Schelstraete

MIDDLE EAST

Equine Lawyers in the Middle-East

Schelstraete Equine Law advises and represents clients in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, across the United Arab Emirates, and throughout the wider Middle East and GCC region, on complex international and cross-border equine law matters.

We support horse owners, stables, breeders, investors, racing and sport professionals with legal advice relating to equine transactions, disciplinary and doping proceedings, corporate advisory work, and equine mediation. In addition, our lawyers regularly advise high-net-worth individuals and families on the legal structuring, acquisition, and long-term management of valuable equine assets.

Our firm works closely with a trusted network of local legal counsel and equine industry professionals across the Middle East, ensuring that matters are handled efficiently, discreetly, and in accordance with local regulations, industry practices, and governing authorities.

Contact details

info@schelstraete.com

+31 (0)13 511 44 20

Our Expertise

We combine specialized equine law, commercial litigation, and sports law expertise with in-house veterinary and commercial insight.

Contracting

Our experts draft and negotiate legally robust and cross-border contracts that protect your interests in national and international transactions.

Litigation

Our lawyers represent clients in complex cross-border disputes and litigation, acting decisively to safeguard legal and commercial positions.

Corporate Consultancy

We advise businesses and investors on governance, restructuring, and cross-border corporate strategy.

Disciplinary & Doping Cases

We provide strategic defense in disciplinary and doping proceedings before national and international sports authorities, such as the FEI, CAS, and HISA

Immigration

Our lawyers handle visas, work permits, and residency procedures to support international equestrian careers and other athletic professions.

Equine Sports Industry Practice

We structure and provide strategic advice for equine events, series, and joint ventures, advise on mergers and acquisitions of equine businesses, and represent private equity investors.

Contracting

Our experts draft and negotiate legally robust and cross-border equine contracts that protect your interests in national and international transactions.

Litigation

Our equine lawyers represent clients in complex cross-border equine disputes and litigation, acting decisively to safeguard legal and commercial positions.

Corporate Consultancy

We advise equine businesses and investors on governance, restructuring, and cross-border corporate strategy.

Disciplinary & Doping Cases

We are the global equine law firm of choice for providing strategic defense in disciplinary and doping proceedings before national and international sports authorities, such as the FEI and the CAS.

Immigration

Our equine lawyers handle visas, work permits, and residency procedures to support international equestrian careers and operations.

Equine Sports Industry Practice

We structure and provide strategic advice for equine events, series, and joint ventures, advise on mergers and acquisitions of equine businesses, and represent private equity investors.

Mediation

We facilitate structured, confidential mediation to resolve disputes efficiently while preserving professional relationships.

Compliance

We support organizations in meeting regulatory, welfare, and governance requirements at national and international level.

Family Office

We assist high-net-worth families with structuring, succession planning, and long-term protection of their assets.

Finance

We provide legally grounded financial guidance for enterprises, transactions, and investment structures.

Import & Export of Horses

We guide clients through the legal and regulatory complexities of international horse transport and trade.

Mediation Consultancy

We facilitate structured, confidential mediation to resolve equine disputes efficiently while preserving professional relationships.

Compliance

We support equine organizations in meeting regulatory, welfare, and governance requirements at national and international level.

Family Office

We assist high-net-worth families with structuring, succession planning, and long-term protection of equine assets.

Finance

We provide legally grounded financial guidance for equine enterprises, transactions, and investment structures.

Import & Export of Horses

We guide clients through the legal and regulatory complexities of international horse transport and trade.

Meet our Equine Lawyers

Leading equine lawyers delivering cross-border legal excellence

z.calo@schelstraete.nl

Areas of expertise:

Commercial Dispute Resolution
Mediation
Sports Law
Litigation

Global Sports Law Expertise

Zachary R. Calo is an international expert in sports law and dispute resolution, serving as Of Counsel and, since 2026, as Head of the U.S. Practice at Schelstraete Equine Law.

He has represented athletes, teams, and national federations for many years in disciplinary, anti‑doping, and Olympic selection matters before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and other international tribunals.

Dr. Calo is widely recognized as a leading authority in international sports arbitration and currently serves as Chairman of the Anti‑Doping Division of the Qatar Sports Arbitration Tribunal.

Arbitration

Dr. Calo is a recognized authority in international arbitration with extensive experience before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), where he represents athletes and federations in disciplinary, anti‑doping, and selection disputes.

He also serves as Chairman of the Anti‑Doping Division of the Qatar Sports Arbitration Tribunal and sits on major global arbitration panels, including Sport Resolutions (UK), the Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre, the Qatar International Centre for Conciliation and Arbitration, the Chamber of Conciliation, Arbitration and Intercultural Mediation in Brazil, and the Hague Court of Arbitration for Aviation.

Mediation

Dr. Zachary R. Calo is a leading figure in international mediation, serving as a Founding Partner of Gulf Mediation—the first commercial mediation firm in the Middle East—and acting as a mediator for the United States EEOC.

He holds senior leadership roles within the IBA Mediation Committee and the IMI Ethics Committee, contributes to the revision of global mediator ethics standards, and trains mediators across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia through programs in Brazil, Pakistan, Iran, the UAE, Turkey, and beyond.

Academic Authority

Dr. Calo is a globally recognized Professor of Law with an academic career spanning the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Australia. He has held full professorships at Touro University and Hamad bin Khalifa University, and taught as a visiting or adjunct professor at leading institutions including Northwestern University in Qatar, the University of Notre Dame Australia, the Open University (UK), and the British University in Egypt.

His teaching and research cover sports law, mediation ethics, international arbitration, law and religion, and transnational legal systems, making him a sought‑after lecturer and keynote speaker at universities and conferences worldwide.

Publications & Thought Leadership

Dr. Calo is a prolific scholar whose work appears in leading international journals and academic volumes across sports law, dispute resolution, mediation ethics, and law and religion. He is co‑editor of The CAS Code: Commentary on the Rules of Sports Arbitration (Cambridge University Press, 2026) and author of numerous forthcoming articles in top publications such as the Journal of International Arbitration, The Review of Public Personnel Administration, and Global Trends in Mediation. His extensive body of work includes influential writings on AI and mediation ethics, sports integrity, international commercial mediation, human dignity, and comparative constitutional law.