The Court of Arbitration for Sport has approved what Cleary Gottlieb is calling "a highly favorable settlement agreement" involving Cleary client and Russian ice hockey player Danis Zaripov, resolving his appeal of the two-year ineligibility period imposed on him by the IIHF Disciplinary Board in July 2017, and permitting him to resume playing professional ice hockey.
Zaripov is a three-time winner of the IIHF World Championship with the Russian national team and four-time winner of the Kontinental Hockey League’s (KHL) Gagarin Cup.
According to Cleary Gottlieb, "on November 21, 2017, the Court of Arbitration for Sport issued a Consent Award approving the settlement agreement between the IIHF and Mr. Zaripov, reducing the previously imposed ineligibility period to six months, ending on November 23, 2017. Accordingly, as of November 23, 2017, Mr. Zaripov is cleared to participate in all competitions or activities authorized or organized by the IIHF or any IIHF Member National Association. The Consent Award issued by CAS embodies the parties’ settlement agreement, and, based upon extensive documentary and expert evidence that was unavailable to the IIHF Disciplinary Board when it rendered its prior decision, confirms, inter alia, that (i) Danis Zaripov did not engage in intentional doping and had no intention to cheat; and (ii) the source of the substance that was the subject of the challenged IIHF Disciplinary Board decision was a contaminated product. Accordingly, the Consent Award provides that the July 2017 decision of the IIHF Disciplinary Board shall be set aside and that pursuant to the parties’ settlement agreement Mr. Zaripov is cleared to participate in all competitions or activities authorized or organized by the IIHF or any IIHF Member National Association as of November 23, 2017."
Earlier this year Cleary Gottlieb also represented Zaripov in his successful application to North America's National Hockey League to be declared eligible to play in the league.
The Cleary Gottlieb core team win this most recent matter was led by Partners Murat Akuyev in Moscow and Christopher Moore in London, with the support in London of Associates Rikki Stern and Marina Zarubin and in Moscow of Associate Alexander Golovkin. Partner Jeffrey Rosenthal, in New York, led the team in connection with Zaripov’s application and presentation to the NHL to determine his eligibility.
