Gurinder & Partners, a full-service law firm with more than two decades of experience across corporate, disputes, and advisory services, has announced the strategic integration of Law Caddie, a boutique sports law practice known for its specialised representation within India’s sporting ecosystem.
The integration marks a significant expansion of Gurinder & Partners’ capabilities in the rapidly evolving sports law and sports business domain, enabling the firm to offer a consolidated service platform for athletes, academies, federations, leagues, coaches, and sports organisations across India.
Law Caddie’s Legacy in India’s Sports Ecosystem
Over the years, Law Caddie has built a reputation as one of the few dedicated sports law firms in the country, offering legal advisory and representation to both emerging and professional stakeholders in sports.
Its specialised focus spans:
Athlete representation
Dispute resolution & arbitration
Anti-doping matters
Contractual and sponsorship arrangements
Integrity management & compliance
Advisory to academies and governing bodies
Law Caddie gained recognition for its integrity-driven approach, precise drafting, and consistent engagement with athletes and sporting institutions. Its work contributed to increasing legal awareness in Indian sport — a sector that has seen significant regulatory and commercial shifts over the past decade.
What the Integration Means for Gurinder & Partners
The integration enables Gurinder & Partners to combine boutique specialization with the scale and multidisciplinary support of a full-service firm. This includes the ability to provide sports clients with access to:
Commercial and contractual advisory
Sponsorship, media, and IP structuring
Employment and disciplinary matters
Litigation and disputes
Regulatory compliance
Tax, finance, and investment support for sports entities
The firm now strengthens its position at a time when India’s sporting ecosystem—across cricket, football, badminton, kabaddi, athletics, esports, and Olympic disciplines—is experiencing rapid professionalisation and commercial growth.
Speaking on the Development
Deepak Sharma, Partner at Law Caddie, said:
“Law Caddie was founded with a singular vision—to bring structure, ethics, and clarity to sports law in India. Its integration with Gurinder & Partners enables that vision to evolve and expand. Together, we can offer athletes and institutions a stronger, more versatile legal platform that truly reflects the ambition of India’s sporting future.”
Why This Integration Matters: The Growing Sports Law Opportunity in India
India’s sports industry has undergone a structural transformation in the last decade, driven by:
The rise of franchise-based leagues
Increased brand and sponsorship investments
Growth of sports academies and training ecosystems
Expanding focus on athlete welfare
The increasing role of anti-doping regulation and compliance
Emergence of esports and digital-first sporting formats
Despite this, the sports law market remains underdeveloped, with only a handful of firms offering dedicated expertise. Most athletes and institutions have historically relied on general practitioners or ad-hoc representation, often without access to structured legal strategy.
The integration of a specialised boutique like Law Caddie into a full-service platform signals:
formalisation of sports law as a recognised practice area
greater institutional commitment to athlete- and federation-focused advisory
a shift toward multi-disciplinary representation, where contractual, regulatory, commercial, and reputational elements are handled together
growing demand for preventive compliance and structured guidance in anti-doping, dispute management, and integrity matters
For the wider legal market, this move reflects the maturity of India’s sports ecosystem and growing recognition that sports law requires technical expertise, sectoral insight, and ethical clarity.
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