Global Sports Lawyers storm Abuja for 2025 Football Law Annual Moot
One of Nigeria’s foremost sports lawyers, Pius C. Ndubuokwu, will lead a distinguished delegation of international sports solicitors to Abuja for the second edition of the Football Law Annual Moot
Global Sports Lawyers storm Abuja for 2025 Football Law Annual Moot
One of Nigeria’s foremost sports lawyers, Pius C. Ndubuokwu, will lead a distinguished delegation of international sports solicitors to Abuja for the second edition of the Football Law Annual Moot, scheduled to hold at SV Chrome.
The event—coming on the heels of a successful inaugural edition, also held in Abuja—will take place on December 5 and 6, 2025, with the theme: “The Role of International Arbitral Tribunals in Maintaining Contractual Stability in Football.”
It is expected to draw leading global experts in sports law for two days of intensive discussions, case simulations, and capacity building.
Among the high-profile participants is Ricardo De Buen, a respected arbitrator at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for 18 years. With over 31 years of experience in labour law and 28 years in international sports law, Ricardo brings a wealth of knowledge and will offer deep insights drawn from decades of adjudicating complex global sports disputes.
They will be joined by several renowned sports law practitioners, including:
Khayran Noor, Founding Director of Sports Legal and Chairperson of the East Africa Law Society Sports Law Committee;
Abdelrahman Hashish, a distinguished sports and commercial lawyer with an extensive track record in both national and international sports law;
Pauline Mbanza, an international sports lawyer who will present a paper titled “Examining Maternal Rights in Football”;
Islam Hisham, Founder of the Sports and Justice Law Firm in Egypt, alongside Shimaa El-Daly, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Sports & Justice FI in Cairo;
Okey Obi, Director of Legal and Compliance at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF);
Georgi Gradev, Partner at Sila Lawyers;
Eby Emenike, Founder of TBD Management.
Together, they form a formidable panel poised to guide participants through the latest FIFA regulations and the intricacies of presenting cases before international football adjudicatory bodies.
According to Pius C. Ndubuokwu, the Football Law Annual Moot is designed to expose young and aspiring sports lawyers to world-class expertise.
“This is a rare opportunity to learn first-hand from lawyers who have practiced at the highest levels of global sports law. Listening to them will be invaluable for young lawyers and for those considering a career in sports law. Most importantly, we are bringing this calibre of knowledge to Nigeria—meaning participants don’t have to travel abroad to access it. Given the quality of arbitrators and speakers coming, attendees are in for something truly explosive,” he said.
The two-day event is expected to deepen understanding of modern sports governance, highlight emerging legal trends, and strengthen Nigeria’s capacity in handling football-related disputes at the global stage.