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Luca is a partner in our Italian corporate team and heads the sports practice globally.
As a business lawyer with an international education and background, Luca has been dedicated to sports law and the sports industry since the beginning of his professional career.Luca is currently the firm's global head of sport, leading a team of lawyers based in Withers' main offices in Europe, the USA and Asia, and advising on sports-related regulatory, commercial, corporate and tax matters.
His work includes high-profile sports transactions such as sponsorship agreements, international football player transfers and football player contracts, management contracts, direct sports investment into sports organisations and the licensing of audio-visual rights.
International sports transactions and governance
In addition to assisting corporate clients such as sponsors, manufacturers of sports apparel and equipment, sports marketing agencies and media companies, Luca also advises football clubs, sports leagues, governing bodies, athletes, coaches, sports managers and sports agents.
Advising Italy's leading names across sport, fashion and global markets
Over the years, his practice has spanned several sectors of the Italian economy, including fashion, design, hospitality and food and beverage, with a particular focus on the wine industry. In this area he has advised a number of well-known Italian brands on international expansion and cross-border business matters.
Achievement
Luca was included in Sport Business International's World's 20 most influential lawyers feature and ranked in the top three of the directory's Top 20 listing.He has been recognised by the Italian legal directory TopLegal as Lawyer of the Year – Sports Practice at the TopLegal Industry Awards. He has also received the Lawyer of the Year – Sports Law award at the Legal Community Labour Awards on multiple occasions.
Recent recognition
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Me in a minute
I became inspired admiring my grandfather, an 'avvocato' in the small North Eastern Italian city of Pordenone
As my long-time friend, Oliver Bierhoff (former AC Milan and Germany international and the current director of the German national team) used to say, I'm one of those failed football players who claim they would have had a brilliant career as a professional player, if that knee injury hadn't stopped them. That's me: a frustrated footballer turned lawyer.
I was lucky enough in my early years to learn my trade, professionally speaking, on matters involving such famous names as Alessandro Del Piero, Gianluca Vialli, Roy Hodgson and Kaká. A kind of Nirvana, if you are passionate about sport.
Talks
Most recent talks:- 'The business of Sport', Trusted Advisor's event at ON Running Headquarters in Zurich – March 5, 2025, speaker
- 'Arbitration in Sport and Beyond: Athlete Justice, Commercial Dynamics, Media Attention and Regulatory Challenges', Swiss Arbitration Summit 2025 in Zurich – January 30, 2025, speaker
- 'Legal Matters: Basic Sports & Content Protection Law', Sports Matter Academy – June 23, 2022, speaker
- 'Wine Calling: Strategies for investing in US wineries,' Withers presentation for select Italian clients - January 27, 2022, co-presenter
- Luca is regularly interviewed by sports newspapers and radio programs.
Insight
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External publications
His most recent publications:- 'FIFPRO revolutionizes data management: here's the platform that changes soccer on Calcio e Finanza, co-author Liguori J. (2025)
- 'Investing in Italian professional football: The evolving landscape of club ownership rules between reforms and challenges on LawInSport, co-authors Murgia A. and D'Anna M. (2025)
- 'Sport 4.0: how data has become one of the most valuable assets between innovation and risk on Calcio e Finanza, co-author Liguori J. (2025)
- 'Italian football and betting: a tough match' on Swedish Sport & Law Annual Review 2024 (2024)
- 'English Premier League foreign players – blowing the whistle of the "non-dom" regime' on Sports Law and Taxation June 2024, co-authors Monte M., Martin R., and Wren D. (2024)
- 'Legal solutions for multi-club owners' on Eprivate client, co-author Wren. D (2024)
- 'Football players and image rights' on Sports Law and Taxation December 2023, co-author Molinari F. (2023)
- 'Fancy buying Sampdoria football club? A short guide to the Italian insolvency process & FIGC rules' on LawInSport, co-author Rota M. (2023)
- 'A guide to Serie A's new collective bargaining agreement' on LawinSport, co-author Calandrelli V. (2023)
- 'Sports Law Manual' - ('Manuale di Diritto Sportivo') - Chapter on image rights, Giappichelli, 2020'
- 'Sportlervermittlung & sportlermanagement', StämIy - Beck, Mainz, co-author
- 'Sports Image Rights in Europe, Player's Agents Worldwide - Legal Aspects' and 'TV Rights and Sport - Legal Aspects', T.M.C. Asser Institut, The Hague, co-author
- Luca has authored over 50 articles on sports law and sports management, including analysis on sports image rights and football transfer deals and contributes frequently to major Italian newspapers, such as 'Il Sole 24 Ore', 'Corriere della Sera' (including 'Corriere Economia'), 'Milano Finanza', 'Italia Oggi' and online magazines.
Admissions
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Italy, 1997
Education
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University of Padua, Degree in Law, LLB equivalent
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University of Padua, post-graduate program in international trade law
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University of California, full scholarship EAP
Languages
- English
- Italian
- German
Memberships
- Listed in the Qatar Sports Arbitration Foundation list of arbitrators and mediators as a lawyer specialised in sport law
- Milan Bar
- President of the Supervisory Body of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team
- Member of the Supervisory Body of Marchesi 1824
Key dates
- Year joined: 2014
- Year became partner: 2014