Our Team

• Arbitrator in national and international commercial disputes as well as legal disputes in sport
• Acting as counsel in cases before courts and arbitral tribunals
• Providing comprehensive legal and strategic advice to the sports sector
• Advising on and implementing new governance structures
• Developing and implementing innovative dispute resolution systems

Dr Dirk-Reiner Martens was a partner of a major international commercial law firm for over 35 years. He founded Martens Rechtsanwälte in 2009.

His special interest is national and international arbitration: since 2000 he has acted in more than 170 proceedings relating to commercial law or sports law, either as a party-appointed arbitrator or President of the tribunal.

In 2007 he established the Basketball Arbitral Tribunal (BAT), a means of speedy and cost-effective dispute resolution between professional players and their clubs. Since the BAT foundation more than 1100 cases have been brought before it and administered by Martens Rechtsanwälte.

In autumn 2015 Dr Martens founded the Court of Innovative Arbitration (COIA) which is based on the BAT system and provides a quick and inexpensive method for the resolution of commercial disputes.

• Best Lawyers Germany, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018
  Recognised in the practice areas of arbitration and mediation
  Handelsblatt / Best Lawyers – Germany’s Best Lawyers, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018
• JUVE, 2015
  „The law firm run by Dr Dirk-Reiner Martens has built an excellent reputation in advising clubs and federations in connection with rules and regulations and arbitration.  It is, […] regularly involved in sponsoring, marketing and transfer matters.
• JUVE, 2013
  „This Munich-based lawyer has a long-standing reputation for his experience in dispute resolution.“
• JUVE, 2009
  „Martens is one of the most renowned German lawyers for traditional issues relating to rules and arbitration within the scope of sports law.“
• JUVE Award, 2005
  „Law firm of the year for sports law“
  The winner in this category was the Sports Law Team of the law firm Beiten Burkhardt, headed by Dr Martens.
• JUVE handbook 2004/2005
  „Outstanding sports lawyer, also very highly recommended as arbitrator“

• Member of the team of advisors for the Federal Republic of Germany in the arbitration proceedings regarding the late start of the heavy goods vehicle toll (amount in dispute: over 7 billion euros)
• Representing an English metal trader in proceedings against a Central African mining company before the ICC International Court of Arbitration in Paris
• Representing adidas AG in arbitration proceedings against the German Football Association regarding its exclusive rights to equip the German national team (amount in dispute: over 100 million euros)
• Since 1985: legal counsel to the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), advisor to other national and international sports federations and associations
• Design and worldwide implementation of a new governance model for an international sports federation
• Representing the International Skating Union before the German state courts in respect of a damages claim brought by speed skater Claudia Pechstein (amount in dispute: around 4.4 million euros)

German, English, French, Italian and Spanish

1961 – 1969
Studied law at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich and at Paris-Sorbonne University, followed by a legal clerkship in Munich

1971
Awarded a doctorate in law by the University of Hamburg

1971 – 2009
Partner of the international commercial law firm Beiten Burkhardt (Munich) as well as its predecessor law firms; partner responsible for international relations; Head of the Sports Law Team

2012
Training in mediation

2009 – 2019
Principal at Martens Rechtsanwälte

• German Institution of Arbitration (DIS)
• International Bar Association (IBA)
• List of Arbitrators of the American Arbitration Association (AAA) / International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR)
• List of Arbitrators of JAMS International (Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services)
• List of Arbitrators of the Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (CRCICA)
• List of Arbitrators of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), Lausanne, Switzerland
• 2010-2017: List of Arbitrators of the Arbitration Tribunal of the International Automobile Federation (FIA, Formula 1)
• 2004-2005: Member of the German Sports Anti-Doping Commission (ReSpoDo) of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB)

2009 – 2012
Visiting Lecturer in International Commercial Arbitration at Bucerius Law School, Hamburg, Germany

2007 – 2019
Visiting Lecturer for the Master in International Sports Law at the Higher Institute of Law and Economics (ISDE), Madrid, Spain

2002 – 2008
Lecturer at the University of Neuchâtel for the Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport (FIFA Master), Neuchâtel, Switzerland

• Commercial and Investment Arbitration
• Litigation and Arbitration in Sports
• Legal advice to the sports industry (particularly on association regulations, antitrust issues, data exploitation/sport betting, other complex contracts and player transfers)
• Advice on contract, commercial and corporate law, in particular for Start-Ups in the fields of CSR, Media and IT

Dr Heiner Kahlert acts as counsel (before state courts and arbitral tribunals), arbitrator and assistant to arbitral tribunals in complex domestic and international proceedings.  The cases handled by him involved inter alia the CISG, energy delivery contract, commercial and corporate law, IT projects and investment protection.

Dr Kahlert’s broad expertise includes ad hoc arbitrations (including under the UNCITRAL Rules) as well as institutional arbitral proceedings administered by the ICC, AAA/ICDR, DIS, HKIAC and ICSID. Dr Kahlert was repeatedly selected by “Who’s Who Legal” as a “Future Leader” in the area of Arbitration (Germany).

In addition, Dr Kahlert specialises in arbitration proceedings in sports (before CAS and DIS-Sport) as well as dispute resolution bodies of sports federations. In particular, Dr Kahlert has vast expertise in dealing with financial disputes, anti-doping and disciplinary proceedings as well as issues concerning association law.

Furthermore, as head of the case management team, Dr Kahlert has administrated hundreds of cases at the Basketball Arbitral Tribunal (BAT)

Another focus of Dr Kahlert’s work is advising international and national sports federations and individual athletes. He advises in particular on association regulations, antitrust issues, player transfers and complex contracts (e.g. host contracts, sponsoring contracts and contracts on the exploitation of data, in particular in the field of sports betting, as well as IT-related contracts).

Moreover, Dr Kahlert regularly advises start-ups in CSR and the areas of media and IT law. 

• Recognised by Who’s Who Legal as „National Leader – Sports and Entertainment (Germany)” in 2021 
• Recognised by Who’s Who Legal as „Future Leader – Arbitration” in 2019, 2020 and 2021 

• Representing an English metal trader in proceedings against a Central African mining company before the ICC International Court of Arbitration in Paris
• Chairman of an arbitral tribunal in ad-hoc proceedings (German Civil Procedure Code) between a large insurance group and an insurance agent
• Challenging a presiding arbitrator before the Munich Court of Appeals in construction arbitration proceedings
• Arbitrator in several anti-doping arbitration proceedings before the DIS Sports Arbitration Court (DIS-Sport)
• Representing the International Speed Skating Union (ISU) in the proceedings against Claudia Pechstein before the German courts
• Representing Atletico Madrid before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in relation to transfer sanctions
• Representing Panathinaikos Athens before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in relation to a damage claim of USD 40 million
• Comprehensive advice to the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) with a particular focus on regulations and contract law matters
• Advising the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) on antitrust law, disciplinary proceedings and financial disputes
• Advising the umbrella organisation of international sports federations (GAISF), inter alia on their Statutes
• Advising individual athletes (e.g. Xabi Alonso, Arturo Vidal or Dennis Schroeder) in sports law and other matters
• Advising an international sports federation on multiple contracts concerning streaming rights and the exploitation of data, in particular for betting purposes

German, English, French (reading knowledge), Arabic (basic knowledge)

2019 – present
Manager Director of Martens Rechtsanwälte

2011 – 2014
Completed a doctorate at the University of Zurich

2010 – present
Lawyer at Martens Rechtsanwälte

2008 – 2010
Legal clerkship at the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court of Hamburg, including traineeships with White & Case (Hamburg), CMS Hasche Sigle (Hamburg), Beiten Burkhardt (Munich) and the German Embassy in Cairo, Egypt

2007 – 2008
Worked as a freelancer for Taylor Wessing and “i.e. – office for Expertise in Information Law” (both in Hamburg)

2003 – 2007
Studied law at Bucerius Law School in Hamburg and at the University of Wellington

• German Institution of Arbitration (DIS)
• London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA)
• Swiss Association for International Arbitration (AIA)
• DIS40 – German Initiative of Young Arbitrators (Regional Coordinator 2014-2017)
• ASA Below 40 – Young Practitioners Group
• Young ICCA (International Council for Commercial Arbitration)
• Young Arbitrators Forum of the ICC (International Chamber of Commerce)
• ICDR Young & International (International Centre for Dispute Resolution)
• Young International Arbitration Group (YIAG)
• Panel of Arbitrators of the Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (CRCICA)
• Arab Legal Forum

2019 – present
Visiting Lecturer for the Master in International Sports Law at the Higher Institute of Law and Economics (ISDE), Madrid, Spain

2017
Speaker on ex aequo et bono arbitration at the SCAI Innovation Conference, 2 February 2017; 
Visiting Lecturer for a Moot Court at Bucerius Law School in Hamburg, 17 and 27/28 July 20172010 – 2012
Lectures on sports law at the Technical University of Munich

2016
Speaker at the Spring Meeting of DIS40 in Hamburg on the topic “Der Court of Innovative Arbitration – Zurück in die Zukunft der Schiedsgerichtsbarkeit” [The Court of Innovative Arbitration – Back to the Future of Arbitration], 26 April 2016; 
Visiting Lecturer for “Arbitration Clauses for Athletes, Clubs and Associations” at Bucerius Law School in Hamburg, 22 und 29 July 2016

2014
Lecture on sports arbitration at the University of Passau, 23 May 2014

• “New York Convention”,

  Dr Heiner Kahlert / January 2019

  Weigand/Baumann, Practitioner’s Handbook on International Commercial Arbitration, 3^rd edition 2019, p. 1572-1777 (co-author: Prof. Dr. Ulrich Haas)
• “Chapter 8: Germany”,

  Dr Heiner Kahlert / June 2016

  Carl Rohsler (ed.), The Gambling Law Review, 2016, pp. 82-93
• “Vertraulichkeit im Schiedsverfahren”,

  Dr Heiner Kahlert / June 2015

  Mohr Siebeck, 2015, 438 pages
• “Privacy and Confidentiality”,

  Heiner Kahlert (co-author) / 2nd ed. 2015

  in: Böckstiegel/Kröll/Nacimiento (eds.), Arbitration in Germany – The Model Law in practice, 2nd ed. 2015 (co-author: Prof Dr Ulrich Haas)
• “Confidentiality in Arbitration – A Tale of Doves, Chromatics and European Divides”,

  Heiner Kahlert / November 2013

  European International Arbitration Review, Vol. 2 Issue 1 (2013), pp. 27-40
• “(In)voluntary submission to Arbitration in Germany, Switzerland and beyond”,

  Dr Heiner Kahlert / November 2013

  European International Arbitration Review, Vol. 2 Issue 1, 2013, pp. 175-190
• “Anmerkung zu Schweizer Bundesgericht: Zivilrechtliche Beschwerde gegen Schiedsspruch ohne Begründung”,

  Andreas Zagklis, Heiner Kahlert / July 2013

  SpuRt 3/2013, p. 117 et seq.
• “Cases C-403/08 and C-429/08 Murphy”,

  Heiner Kahlert (co-author) / April 2012

  19 Maastricht Journal of European and Comparative Law 1 (2012), pp. 110-119 (co-author: Prof Dr Ulrich Haas)
• “Das “Murphy / Premier League”- Urteil des EuGH – Kein Debakel für Inhaber von Sportübertragungsrechten”,

  Heiner Kahlert / December 2011

  causa sport 4/2011, pp. 323-333
• “Restrictions by EU Member States on Exclusive Grant of Broadcast Rights on Pay-TV Upheld”,

  Heiner Kahlert, Andreas Zagklis / March 2011

  Entertainment & Sports Lawyer, Vol. 29 Issue No. 1, Spring 2011, pp. 24-26 (co-author: Andreas Zagklis)
• “Eigenverwaltung des Schuldners”,

  Heiner Kahlert (co-author) / January 2010

   in: Gottwald (Hrsg.), Insolvenzrechtshandbuch, 4. ed. 2010, pp. 1275-1321 (co-author: Prof Dr Ulrich Haas)
• “Strukturkrisenkartelle als zulässige Reaktion auf die Wirtschafts- und Finanzkrise?”,

  Heiner Kahlert (co-author) / October 2009

  Betriebsberater 2009, 1930-1935 (co-author: Justus Herrlinger)

• Litigation and arbitration in sports
• Legal advice in sports (especially with regard to labour law and association law, organisation of sports events and legal issues in eSports)

David Menz mainly acts as a party representative in sports law disputes. He represents athletes, clubs and sports associations before state courts as well as dispute resolution bodies of federations (e.g.: FIFA DRC, UEFA CEDB, BFV’s internal sports tribunal) and arbitration courts (e.g.: CAS). David Menz has particular experience in the handling of disputes in employment, financial and association law as well as disciplinary cases.

Another focus of David Menz’s activities is advising stakeholders in the sports industry on establishing agreements and regulations. He particularly provides legal advice to federations on drafting and adapting statutes, internal regulations and contracts for the organisation of sports events. Moreover, David Menz is very familiar with the management of all legal aspects of player transfers.

A great passion of David Menz is teaching, which is why he regularly gives lectures and presentations at various German universities (TUM, LMU and DSHS) and at various international programmes (CIES/FIFA Master, FIFA Executive Programme in Sports Arbitration).

Furthermore, as Deputy Head of Case Management of the Basketball Arbitral Tribunal (BAT), David Menz is involved in the administration of approximately 160 arbitration proceedings per year.

• Representation of Türkgücü Munich in proceedings against the Bavarian Football Association regarding its participation in the German Cup
• Representation of an international sports federation in a claim for damages due to alleged violations of personal rights
• Assisting in the transfer of Alvaro Odriozola from Real Madrid to FC Bayern Munich
• Representation of Fenerbahce Istanbul in a sports law case before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)
• Representation of a Greek first division football club before the CAS against claims for damages of a former player
• Representation of an athlete in an anti-doping dispute before the CAS
• Representation of an organiser of national youth basketball leagues in a dispute concerning the validity of a rule limiting the number of foreign players allowed per team.
• Advising the Drone Racing League on the organization of a competition at the BMW Welt in Munich
• Representation of 1. FC Köln in disciplinary proceedings before the Appeals Committee of the European Football Association (UEFA)

German, English, French (reading knowledge)

2017 – present
Attorney at Law at Martens Rechtsanwälte

2014 – 2016
Legal clerkship at the Higher Regional Court of the District of Munich with internships abroad at the law firm Marcin & Lambirth LLP, Los Angeles, USA

2008 – 2014
Studied law at the University of Munich

2017 – present
Lecturer for sports law at the Technical University of Munich

2020
Lecturer for sports law/arbitration at the CIES/FIFA Master program

2020
Lecturer for sports law/arbitration at the FIFA course on sports arbitration for executives in sports

2020
Lecturer for sports law/arbitration at the CIES/FIFA Master program

• “Political protest in football – is it time for a (legal) debate? Analysing FIFA’s regulations and recent actions in the Bundesliga”,

  Maximilian Wegge, David Menz / June 2020

  in LawinSport, June 2020 (co-author: Maximilian Wegge) (https://www.lawinsport.com/topics/item/political-protest-in-football-is-it-time-for-a-legal-debate-analysing-fifa-s-regulations-and-recent-actions-in-the-bundesliga)
• “Implementing the Organizational Structures of Competitive Sports in eSports”,

  David Menz / 2020

  in: Martin Maties (ed.), eSport-Recht - Politik, Praxis und Wissenschaft im Dialog (Tagungsband der Forschungsstelle für eSport-Recht), 2020, pp. 101-144 (co-author: Dr. Paul Fischer)

• Law of federations and associations
• IT and Media law, Digital Business
• General legal advice in the field of sports, in particular on contract drafting, and on inner association court and disciplinary proceedings as well as arbitration proceedings

Maximilian Wegge joined the Martens Rechtsanwälte team in March 2019. Previously, during his legal traineeship, he worked for a law firm specialising in sports law. After completing his training, he joined a German commercial law firm in the field of media and entertainment. He therefore has experience in the areas of IT, media law and digital business.

Maximilian Wegge is regularly involved in assisting associations and clubs in sports law matters. He also advises in connection with ordinary court or arbitration proceedings in the area of general civil law as well as corporate and association law. In mid-2020, Maximilian Wegge was appointed as an honorary arbitrator to the arbitral tribunal of the state association of a political party.

• Advising two IT start-ups on the topics of webshop terms and conditions and data protection
• Advising an international sports federation on the revision of its athlete agreement and privacy policy
• Advising an international sports federation on its dispute resolution mechanism for financial disputes
• Advising a Bundesliga soccer club on the filing of a claim before FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber
• Representation of a Greek first division soccer club before CAS against claims for damages of a former player
• Representation of Türkgücü München in a dispute regarding DFB Cup participation before association courts and state courts

German, English, French

2019 – present
Attorney at Law at Martens Rechtsanwälte

2018 – 2019
Attorney at Law at SKW Schwarz Rechtsanwälte

2016 – 2018
Legal clerkship at the Higher Regional Court of the District of Munich with internships at, inter alia, the law firm Lentze Stopper (Munich)

2012 – 2013
Semester abroad at Jean-Moulin Lyon III University, Lyon (France)

2010 – 2016
Studies of law at Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich

• Munich Bar Association
• AG Sports Law in the German Bar Association
• DIS-40 – German Initiative of Young Arbitration Lawyers
• Young ICCA (International Council for Commercial Arbitration)

2019 – present   giving lectures on Sports Law at the Technical University of Munich

• “Political protest in football – is it time for a (legal) debate? Analysing FIFA’s regulations and recent actions in the Bundesliga”,

  Maximilian Wegge, David Menz / June 2020

  in LawinSport, June 2020 (co-author: Maximilian Wegge) (https://www.lawinsport.com/topics/item/political-protest-in-football-is-it-time-for-a-legal-debate-analysing-fifa-s-regulations-and-recent-actions-in-the-bundesliga)

• Office management, event management, marketing and electronic data processing management
• Development and implementation of innovative dispute resolution systems
• Administration and organisation of various institutional courts of arbitration
• Further development, planning and implementation of internal projects; devising corresponding training programmes and providing training courses

As an employee from the very beginning, Janet Reinhold has had a significant influence on our corporate culture. She worked closely with Dr Dirk-Reiner Martens for more than 20 years and played a key role in the founding of our firm.

Having previously worked for many years in an international commercial law firm, Janet Reinhold is very familiar with the competent administrative support of international projects, extensive due diligence mandates and arbitration proceedings. There, she also headed up the in-house training team. As part of this role, she supported the programming and enhancement of the firm’s proprietary lawyer software, developed comprehensive training plans and user manuals, and was responsible for the rollout of the software as well as for the training courses in Germany and abroad.

As office manager of our law firm, Janet Reinhold keeps all the threads of the office organisation together. She is the first point of contact for our lawyers and clients in all organisational matters. As an impulse generator and project manager, she is also tirelessly committed to the further development and successful implementation of internal and client-related projects. This includes, in particular, the organisation and support of internal and external events, such as the BAT User Conference, as well as the further development and implementation of our IT.

In addition, Janet Reinhold has extensive experience in the administration of dispute resolution mechanisms. Since 1998 she has been coordinating the FIBA Appeals’ Panel.  Furthermore, she has been instrumental in the development and continuous expansion of the administrative and technical concept of two institutional arbitration tribunals developed and administered by our law firm: the Basketball Arbitral Tribunal (BAT) and the Court of Innovative Arbitration (COIA). Janet Reinhold is a case manager and accounts manager for these institutions.

German, English, French, Russisch (Grundkenntnisse)

2009 – present
Office Manager at Martens Rechtsanwälte

2007 – present
Accounts Manager at the Basketball Arbitral Tribunal (BAT)

1998 – present
Case Manger at the FIBA Appeals’ Panel

1996 – 2009
Partner’s Personal Assistant and Head of the Secretarial Training Department at Beiten Burkhardt (Munich)

1996
Advanced Diploma in Administrative Management from the Institute of Administrative Management (Telford, UK)

1995 – 1996
Bachelor of Arts degree in European Administration from the University of Lincolnshire & Humberside (Hull, UK)

1994 – 1995
Studied at the Merkur Academy (Karlsruhe), qualifying as a State-accredited European Secretary

• Administrative and Assistance work, Client Relationship and Support
• Travel Management
• Bookkeeping / Accounts Payable

Linda McCracken joined Martens Rechtsanwälte in 2009. She had already worked previously for many years with the firm’s founder, Dr Dirk-Reiner Martens, and his team in an international commercial law firm.

Thanks to her extensive experience with the work processes in international law firms, Mrs. McCracken has supported the establishment and development of the law firm from the very beginning. As an assistant, she not only supports the entire Martens team but also attaches great importance to the cooperation with the clients.

Mrs McCracken is responsible for accounts payable and account management as well as the organisation of all business travel for our team. In addition, she supports the entire office management, especially during events.

English, German, Spanish (reading knowledge)

2009 – present
Assistant at Martens Rechtsanwälte

2006 – 2009
Assistant at Kirkland & Ellis (Munich)

2000 – 2005
Assistant Clifford Chance (Munich) and qualifying as Buerokauffrau (office clerk)

1991 – 1998
Assistant at Beiten Burkhardt Mittl & Wegener (Munich)

1987 – 1991
Training as a Legal Assistant and Legal Assistant at Clifford Chance (London)

1980 – 1987
Assistant at Lloyds Bank (London), Clearing and Administration Department

• Administration of the Basketball Arbitral Tribunal (BAT)
• Case Managment

Carmen Paulsen joined the team at Martens Rechtsanwälte in 2011. Since December 2013 she has been a Case Manager to the Basketball Arbitral Tribunal (BAT), which was developed by Martens Rechtsanwaelte. As a case manager,  she is acting as  the link between the parties and the arbitrators in BAT arbitration proceedings. She is responsible for setting and monitoring deadlines for incoming payments and the submission of documents. She is dealing with correspondence to parties and answering general queries regarding the BAT.

German, English and French

2011 – present
BAT Case Manager at Martens Rechtsanwälte

2004 – 2011
Assistant at Escada AG (Munich)

2001 – 2004
Assistant at Beiten Burkhardt (Munich)

1996 – 1998
Studied at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich

1998 – 2001
Qualified as a State-certified translator and interpreter, specialising in business and economics (English and French), from the Institute of Foreign Languages in Munich

• Eligibility and transfers of athletes
• Anti-doping-management
• Administration of the Basketball Arbitral Tribunal (BAT)

French, German and English

Studied at the Public Institute of Foreign Languages in Munich

Studied law at the University of Paris 1

1998 – 2011
International Basketball Federation (FIBA)

2011 – present
Martens Rechtsanwälte (Munich)