Louise Reilly BL

Louise Reilly is a barrister who specialises in sports law and international arbitration. She is regularly instructed by international sports bodies to prosecute participants for breaches of integrity rules, particularly anti-doping and match fixing.

Louise is an independent director and Vice-President of Cycling Ireland; Chair of the Board of the Biathlon Integrity Unit; and a former member of UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body Appeals Chamber. She has carried out several investigations into alleged wrongdoing in sport, including her appointment to the Commissioning Advisory Group to support the independent review of the Welsh Rugby Union.

In addition to her work as party representative and investigatory roles, Louise also acts as arbitrator. She is a member of the ICSID Panel of Arbitrators in Washington DC; is the Irish member of the ICC International Court of Arbitration in Paris; is nominated by the European Commission to the pool of arbitrators for bilateral disputes under trade agreements with third countries; and is a member of the Panel of Arbitrators and Mediators of Sport Resolutions, UK.

Louise is an Adjunct Associate Professor at UCD Sutherland School of law; and is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin, The Honorable Society of King’s Inns, and Stanford Law School.

• R. de Paor & L. Reilly, ‘Perspectives in Practice of the UNIDROIT Principles 2016’, Chapter on Ireland, International Bar Association (2019)
• ‘What is the Court of Arbitration for Sport?’, Three Pillars (March 2017)
• ‘Recent Developments in International Arbitration in Ireland and the United Kingdom’, 33 J. Int. Arb. (2016)
• ‘Opinion: Modern Challenges in Current Sport Governance’, World Sports Law Report, Volume 13, Issue 12 (December 2015)
• B. Hensler, J. Blasi, J. Esbenshade & L. Reilly, ‘Codes of Conduct on Labor Standards’, in ‘ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law, International Labor and Employment Laws’ (4^th ed., 2014)
• ‘Review of CAS Jurisprudence’, SAV/TAS Seminar papers (2013)
• ‘An Introduction to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) & the Role of National Courts in International Sports Disputes’, Disp. Resol. 63 (2012)
• ‘Harmonisation of Irish Arbitration Law: Arbitration Act 2010’, 28 J. Int. Arb. (2011)

• ‘Tackling Bias in Arbitration Hearings’, ICC Ireland, Dublin, 17 July 2023
• ‘The UNCITRAL Model Law in Practice – Experience from the Irish High Court’, Paris Arbitration Week, Irish Embassy, Paris, 29 March 2022
• ‘Anti-Doping Disciplinary Proceedings’, Executive Master in Sport Governance (MESGO), Virtual Lecture, 4 May 2021
• ‘An Insight into the World of Sports Law’, Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, Virtual Conference, 8 Dec. 2020
• ‘Scope of Mediation in Sports Disputes’, Mediators from the Supreme Court of India, Webinar, 10 Nov. 2020
• ‘Schiefelbein Global Dispute Resolution Conference’, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University, 17 Jan. 2020
• ‘Practice & Procedure in International Arbitration’, Maharashtra National Law University, Mumbai, 6 Dec. 2019
• ‘International Arbitration Workshop with ICC Counsel’, ICC Ireland & CIArb Irish Branch, Dublin, 11 April 2019
• ‘Recent CAS Jurisprudence on Doping Matters’, CAS & the Swiss Bar Association, Lausanne, 22 Sept. 2018
• ‘ISLJ Annual International Sports Law Conference’, Asser, the Hague, 27 Oct. 2017
• ‘Tackling Doping in Sport’, Workshop on Sports Governance, London, 8 March 2017
• ‘International and Comparative Law in the 21st Century: Lessons learned’, Griffith College Dublin, 10 June 2016
• ‘CIArb Young Members Group Centenary Celebration’, Paris, 6 Nov. 2015
• ‘Where to from here: A Canadian Strategy for Implementing the UN Principles on Business and Human Rights?’ Ryerson University, Toronto, 8 May 2014
• ‘Lunch Seminar on International Arbitration’, Stanford Law School, 24 Feb. 2014
• ‘CAS Workshop’, Football Federation of Ukraine, Kiev, 30 May 2013
• ‘International Sports Law & Jurisprudence of the CAS’, CAS & the Swiss Bar Association, Lausanne, 8 Sept. 2012
• ‘Border Skirmishes: The Intersection between Litigation and International Commercial Arbitration’, University of Missouri School of Law, 21 Oct. 2011

Louise is a member of the Bar of Ireland Voluntary Assistance Scheme. Her pro bono work includes advising a non-governmental organisation following a decision by the European Commission not to uphold a complaint against the Irish Government; and independent legal expert to monitor the election of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus.

Louise is a committee member of the Climate Bar Association, which aims to act at the forefront of environmental justice and law in Ireland and to become a thought leader of climate law expertise in Ireland.