Zabih is an entrepreneur, former professional footballer and a lawyer specialised in sports and corporate law. He advises directors, shareholders, ambitious business people and parties involved in elite sport.

He is able to advise clients about opportunities and risks by reducing complicated material to its legal essence. This enables them to take an informed decision.

The aim of any entrepreneur or elite athlete is to maintain a focus on his or her core business. If a problem occurs, Zabih resolves it for his clients by communicating directly with the counterparty, or by litigating. Depending on the case he sets the goal together with his client and decides on the strategy. His pragmatic approach generally produces the maximum result, proving once again his added value for his clients.

As a lawyer Zabih is a sparring partner for his clients when taking important commercial and strategic decisions. He is convinced that details make the difference, both in elite sport and in business.

Among others Zabih advises shareholders, directors and business partners on how to set up, structure or indeed terminate partnerships. The company and stakeholders can do business in various ways and at various levels. Zabih’s advice focuses particularly on realising opportunities and preventing or de-escalating disputes. However, if the case requires, he will litigate effectively for his clients.

Zabih advises and assists elite athletes, clubs and other sport-related parties, such as sponsors and sports associations, on legal matters such as (international) transfers, contract negotiations and sports arbitration procedures. Zabih’s expertise covers the entire legal field of play up to international level.

Zabih has registered corporate law in the legal register of the Dutch Bar Association. On the basis of this registration, Zabih must obtain ten permanent education points in every main registered jurisdiction every year in accordance with the standards of the Dutch Bar Association.

Sport and corporate law

Zabih is specialised in sports and corporate law. At LOYR he is a member of the corporate law team, together with Jasper van Mens, and also makes up the sports law department together with Babs Dubois.

CV

Zabih Etemadi is of Persian (Iranian) descent and graduated from the University of Groningen with a Master’s in Dutch law, with a specialisation in business law. After that he immediately started working as a lawyer. During his career as a professional footballer he played for SC Heerenveen, SC Cambuur and FC Groningen. Zabih has been active as an entrepreneur and held management positions at a variety of companies since 2010. In 2016 he founded the law firm LOYR, together with Floris Havelaar and Jasper van Mens.

Zabih is a member of the Association for Sport and Law.

In the media

Rug.nl: Broerstraat 5 (Dutch; PDF file) — 11 july 2019

NOS: Van de strafbank naar de rechtbank: kan dat in elke sport? (Dutch) — 31 august 2017

Balie Bulletin: Leven naast de advocatuur – Zabih Etemadi: advocaat èn sportmanager (Dutch) — 26 may 2021

Financieele Dagblad: Saoedi-Arabië smijt met geld voor topvoetballers om imago op te vijzelen (Dutch; paywalled) — 7 june 2023

Hoogeveensche Courant: Hoogeveen is akkoord: doelman Nick Borgman krijgt gewenste transfer naar Duitsland (Dutch) — 13 july 2019

NPO Radio 5: Iraanse voetballers (Dutch) — 25 january 2017

BNR: Missen EK nadelig voor marktwaarde Nederlandse spelers (Dutch) — 10 june 2016

BNR: Mondigheid voetbalouders is ook probleem van clubs (Dutch) — 29 april 2017

BNR: Age Bakker, TCA Taxi en Lightyear (Dutch) — 10 august 2017