Our Team

• 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

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.

Heiner’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. He was repeatedly selected by “Who’s Who Legal” as a “Future Leader” in the area of Arbitration (Germany).

In addition, Heiner specialises in arbitration proceedings in sports (before CAS and DIS-Sport) as well as dispute resolution bodies of sports federations. In particular, he 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, Heiner has administrated hundreds of cases at the Basketball Arbitral Tribunal (BAT).

Another focus of Heiner’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, Heiner regularly advises on contract, commercial and corporate law, in particular for Start-Ups in the areas of CSR, 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 
• Recognised by the German Institution of Arbitration with the “First Prize of the Sponsorship Award” in 2015/2016 

• 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
• Member of the Governance Reform Group of the International Boxing Federation AIBA

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

2019 – present
Managing 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)
• Network of Young Sports Lawyers (Junges Netzwerk für Sportrecht) (Co-Founder)
• Arab Legal Forum
• German Association for Sports Law (DVSR) – Constance Working Group for German and International Sports Law

2021
Visiting Lecturer for the FIFA Executive Programme in Anti-Doping
Visiting Lecturer for the CIES FIFA Master
Lecture at the Goethe-Universität Frankfurt within the Framework of the Key Qualification “Conflict Resolution in National and International Sport”

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

• “Mehr Meinungsfreiheit im Sport”,

  Dr Heiner Kahlert / August 2021

  NJW 2021, S. 15 (co-author: Dr Marie-Christin Bareuther)
• “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 has particular experience in the handling of disputes in employment, financial and association law as well as disciplinary cases.

Another focus of David’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 is very familiar with the management of all legal aspects of player transfers.

A great passion of David 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). He co-founded and co-hosts the Network of Young Sports Lawyers (Junges Netzwerk Sportrecht (JNSR)) which is aimed at young lawyers who work in or are interested in sports law. Also through this, David supports the sharing of expertise and the exchnge between young sports lawyers in German-speaking countries.

Furthermore, as Deputy Head of Case Management of the Basketball Arbitral Tribunal (BAT), David 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

• Network of Young Sports Lawyers (Junges Netzwerk Sportrecht (JNSR)) (Co-Founder)

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 (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 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. Maximilian is an honorary arbitrator in the arbitration tribunals of the lander Baden-Wuerttemberg and Saarland associations 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 (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)

• Data Protection Law, in particular in sport as well as for businesses in the CSR/IT/media sectors
• Criminal Law in Sport, with a focus on compliance
• Association Law, contract law and EU law in sport

Dr Tinusch Jalilvand has been a member of our team since 2020 and was admitted to the bar in 2021. Previously, he worked at the law firms Hengeler Mueller and SWD Rechtsanwälte / ISICO Datenschutz GmbH as a research assistant and trainee lawyer.

Tinusch primarily advises clubs, associations and companies (including start-ups) on data protection issues. He is particularly dedicated to the special challenges arising from the application of data protection law to sport. This work focuses in particular on the lawful exploitation of sport data and the protection of athletes’ privacy rights. Tinusch Jalilvand is also academically active in data protection law, e.g. by holding a university seminar in this field.

Moreover, Tinusch advises clients from the world of sport on criminal law issues, particularly in the area of compliance. He teaches criminal law at the Humboldt University in Berlin. Previously, he worked for four years as a student assistant at a criminal law chair at the Free University of Berlin.

In his doctoral thesis, Tinusch devoted himself to questions of internet regulation, including issues of data protection law. In addition, he has particular expertise in EU law.

Tinusch Jalilvand is a competitive athlete himself and is active as a middle- and long-distance runner. His heart beats for the marathon.

• Development of a data protection concept for an international sports federation
• Drafting of a GDPR-compliant athlete agreement for an international sports federation
• Advising sports clubs on data protection issues
• Advising two IT startups on terms and conditions and privacy policies for web shops
• Advising track and field athletes in a case of an alleged violation of the permitted competition equipment
• Advising an athletics and diagnostics center on data protection and other legal issues
• Legal advice to an athlete in a criminal investigation
• Legal advice to an athlete regarding mobbing and coercion within a sports association

German, English, Farsi, Spanish (basic knowledge)

2021 – present
Lawyer at Martens Rechtsanwälte

2019 – 2021 
Legal clerkship at the Higher Regional Court of Berlin, including traineeships with SWD Rechtsanwälte / ISICO Datenschutz GmbH (Berlin) and Martens Rechtsanwälte (Munich)

2015 – 2019
Completed a doctorate at the Free University of Berlin as a scholarship holder of the State of Berlin and the Elsa-Neumann-Foundation for doctorate candidates of the State of Berlin

2018
Research term at the University of Hong Kong

2016 – 2019
Research Assistant at SWD Rechtsanwälte / ISICO Datenschutz GmbH

2015 – 2016
Research Assistant at Hengeler Mueller Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwälten

2010 – 2014
Student Assistant at the Chair of Criminology and Criminal Law at the Free University of Berlin

2011 – 2012
Semesters abroad at the University of Oxford und the Center for Transnational Legal Studies in London

2008 – 2014
Studies of law at the Free University of Berlin as a scholarship holder of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation

• Junges Netzwerk Sportrecht (JNSR)
• Alumni of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation

2018 – present
Lecturer for criminal law at the Humboldt University in Berlin

2021
Seminar on (inter alia) data protection law in sports at the Free University of Berlin

• Litigation and arbitration in sport
• Legal advice on eSports, gaming and gambling laws
• Criminal law

Vishakh Ranjit is an India-qualified attorney who works with Martens Rechtsanwälte as Of Counsel. He worked as Associate at a litigation chamber in New Delhi, India for multiple years, before undertaking a master’s degree in International Sports Law at ISDE, Madrid, and subsequently started working as an independent legal consultant. Since then, his practice has been focussing on sports law.

Vishakh has worked with international sports federations, clubs and agencies in disputes, contractual issues and anti-doping matters. He has worked on disputes before the Court of Arbitration for Sport and internal judicial bodies of international sports federations such as FIFA, FIBA and FIVB. In addition, he is working as a case manager for the Basketball Arbitral Tribunal. Vishakh has also been appointed as Ad Hoc Clerk in CAS cases.

In addition to his work with Martens Rechtsanwälte, Vishakh represents entities and individuals in the sports and gaming sectors in India including football clubs, agencies and Indian market leaders in Gaming & eSports. He also has considerable experience in litigation before Indian courts, especially in criminal cases.

English, Hindi

2021 – present
Of-Counsel, Martens Rechtsanwälte

2020 – present
Independent Legal Consultant

2019
Master in International Sports Law, Instituto de Derecho y Economia (ISDE), Madrid

2016 – 2018
Associate, Wadhwa Law Chambers, New Delhi

2011 – 2016
 B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) at National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore

• Bar Council of Delhi

• 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 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 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 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 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, Linda 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.

Linda 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 at 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 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. Carmen 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)