We are delighted to announce our Member of the Month, Sara María Moreno Sánchez.

Sara María is a Legal Advisor to the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) and is based in Geneva, Switzerland. Sara is a Peruvian lawyer admitted to practice in Peru and France.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Do you have any favourite sports?

I love hiking and enjoy football very much. I am also a flamenco fan.

How did you get involved in sports law?

During my LL.M. in international dispute settlement, I had the opportunity to learn about sport arbitration from leading practitioners and to study case law dealing with diverse subject matters. The complex interplay of different fields of law, autonomy of international sport governing bodies and the transnational nature of sport regulations at stake, made sport law very appealing to me. For this reason, I decided to work for an international sport federation.

What was your most memorable achievement in the sector?

Working on the development of governance tools and on the amendments of sport regulations to ensure fairness in disciplinary procedures and the protection of riders’ rights, has been the most memorable and significant achievement in my career as a sport legal advisor.

Any advice for someone trying to break in to the sector?

Joining institutions promoting sport law in different regions of the world is of essence to have a good overview of the sector development and a great platform of exposure.

Greatest challenge you’ve had to overcome?

As an international legal practitioner, one of the greatest challenges has been mastering different national legal systems. This has enabled me to work in different countries and to excel at my work.

How has WISLaw helped you in your career?

WISLaw has been a great mean to connect with other sport law practitioners all over the world and to deepen my understating of different sport bodies. The exposure and access to professional experiences shared by other members working in the same field has been key for my career. Being a member of the WISLaw Finance Committee has given me as well the opportunity to work in different initiatives promoting sport law.

Why did you decide to focus on sport arbitration, intellectual property and sport governance?

The complexity of sport commercial transactions requires expertise in other fields of law that are interrelated with sport disputes and with the daily legal needs of sport bodies. Several sport contracts deal with the licensing and transfer of intellectual property rights, arbitration clauses and the application of sport regulations. After working in international dispute resolution law firms and at an intellectual property national entity, it felt natural to focus on these fields of sport law.