On Friday, October 25th, 2024, the Brooklyn Entertainment and Sports Law Society (BESLS) hosted its fourth annual Brooklyn Law School Sports Law Symposium. This year’s theme was “Global Sport: Legal Lessons from the Olympic Games” and consisted of three informative panel discussions. The day concluded with a keynote conversation featuring Professor Jodi Balsam and International Sport Arbitrator Jeffrey Benz.
Mr. Benz is a dual-qualified U.S. attorney and English barrister. He is a highly esteemed ADR practitioner for Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services (JAMS) based in London and Los Angeles. After successfully managing hundreds of commercial and sports-related disputes as an international sports arbitrator, Mr. Benz was recognized as “Lawyer of the Year” for arbitration in Los Angeles and has been named one of the Best Lawyers in America in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Currently, Mr. Benz serves as an arbitrator with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) where he handles international sports disputes.
Keynote Conversation
The keynote conversation began with Mr. Benz’s recount of his unconventional path to sports law, a journey that started with his former career as a competitive figure skater. He then spoke about how he worked as a maritime lawyer before finally transitioning to sports arbitration.
Mr. Benz’s sports arbitration career took off when he was appointed a role at the U.S. Olympic Committee. Here he handled intellectual property matters and legal disputes that required immediate resolution during the Olympic Games. Mr. Benz emphasized to the attendees that fairness in both business and law was key to his success, allowing him to build transparent and lasting relationships with high-profile athletes.
Later in the conversation, Professor Balsam asked Mr. Benz about how he became an English barrister. He explained that with his new position at the U.S Olympic Committee and newfound ambitions to manage international sport disputes, Mr. Benz realized establishing himself globally would require practicing beyond the United States. He decided to relocate from Los Angeles to London, where he earned his English barrister qualification. This move established his reputation in global sports arbitration, leveraging his expertise to access high-stakes cases worldwide.
In terms of current events, Mr. Benz spoke about some of his notable cases involving major athletes. He touched on his work with a panel on French soccer star Paul Pogba who is currently facing anti-doping breach allegations, a dispute regarding Simona Halep’s case against a drug manufacturer for failing to disclose a rare kidney drug, and a controversial decision involving Janik Sinner, which the Italian Tennis Association (ITA) chose not to appeal.
Mr. Benz concluded with an insightful take on the case of Jordan Chiles, an American gymnast who was involved in a dispute during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Chiles’s coach filed an inquiry after the floor exercise final and argued that Chiles was not given the score she deserved. The inquiry was successful, and Chiles was given the bronze medal over Romania’s Ana Barbosu. The Romanian Gymnastics Federation later contested this inquiry, arguing that Chiles’s inquiry was submitted too late. The Court of Arbitration for Sport agreed with the Romanian Gymnastics Federation, forcing Chiles to return her medal.
Unhappy with the outcome, USA Gymnastics appealed the decision to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, a court that oversees and resolves international arbitration appeals. Mr. Benz explained that although the Swiss Federal Tribunal would likely not vacate the decision, there was still room to address procedural fairness issues under the New York Convention. The New York Convention is an international treaty that provides a framework for recognizing and enforcing international arbitration agreements and awards, ensuring that arbitration rules are adhered to across borders. Mr. Benz noted that this is a powerful tool that ensures international arbitration remains enforceable in the complex landscape of global sports.
BESLS and everyone in attendance would like to thank Mr. Benz and Professor Balsam for such an amazing discussion to conclude our Sports Law Symposium.
Article By: Farhan Sarker
Farhan is a 2026 J.D. Candidate at Brooklyn Law School
