David Diaz

David Díaz is a partner in Baker McKenzie’s since 2004 and heads both the Employment & Compensation and Sports Law practice in Baker McKenzie Madrid. He has significant experience litigating in labor courts and negotiations with unions. He is recognized in the field of employment law by Chambers Europe and Legal 500. In addition to his practice, Mr. Díaz regularly collaborates with economic newspapers, has co-authored several leading reference books on employment and is a regular speaker in industrial relations courses. As head of the Sports Law practice in Baker McKenzie Madrid, holds extensive experience this area particularly in the football industry. Specifically he regularly advice professional athletes and clubs in all the matters related to negotiation of contracts and transfers and its compensation schemes. David also has wide experience in assisting foreign investors with interest in the European football industry.

Practice Focus

Mr. Díaz advises domestic and multinational companies on a broad range of labor and employment matters, with particular emphasis on union-related negotiations on a variety of issues including layoffs and relocations, collective bargaining agreements and equality plans. He is seasoned in major reorganization and restructuring processes, and has extensive experience advising on and litigating occupational and health safety issues and social security and pension liability matters, focusing on areas such as labour and employment benefit specialties, collective agreement negotiations, collective dismissals, major reorganizations and negotiations with works councils, trade unions, and public authorities, employment litigation, employment contracts, compliance, human resources, labour reorganizations and industrial disputes. He also has great experience on social security, local, national and European works councils, trade union recognition procedures and elections, employee's compensation, executive compensation, executive terminations, employment taxation, pensions, executive transfers, discrimination and privacy issues.

Mr.Diaz has extensive experience in sports law and in particular in the soccer industry. In particular, he regularly advises Spanish and foreign clubs on the legal aspects of their operations, both in sports matters and in the day-to-day management of such organizations. Likewise, David regularly advises agents and intermediaries, both national and international, in all matters related to contracting, modification and termination of contractual relationships, providing advice on all legal aspects related to the transfer of sports players, agents and intermediaries, both national and international. He also has extensive experience in advising foreign investors with a potential interest in the European soccer industry on M&A transactions. He regularly participates in the Sports Law Forum organized by Fundación LaLiga, in the permanent seminar organized by the Association of Football Players organized by the Spanish Footballers Association (AFE) and ISDE and in other forums of debate and legal analysis such as FIDE. He is also a professor in the Master in Law applied to Football at LaLiga Business School, in the Master in Sports Law at UNIR and in the Master in Sports Law at UNIR.

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Young Lawyers Association
• Madrid Bar Association

Admissions

• Madrid~Spain (1993)

Education

• Universidad San Pablo CEU (Law Degree) (1993)
• Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Languages

• English
• French
• Spanish