results
  • ✅ Breach of contract: Resignation, judicial termination, settlement
My club wants to fire me for "insufficient results". Is this legal?
Back in the 70s, Cabinet BERTRAND obtained rulings reminding us that a trainer does not have an obligation of result, he only has an obligation of means. The club cannot therefore terminate the trainer's employment contract on the sole grounds of insufficient results.
We analyze your situation, the objectives set and the resources allocated to determine whether the dismissal is unfounded and, if so, take industrial action for dismissal without real and serious cause (permanent contract) or unfair early termination (fixed-term contract).
I'm a member of the medical staff and my fixed-term contract has been terminated or not renewed. What can I do about this?
First of all, you need to analyze the reasons for the termination or non-renewal. In the event of non-renewal, a legal analysis of your contractual situation will be carried out to determine whether your contract can be reclassified as a permanent contract. We study the circumstances of the termination, the duration of your successive fixed-term contracts, and the conditions of employment to determine the best litigation strategy before the Conseil des prud'hommes.
Do you defend all types of coaches and technical staff, whether professional or amateur?
Absolutely. Defending coaches and technical staff has been one of our core businesses since 1973.
We support head coaches in Ligue 1 as well as educators in departmental clubs, technical assistants as well as physical trainers. Whether you're a professional employee (CDI, CDD sportif) or a volunteer coach, we understand the specifics of each status.
Our historical expertise in this field has enabled us to obtain seminal rulings, notably on the trainer's obligation of means (and not of result), case law that we continue to uphold to protect our clients against unfair dismissal.
Do you represent the administrative staff of sports organizations (clubs, federations, leagues)?
Yes, we represent the administrative staff of sports organizations (sports management, administration, finance, communication) in their disputes with their employer: dismissals, breach of contract, unpaid wages, harassment, reclassification of fixed-term contracts. These employees, although not sportsmen and women, are an integral part of the sports ecosystem and fall within the scope of our expertise in sports employment law.
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Sports Unions & Professional Organizations

Who do we represent?
  • Professional players' unions: UNFP
  • Trainers' unions: UNECATEF
  • Jockey associations: AgJ
Our support
  • ✅ Collective bargaining: collective agreements, branch agreements
  • ✅ Collective defense of members: Group actions, class actions
  • ✅ Legal and regulatory advice: Legislative developments, impact on members
  • ✅ Institutional representation: relations with leagues, federations, ministries
  • ✅ Individual litigation on behalf of members: Representation mandates
  • ✅ So cial protection: Social schemes, pensions, provident schemes
Why do trade unions choose us?
Cabinet Bertrand has maintained close relations with sports unions since its creation.
Jacques Bertrand is co-founder of the UNFP (Union Nationale des Footballeurs Professionnels) and the FIFPRO.
Maître Jean-Jacques BERTRAND helped draft the first UNFP and UNECATEF statutes, as well as the first Professional Football Charter.
This historical proximity enables us to understand the collective stakes and to intervene effectively to defend the interests of organized sportsmen and women.
Can a union represent a player before the authorities?
Yes, a union can mandate a lawyer to represent one of its members in an individual dispute (disciplinary procedure, contractual dispute, etc.). This is a common practice, and enables legal costs to be shared. Cabinet Bertrand regularly acts on behalf of trade unions to defend member players, trainers or jockeys.
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Sports agents

Who do we represent?
  • International sports agents: FIFA agents
  • Agents in the process of obtaining a license: Assistance with administrative procedures
  • Agents in dispute with other agents: Professional disputes not involving our regular clients
Our specific support
✅ Administrative procedures and authorizations:
  • Temporary authorizations to operate on French territory: We regularly work with the French Football Federation (FFF) to obtain temporary authorizations for international (European) agents wishing to operate in France.
  • Obtaining and renewing FIFA agent licenses
  • Regulatory compliance (declarations, legal obligations)
✅ Legal and tax structuring:
  • Company formation
  • Choice of optimal legal status (SASU, SARL, etc.)
  • Tax optimization of the business
  • RGPD compliance and customer data protection
✅ Inter-agent disputes:
  • Disputes over commission sharing between agents
  • Customer disputes and player misappropriation
  • Breach of partnership between agents
  • Condition: No conflict of interest with our regular customers (players, trainers)
✅ Advice and prevention:
  • Drafting and review of representation contracts
  • Contract negotiation advice
  • Support for federal & FIFA audits
What we generally do NOT do for agents
  • Litigation agents vs. players/coaches → We represent athletes
  • Defending agents in disciplinary proceedings involving our clients
Can I consult you if I am an agent and have a dispute with a player I represent?
In such cases, Cabinet Bertrand's priority is to represent the player. We cannot assist you in a dispute with an athlete or trainer. On the other hand, if your dispute concerns another agent, a club, or a request for administrative authorization, we can study your case provided there is no conflict of interest with our usual clients.
I'm an international agent and I'd like to obtain a temporary authorization to work in France. Can you help me?
Yes, we regularly intervene with the French Football Federation (FFF) to obtain temporary authorization for international (European) agents to work in France. We put together your file, manage exchanges with the FFF and follow up until the authorization is obtained.
📌 OUR POSITIONING
When it comes to litigation, Cabinet Bertrand mainly represents players and coaches in their disputes with sports agents. We also support sports agents (particularly international ones) in their administrative procedures, applications for FFF temporary practice authorizations, inter-agent disputes (without conflict of interest), and legal structuring of their business.
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Referees &Officials

Who do we represent?
  • Professional and amateur referees (all disciplines)
  • Technical officials (judges, timekeepers, stewards)
Our support
✅ Administrative and disciplinary appeals:
  • Challenges to non-renewal of referee licenses
  • Disputes over designations
  • Contested category upgrading or downgrading procedures
  • Federal disciplinary sanctions
  • Unjustified or disproportionate suspensions
Bodies concerned
  • Federal and league commissions (discipline, arbitration)
  • Administrative courts (appeals against federal decisions)
  • Correctional courts (for assaults)
📌 OUR POSITIONING
Cabinet Bertrand mainly represents athletes and coaches in disputes involving arbitration decisions or arbitrators' responsibilities.We can, however, assist arbitrators in their appeals AGAINST sports authorities.
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Clubs & Associations : Support for amateur sports organizations

OUR POSITION ON PROFESSIONAL CLUBS
Cabinet Bertrand mainly represents athletes, trainers and staff AGAINST professional clubs in salary, disciplinary and contractual disputes.Exception: We act on behalf of professional clubs only in international disputes (FIFA, UEFA, CAS) concerning transfers, training compensation and solidarity in inter-club disputes or against a Federation, provided they do not involve our regular clients.
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Amateur Clubs & Sports Associations

Who do we represent?
  • Amateur clubs: regional, departmental, all disciplines
  • Local sports associations: neighborhood clubs, school/university clubs
  • Multi-sport structures: Multi-sport associations
Bodies we represent
  • Federal and regional commissions (disciplinary, regulatory, financial)
  • CNOSF (conciliation and arbitration)
  • Administrative courts (appeals against sporting decisions)
  • Judicial courts (civil and commercial disputes)
Your legal issues
  • ✅ Federal litigation: sporting sanctions, administrative relegations, DNCG or DNACG files, points withdrawn
  • ✅ Administrative disputes: Appeals against decisions by regional leagues, CNOSF
  • ✅ Civil and commercial litigation: Disputes with service providers, sponsors, partners
  • ✅ Associative governance: Articles of association, general meetings, elections, internal disputes
  • ✅ Disputes with members: Members, volunteers, managers
  • ✅ Subsidies and public funding: Refusal, withdrawal, controls
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International Inter-Club Disputes

Who do we represent?
  • Amateur clubs: Regional, departmental, all disciplines
  • Local sports associations: neighborhood clubs, school/university clubs
  • Multi-sport structures: Multi-sport associations
Bodies we represent
  • FIFA (Dispute Resolution Chamber - DRC, Players' Status Chamber - PSC)
  • UEFA (disciplinary and financial bodies)
  • FIBA (Basketball Arbitral Tribunal - BAT)
  • Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) - Lausanne
Issues covered
  • ✅ Transfer compensation: FIFA disputes between buying and selling clubs
  • ✅ Training and solidarity compensation: Claims by training clubs
  • ✅ UEFA disputes: Financial Fair-Play, European sanctions (clubs)
  • ✅ International inter-club disputes: poaching, regulatory disputes
  • ✅ Claims before international bodies: FIFA DRC, PSC, CAS
📌 OUR POSITIONING
For international disputes before FIFA, UEFA, FIBA or CAS, Cabinet Bertrand can represent professional clubs, as long as the dispute concerns inter-club relations or against international bodies and does not involve our usual clients (athletes, coaches, technical and medical staff members).
 
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Talk to our lawyers

In-office consultation in Paris or by videoconference

By videoconference: Free 15-minute first appointment
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FAQ : Our customers

Can I consult you if I don't yet know which category I fall into?
Yes, you can. During our free 15-minute consultation, we work together to identify your profile, your issues and the remedies available to you. This initial analysis will enable us to direct you to the right authorities and propose an appropriate strategy.
Do you represent minors (athletes under 18)?
Yes, we regularly represent under-age athletes, particularly in disciplinary proceedings, training disputes or challenges to sanctions. Representing minors requires reinforced procedural guarantees, which we systematically apply. Parents or legal representatives are involved at every stage.
Do you act for professional clubs?
We only act for professional clubs in international disputes before FIFA, UEFA or CAS, when the dispute concerns inter-club relations (transfer compensation, training, solidarity) and does not involve our usual clients (athletes, coaches, technical & medical staff). For national salary or disciplinary disputes, we mainly represent athletes and trainers.
Can I consult you if my case involves several issues (e.g. unpaid wages + disciplinary sanction)?
Yes, it's quite common. Many cases involve several issues at once (salary dispute + disciplinary sanction, transfer dispute + doping, etc.). Our cross-disciplinary expertise in sports law enables us to manage all aspects of your case simultaneously, and to adopt a coherent legal strategy before the various authorities.
Do you represent foreign clients (non-French athletes)?
Yes, we regularly represent foreign athletes and trainers, notably in proceedings before the CAS in Lausanne, FIFA, UEFA or the French courts. Our international network of correspondents enables us to intervene effectively in transnational disputes. We communicate in French and English.
Can I call on you for straightforward, non-contentious advice?
Yes, absolutely. A large part of our business consists of advising our clients before litigation: negotiating contracts, proofreading clauses, legal audits, career strategies, business structuring, and so on. Anticipating problems can often avoid costly and time-consuming litigation.
How do I decide whether to contact you or my union?
The two approaches are complementary. Your union (UNFP, FIFPRO, PROVALE, UNECATEF, FNASS, UNCP, AFCC, ProSmash, SNB, AJP Handball, etc.) can guide you, inform you of your rights and, if necessary, appoint a lawyer to represent you. Cabinet Bertrand maintains close relations with sports unions and regularly acts on their behalf. You can contact us directly or go through your union: both approaches are possible.