Sport & Society

Elisabeth Matthys has a broad range of expertise in transfers of undertakings and the harmonisation of employment conditions in corporate restructurings and outsourcing. She also advises on recruitment, the posting of employees and the employment of foreign workers. In case of social conflicts, she is often called upon to provide expert advice to works councils.

In addition, Elisabeth focuses on the European and corporate law aspects of employment law as well as international employment situations. Of particular note is her experience in the employment of civil servants in public services/utilities, semi-public law structures, privatisations of public entities and reorganisations.

As a sports lawyer, Elisabeth assists major sports federations, professional sports leagues, sports authorities and sport clubs with advice and litigation regarding topics such as transfer rules, discrimination issues, matchfixing and anti-doping rules. She also assists individual athletes in disputes with federations, selection criteria and many other areas of sports law.

Elisabeth is a member of the expert committee in social criminal law advising the Belgian government. Furthermore, she is the author of various publications on her areas of expertise and a regular guest speaker at seminars and conferences. 

Elisabeth graduated in Law from Ghent University in 2000. She also holds a Magister Juris in European and Comparative Law from the University of Oxford (2001). Elisabeth joined the Brussels office of Stibbe in 2001.

Starting in the academic year 2022-2023, Elisabeth Matthys is appointed as a guest professor in sports law at the Department of Movement and Sport Sciences in the Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.