Interview with a sports lawyer. Gregory Ioannidis

I am happy to present you the interview with a sports lawyer, the Course Leader of LLM International Sports Law in Practice of Sheffield Hallam University (Sheffield) and attorney at law – Gregory Ioannidis (LinkedIn).

– Hello, Gregory! I would like to thank you for this opportunity to ask you about your career in Sports Law. Could you tell me please about your background?

– Thank you for your kind invitation. I moved to Manchester, England, at a young age and when I finished school, I decided to study law, mainly because I wanted to help people. This was not the original plan, however, as a series of injuries have put a pre-mature end to a basketball career. Such injuries would not allow me to play basketball at a competitive level, so I decided to enroll on a law programme. I also studied business administration and sports law.

– Why did you choose especially Sports Law among all branches of law?

– There were several reasons, but the main one was my love for all sport. After graduation and further qualifications in law, I realised that this special branch of law is extremely interesting and important for all stakeholders in sport. The increased commercialization of sport has caused the simple social norm that applied to sport, to become a legal one and, therefore, created the need for a better understanding of these relationships in sport. I was fascinated by this branch of law and when I was studying law, we would witness several important decisions, such as the one in the Bosman case by the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

When I started practicing, I was fortunate enough to be instructed in some interesting and amazing cases, that were, at the same time, high profile. I also had by my side the late Edward Grayson who trained me extensively and supported me throughout my years as a young lawyer. Edward is considered to be the ‘father’ of sports law in the UK, and I owe him a debt I will never be able to repay.

Such high-profile cases, however, come with worldwide media exposure and it is very important for the lawyer to remain focus on the case and present his client’s case in the most effective and persuasive manner. My late father who was a sport journalist helped me considerably to deal with the Media over the years and I owe him everything I have achieved in my life.

I gained an expertise in anti-doping mainly through studying and practice and over the years, I have represented several sport personalities on allegations of anti-doping rule violations. I offer representation before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and other national disciplinary fora. I also deal with football law matters and, over the years, I have acted for many players and clubs from around the world. Some of them showed faith in my work and rewarded me with their trust for many years. I would not, however, call myself a football agent! Rather a lawyer, who deals with football stakeholders!

– Let’s talk about Sheffield Hallam University. How have you become the director of this program?

– I joined the University in 2014, after successfully leading the sports law department of an international law firm. I was offered some excellent conditions to develop a clinical sports law programme in an innovative and pioneering manner. We started the online delivery of the sprots law programme in September 2016 and as you could elicit our programme is delivered exclusively online by design, not Covid_19! I was also given the opportunity to share my experiences from my private practice and develop a mooting and negotiation culture within the department of Law & Criminology. We have had several national successes, with the pinnacle achieved in 2017 when we won the National Sports Law Negotiation Competition at Wembley in London.

– Could you tell me please the enrollment process to LLM International Sports Law?

– Applicants can join our programme either in September of each year (on a Full Time or Part time basis) or in January of each year (on a Part Time basis). The application can be submitted online here: LLM International Sports Law in Practice Distance learning 2021 | Sheffield Hallam University (shu.ac.uk) but we would encourage all applicants to get in touch with us for further information. The most important aspect of our course is that it is clinical, and it allows students to experience the practice of sports law with our constant supervision. Although our course is delivered online, we have weekly live online interactive sessions, and we train our students constantly in the effective representation of the client. We do not believe that the acquisition of knowledge and expertise could be achieved just with a few teaching sessions in a year and/or simple essays. We put the student first and we ensure that our teaching and learning techniques offer skills to the students that will transform their lives forever. We offer shadowing and mentoring opportunities, as well as placements. Some of the students have shared their experiences on how our programme has transformed their lives:

'I researched relevant, interesting topics and gained useful career skills' | Sheffield Hallam University (shu.ac.uk);

'I helped to develop a Rugby League training camp in South Africa' | Sheffield Hallam University (shu.ac.uk)

– Hence, our high ratings of student satisfaction in sports law.

– Which books (films) exist in your must-read (watch) list related to sports law and daily life?

– ‘Concussion’ with Will Smith has to be the top movie for me, not only because it is a true story, but also because of the several important issues it highlights, with the main one being the perennial battle between self-regulation and external regulation.

‘Coach Carter’ with Samuel L Jackson,

‘The Way Back’ with Ben Affleck and

‘Remember the Titans’ with Denzel Washington are also great stories for me, because they touch upon similar experiences in my life.

Finally, ‘Invictus’ with Morgan Freeman

and ‘Icarus’

– What advice would you give to our readers and young sports lawyers?

– Read a lot. Read all the cases you can. Knowledge is the greatest ‘weapon’ in the world, and it is undefeated. Gain expertise and in doing so practice, practice, practice. Revision is the mother of knowledge. Excellence is a habit. Expand your network and seek opportunities. Knock on people’s doors. If they do not open, knock on them again. Perseverance, commitment, dedication and attention to detail will be rewarded. Finally, be respectful and nice. Respect takes you everywhere and it costs nothing. Show humility and never ever apply ‘sharp’ practice, as the grapevine in our discipline is far too effective. Good luck!

– I would like to thank you for this interview and wish you to enjoy your work every day!

Thank you too for your kind invitation.