David Winnie

David’s experience includes acting for clients in relation to a wide variety of arbitral and disciplinary proceedings in a number of forums including the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, FA Rule K arbitration and the disciplinary bodies of FIFA and UEFA.

David sits as a Judicial Panel member for the Football Association and the Scottish Football Association, and hears high profile disputes arising from the Premier League, Women's Premier League, down through the football pyramid.

He has also been appointed as a Legal Member of Sport Resolutions, the world's leading international sport-specific provider of arbitration, which hears disputes arising from a wide range of sports including the Olympics and FIFA's World Cup, amongst others.

David also provides advice and assistance on business immigration matters, including sponsor licence applications for UK Companies, as well advising on senior or specialist skilled worker (Global Business Mobility) visas. He also provides advice on international sports person visas, including the eligibility and sports governing body endorsement requirements.

Prior to his career in law, David was a professional football player and coach at the highest levels. He played in the European Cup Winners Cup, UEFA Cup and Champions League. David also won the Scottish FA Cup as a player and represented his country at U21 level.

Qualified as a solicitor England and Wales in 2009.
Client base includes: Premier League, Championship and League 1 football clubs, agents, players and governing bodies, and leading commercial entities.

Highlights

Over 15 years experience in sports and commercial matters.
Cases:
- Acting for Scottish International football player, Kris Boyd, in successfully resisting a claim brought by his former club before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne - CAS 2012/A/2910 Club Eskisehirspor v. Kris Boyd. See decision here: https://jurisprudence.tas-cas.org/Shared%20Documents/2910.pdfAwards
- Acting for Dutch coach, Rene Hiddink, in a claim brought before the Players' Status Chamber of FIFA's Football Tribunal. This decision was important throughout world football in its restatement and application of FIFA's policy regarding Covid-19, and the interaction of that policy with Force Majeure provisions in football contracts. See decision here: https://digitalhub.fifa.com/m/41cf76d9c0b39e2c/original/Hiddink_11012022.pdf
- Advising and assisting a Premier League Club before a Premier League Tribunal on the compensation payable in the sum of c. £6.5 for a teenage England International player.
A Judicial Panel Member of The Football Association (FA), Judicial Panel Member of the Scottish Football Association (SFA), Legal Member of Sport Resolution.