For an overview of the wide range of legal and advisory services we provide to clients in the football industry around the world, please go to the What We Do page.
In the run up to and after implementation of the Regulations on Working with Intermediaries, we can advise intermediaries (whether licensed agents or previously unlicensed individuals), players and clubs on all aspects of the new regulations, including:
- Representation Contracts – advising on all relevant issues, from ensuring that licensed agents’ existing representation contracts will continue to apply once the new Regulations come into force, to drafting new representation contracts that satisfy the requirements of the Regulations.
- Registration and disclosure requirements – advising on players’, clubs’ and intermediaries’ obligations with regard to the registration of intermediaries and disclosure of financial information under the Regulations.
- Intermediary Declaration – advising on the obligations to which intermediaries are subject under the Intermediary Declaration.
- General obligations – advising intermediaries, players and clubs on their general obligations under the Regulations.
- National rules – advising intermediaries, players and clubs on compliance with domestic rules and regulations implemented by national associations before and after the introduction of FIFA’s Regulations, both in their ‘home’ country and other countries if relevant to player representation and/or transfers.
- Dispute resolution – advising players, clubs and intermediaries on all aspects of disputes in connection with player representation and transfers, from drafting appropriate dispute resolution clauses in representation contracts to representing clients in national / international legal proceedings.
- Opportunities, risks and best practice – our deep knowledge and understanding of the existing rules, the new Regulations and the player representation and transfer industry enables us to advise our clients on best practice under the Regulations. We advise intermediaries, agencies, players and clubs on the opportunities that the Regulations present, how such opportunities may be enhanced or reduced by national rules and regulations and how best to structure representation arrangements, as well as the risks and pitfalls that exist under the Regulations.
We can also advise national associations on the domestic rules and regulations they seek to implement, including:
- identifying the national association’s aims and desired outcome and exploring with it the potential scope of national rules;
- advising on the different options open to national associations in light of FIFA’s Regulations and the pros and cons of different levels or forms of regulation;
- drafting the national regulations and associated documentation;
- advising on the implementation, monitoring and enforcement of national regulations; and
- advising on educating the players, clubs and intermediaries affected by the regulations at a national level with a view to promoting awareness and understanding of, and compliance with, the national rules (for an overview of our experience in this regard, see our Tuition page).
If you’d like to find out more about us, please visit the Couchmans LLP website at www.couchmansllp.com. If you’d like to get in touch, please go to the Contact Us page.