We are thrilled to announce the addition of four internationally recognised sports lawyers to Excello Law. Please join us in welcoming Liz Ellen, Yama Otung, Valerie Goldstein, and Sheikh Hassan. This exceptional team will partner with Excello Law to form Livida Legal, a new sports law firm within Excello Law’s House of Brands, specialising in a broad range of sports disputes, deals and projects.
The team have acted for major football clubs and well-known athletes in the UK and around the world; on high profile transfer deals involving the likes of Jude Bellingham; for sports brands and businesses such as Matchroom Sport; and for foreign government on development projects and major event bidding.
Earlier this year the team produced a ‘Global Guide to Football Transfers’, available to view here: https://lividasport.com/transferguide
Liz Ellen is a highly experienced sports lawyer and licensed football agent of nearly 20 years. Having served as Partner and Head of Sport at Mishcon de Reya LLP for over 15 years, Liz established Livida Sport Limited in 2020. Consistently recommended as a ‘Leading Lawyer’ in the legal directories, Liz’s accolades include being named in the Leaders in Sport’s List of Global Leaders in Sport Under 40 and ranking 13th in the Independent’s inaugural list of the 50 Most Influential Women in Sport. Liz is a director of Women in Football, the foremost organisation championing, supporting, and promoting women in the football industry. Liz is also a lecturer on the Professional Footballers’ Association Business School.
Yama Otung is a specialist sports lawyer representing clients in cases before the Court of Arbitration for Sport and other national and international sport tribunals. She assists athletes across various sports in navigating complex disputes related to anti-doping, disciplinary actions, contracts, and reputation management. She acts on high profile but often highly confidential matters. She is a trustee of Women In Sport, an organisation which seeks to encourage women and girls to pursue sporting endeavours at all ages and at all levels. Yama trained at Carter Ruck before specialising in dispute resolution, earning recognition in the Legal 500 for her drive and determination in defending and advising athletes.
Valerie Goldstein brings extensive experience as a corporate and commercial lawyer focusing on sport and media transactions. With 12 years of experience at Kirkland & Ellis as a Partner in private equity, institutional investing, and fundraising, Valerie has developed a keen interest in multi-club ownership models in sport and is currently working on a number of potential football club acquisitions. Her impressive career includes in-house experience with the Softbank Vision Fund.
Sheikh Hassan is a versatile lawyer who trained at Clifford Chance. He is a licensed football agent, a boxing judge, and a motorsport marshall, but whilst he has a passion for all sports, his current focus is on the opportunities arising in the Middle East.