LEGAL DIRECTORATE

The Legal Directorate of LaLiga is led by the Legal Director, who is the person appointed for said purpose by the Delegate Commission upon the Chairman’s proposal, holds the following responsibilities:

  1. To act as legal advisor for LaLiga and any legal matters thereof.
  2. To act as secretariat for all LaLiga bodies (Internal Discipline Judge, Economic Control Committee, Budget Validation Body, Licence Committee, Football Arbitration Tribunal), for which it has to support and to which it has to advise in all legal matters, taking the minutes during meetings and issuing any certifications on request, keeping the books of minutes and any other official records for LaLiga, and authorising communications, tender bids and call for tenders with its signature.

    María José López Lorenzo was appointed as the new Legal Director at LaLiga’s Delegate Commission meeting held on the 22nd of January 2015 and upon the Chairman’s proposal. Subsequently, the Legal Directorate has included other new members giving rise to a role restructure within this department that now is configured as follows:

    • Commercial, Contract and Corporate Law. This division is in charge of the formulation, drafting, negotiation support of and entering into any contracts that LaLiga may be a party to. It provides cross-sectional assistance to all departments, thus answering their concerns and collaborating closely with each one of them and assisting with any potential need.
    • Criminal Law. It files and brings criminal suits and actions before the courts and prosecutors for the prosecution and investigation of any form of sports corruption. It also files any relevant criminal action in relation to audio-visual piracy in collaboration with the Intellectual and Industrial Property Division and in close collaboration with the Security and Integrity Directorates.
    • Intellectual and Industrial Property / ICT and Data Protection Law. This division is in charge of developing a legal strategy in the fight against the rise of piracy, which includes ongoing surveillance and service of writs to third parties that may be violating LaLiga’s intellectual and industrial property rights. On occasion, this role ends in criminal proceedings in pursuance of a conviction or compensation on account of damages if necessary to re-establish such rights.

      Moreover, this department manages and coordinates the intangible asset portfolio belonging to LaLiga, which mainly includes trademarks and domain names. It provides strategic advice to other departments in terms of the development of such portfolio.

      Moreover, this division provides guidance in matters related to ICTs such as the development of applications or the drafting of their terms and conditions.

      Lastly, this division advises on corporate compliance with data protection law.

    • Sports Law. This division is responsible for advising LaLiga’s departments and directorates (mainly, Presidency, Corporate General Management, Assistant Board to the Presidency, Competitions, Integrity and the foundation Fundación del Fútbol Profesional); its governance and representation bodies (General Assembly, Division Boards, Delegate Commission, Economic Control Committee, Budget Validation Committee and the Internal Discipline Judge); and affiliated clubs/SADs concerning sports law. Furthermore, it collaborates with the different administrative sections of governance and representation bodies, with Fundación del Fútbol Profesional and SEFPSA (Spanish Association of Professional Football).

      This division participates in negotiations, legal representation and legal advice for LaLiga and its representatives within the agreements entered into with the AFE (Association of Spanish Footballers), RFEF (the Spanish Football Federation) and the Higher Sports Council or CSD.

      It also actively collaborates with the Fundación del Fútbol Profesional in the organisation of publications, conferences, meetings and scientific seminars in relation to sports law, and it represents LaLiga before some academic and higher education institutions (inter alia, FIDE, ISDE, UCAM, CEU-San Pablo, UEM-Real Madrid, Rey Juan Carlos, Granada, Austral, etc.)

      This division acts as administrative and organisational support for the clubs/SADs’ Legal Advisors Committees within LaLiga, which has met on four (4) occasions during this season and which is responsible for the coordination, supervision and joint management of LaLiga’s legal bulletin Revista Jurídica.

The Legal Directorate provides legal advice to all departments in any ongoing legal proceedings and in any others where LaLiga is a litigating party.