This elite group, comprised of experts in the field, personally nominates all invitees and develops the Agenda, which forms the basis of our discussions.
Forum Overview
Dates: January 10 - 12, 2027
Location: Surrey, United Kingdom
The Steering Committee welcomes up to 46 preeminent private practice sports lawyers who represent the interests of athletes, teams, leagues, associations, governing bodies, sponsors and broadcasters to explore common concerns, exchange ideas and resolve challenges faced on behalf of these clients.
Using candid, seminar-style discussion, the group identifies trends and developments in their varied jurisdictions for meaningful dialogue on the most interesting and provocative issues of the day.
2027 Steering Committee
Committee Co-Chairs
Committee Members
A Partner at Mourre Gutiérrez Chessa (MGC Arbitration), Hervé Le Lay is an attorney at the Paris bar (France) with 15 years of practice, acting both as counsel and arbitrator in international commercial and sports disputes. Hervé Le Lay is an arbitrator of the Court of Arbitrator for Sports since 2019. He has been involved in some 30 CAS arbitrations as president of the panel, sole arbitrator, co-arbitrator or ad hoc clerk. He has experience with a broad spectrum of matters including anti-doping, agent contracts, transfer agreements, employment, elections in federations, football specific regulations (FIFA RSTP, UEFA Financial Fair Play, FIFA DRC, FIFA Regulations governing admission of new association members, FIFA rules on third party ownership, etc.). Hervé also acts as counsel or arbitrator in commercial disputes related to the sports industry (TV rights, licensing agreements, M&A, etc.) before CAS (ordinary proceedings) and non-specialized institutions and jurisdictions such as the ICC. He is a seasoned commercial disputes practitioner. He acted as arbitrator or counsel in numerous arbitrations under the rules of major arbitration institutions (ICC, LCIA, SCC, UNCITRAL, etc.), in disputes relating to media, construction, M&A, energy, international sales, insurance-reinsurance, mining, shareholders disputes, etc. under a variety of applicable laws and seats of arbitration. He is a member of the ICC’s French Committee list of arbitrators, the panel of AIAC arbitrators and the panel of BVI IAC arbitrators. Hervé also litigates before French national courts in commercial and civil disputes, judicial expert proceedings and enforcement proceedings. A French national, Hervé has lived in Brazil, Panama, Turkey, Canada, Switzerland and Belgium. He speaks and works in English, French and Spanish and has a basic knowledge of Portuguese.
Elle Nikou Madalin is a commercial, corporations and media law specialist with particular expertise in all aspects of sports law and sports industry matters as an advocate, arbitrator, and independent investigator.
Over more than a decade in practice, Elle's clients have included governing bodies, sporting clubs, individual athletes and athlete unions across a wide array of disciplines. Her outcome-driven approach is uniquely informed by real-world experience within sporting organisations and as a sportsperson; and a rare blend of legal expertise in cases spanning all categories of sporting disputes including contract, employment, competition and consumer law, doping, selection, discipline and misconduct.
Elle is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators; an arbitrator for the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Football and General Lists); the Deputy Chair of Football Australia's National Dispute Resolution Chamber; a member of the AFLPA's panel of arbitrators; and has presided over dozens of ad hoc tribunals. She was formerly a national selection panel Chair for the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, and the secretary of the Victorian Bar's Sports Law Section. She holds a Bachelor of Laws and Masters of Law (with First Class Honours) from the University of Melbourne.
Forum Director
Miruna is the Manager of Venues and Client Experience at Cambridge Executive Connections (CEC), a subsidiary of Cambridge Forums, Inc. As a driven and results-oriented professional, Miruna has gained invaluable experience in all aspects of event management. Prior to joining Cambridge Forums in 2018, she was the Marketing and Sales Coordinator at Ainsworth Inc. where she supported the national sales team, managed customer relations and coordinated corporate events and trade shows. In Miruna’s current role, she manages relationships with venues and focuses on organizing Forums that deliver a personalized, valuable client experience.
Varugis is the President of Cambridge Executive Connections (CEC), a subsidiary of Cambridge Forums Inc. Since 2003, Varugis has held sales, production and management roles at three global conference and business information providers. Prior to joining Cambridge Forums in 2015, he was the Director of Conference Development at Insight Information, the Canadian subsidiary of ALM Media, LLC. In 2019, CEC was established as a specialised provider of sophisticated learning and networking experiences for private clients, family offices, institutional investors, and corporate leaders. Along with the flagship Forums, CEC builds Communities for members to engage and develop meaningful connections with their peers globally. As President, Varugis is responsible for the overall strategy, growth, and delivery of all services under the CEC banner.
Emma is Senior Forum Director and Financial Services Lead at Cambridge Executive Connections (CEC), a subsidiary of Cambridge Forums, Inc. Naturally curious and a lifelong learner, Emma has developed and managed a variety of meetings in both the profit and non-profit sectors. Before joining Cambridge, Emma was Assistant Vice President, Global Marketing at State Street in Canada, where she spent close to two decades of her career, offering her a great depth of knowledge and understanding of the financial and investment sectors. In Emma’s current role, she leads CEC’s Financial Services portfolio, including programs for institutional investors, banking, private funds, risk, and governance professionals.
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