Experienced and accomplished sports law specialist.
David Casserly SC is co-Head of Kellerhals Carrard’s Sports Practice.
David is a barrister (Senior Counsel and Member of the Inner Bar) (Bar of Ireland; Bar of England & Wales) and attorney (Bar of New York; Bar of Vaud (EU Lawyer)) specialised in the areas of sports law and international arbitration.
He is ranked as a leading sports lawyer by every major legal directory (details below).
English, French
Leading Sports Lawyer – Legal 500 2019/2020/2021/2022/2023/2024/2025
Leading Sports Lawyer – Who's Who Legal/Lexology 2019/2020/2021/2022/2023/2024/2025
Leading Sports Lawyer – Chambers & Partners 2019/2020/2021/2022/2023/2024/2025
David Casserly is ranked in the "Hall of Fame" (“The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and
respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work”).
Legal 500 (2025): The practice is jointly led by the ‘masterful’ David Casserly, who frequently handles matters pertaining to significant commercial deals. Testimonials: “David Casserly's knowledge in football is outstanding. His strategic way of thinking makes him an extremely effective lawyer who, in addition, has a great power of persuasion”.
“KC have some of the world's best anti-doping lawyers in particular. David Casserly, Nicolas Zbinden and Louise Reilly especially are leaders in the field and the go-to for top sports bodies in major cases”.
Lexology (2025): Global Elite Thought Leader – Sports & Gaming
Lexology (2025): Thought Leader – Switzerland – Sports & Entertainment
Chambers and Partners (2024): David Casserly maintains a highly eminent practice, with particular expertise in acting for prominent football clubs before the CAS. He also regularly advises on athlete transfers and club investments. Testimonials: "David is extremely intelligent and smart. The way he approaches complex legal matters is quite unique, and that makes him exceptional. In litigation and particularly in cross-examination he is feared"; "David is a world-leading sports disputes lawyer with outstanding technical and strategic skills and attention to detail, and is a supreme orator and communicator".
Legal 500 (2024): Ranking - Hall of Fame. The Kellerhals Carrard team is headed by David Casserly SC, who is qualified as an Irish barrister and was appointed as a silk there in 2023, whose practice covers advising on significant commercial sports deals such as player transfers and club investments and representing international clients before CAS. Testimonials: “Mr. David Casserly SC is without a doubt one of the best, if not the best, lawyer in sports law. His career speaks for itself, representing the biggest clubs and federations in the world. His unique ability to organize and his systematically thinking means that clients can entrust him with the most diverse and complex cases”; “David Casserly SC is a great professional. Sharp, competent, tenacious. Excellent intuitive skills. Outstanding litigator. A master”.
Who’s Who Legal (2024): ‘Thought Leader’ David Casserly receives widespread endorsements for his top-tier sports practice encompassing high-profile disputes, transfers and investments.
Top-tier sports practitioner David Casserly is widely known in the sports industry, especially for his football expertise, with sources nothing that "he's frequently seen in many sports proceedings" and is invariably "brilliant".
Chambers and Partners (2023): David Casserly maintains a highly eminent practice, with particular expertise in acting for prominent football clubs before the CAS. He also regularly advises on athlete transfers and club investments. A sports client in Europe remarks "His technical expertise is only matched by his strategic insight".
Legal 500 (2023): 'Leading Individual' "David Casserly's strengths involve disputes and transactional work." Testimonial: 'David Casserly - world-leading partner and advocate in the sports sector who adds significant strategic value to any matter he is instructed on'.
David Casserly has held numerous leadership roles in the areas of sports law and dispute resolution, including:
He is also a member of a number of sports law (ANZSLA, ASDS, BASL, IASL, SLA, AIAF), arbitration (ASA, Arbitration Ireland, CIArb) and professional (The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, Vaud Bar Association, Swiss Bar Association) organisations.