20 leading sports lawyers in Italy in 2026
Impact Lawyers' editorial selection brings together twenty professionals with particularly significant experience in sports law in Italy. The table is presented alphabetically and does not establish internal positions or identify one professional as superior to another.
| Lawyer | Firm | Main profile |
|---|---|---|
| Lorenzo Attolico | ADVANT Nctm | Sports, transactions and contracts |
| Leandro Cantamessa | Studio Legale Cantamessa | Football, contracts and sports litigation |
| Pierfilippo Capello | Deloitte Legal | Sports law, transactions and governance |
| Eduardo Chiacchio | Studio Legale Chiacchio | Sports justice and professional football |
| Cesare Di Cintio | DCF Sport Legal | Football, contracts and sports justice |
| Salvatore Civale | Specialist sports law practice | Sports arbitration, regulation and football |
| Michele Colucci | Specialist sports law practice | International football, regulation and arbitration |
| Federica Ferrari | DCF Sport Legal | Sports law and contractual relations |
| Federico Venturi Ferriolo | LCA Studio Legale | Football, transfers, CAS and sports contracts |
| Mario Gallavotti | Gallavotti Bernardini & Partners | Sports regulation, football and governance |
| Mattia Grassani | Studio Legale Grassani e Associati | Sports litigation, football and disciplinary matters |
| Fabio Iudica | Professional and academic practice | Sports law and arbitration |
| Enrico Lubrano | Lubrano & Associati | Sports justice and sports administrative law |
| Gianluca Medina | LegisLAB | Sports law and employment relations |
| Cristiano Novazio | DN Law | Football, contracts and sports regulation |
| Massimo Proto | Chiomenti | Sports law and corporate transactions |
| Stella Riberti | Clifford Chance | Sports transactions, governance and finance |
| Jacopo Tognon | JT Lex | Sports arbitration and international regulation |
| Flavia Tortorella | LP Avvocati | Sports law and contracts |
| Mario Vigna | Coccia De Angelis & Associati | Sports arbitration, football and disciplinary matters |
How the ranking was prepared
This selection was built from scratch through an editorial review of professional and public information available through 2026. It does not reproduce or adapt the order of third-party directories, awards or rankings. To identify and cross-check profiles, the review considered current professional track records, official biographies, publicly verifiable matters and transactions, institutional and academic activity, publications and international experience.
For this practice area, particular attention was paid to sports regulation, football, arbitration and disciplinary matters, athlete contracts, transfers, image rights, governance and sector transactions.
The editorial assessment combines five dimensions:
- Depth, continuity and genuine specialisation in the practice: 30%.
- Complexity and relevance of publicly verifiable matters, transactions or responsibilities: 25%.
- Technical command and ability to handle complex matters within the specialty: 20%.
- Professional leadership, independent judgement and ability to lead significant mandates: 15%.
- International profile and doctrinal, academic or institutional contribution: 10%.
Impact Lawyers' own editorial approach
Inclusion does not depend on firm size, media visibility or presence in other rankings. The selection is designed to combine major firms, specialist boutiques and professionals with a particularly distinctive individual practice. Nor is the apparent number of wins or completed transactions used as an automatic measure, because public information is uneven and many matters remain confidential.
Selected professionals
Lorenzo Attolico, Leandro Cantamessa and Pierfilippo Capello illustrate different profiles represented in the selection, but their appearance in this section does not imply a superior position. The aim is to reflect different forms of experience within the same specialty and provide a broad view of the Italian market.
How to interpret the selection
The ranking is an editorial snapshot of the Italian market based on public information available in 2026. It does not measure fees, guarantee outcomes or claim that any included professional is the right choice for every matter. The choice of counsel should take into account the precise specialty, possible conflicts of interest, jurisdiction, availability, language, budget and relationship of trust.
Professional careers and firm structures can change. Future editions should therefore verify partner moves, new firms, changes of role and potential incompatibilities before publication.
