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06 March 2026
Issue: 8152 / Categories: Legal News , Sports law , Employment , Commercial , Sports litigation , International
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NLJ this week: Mbappé row spotlights ‘ethics bonuses’

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A €60.9m award to Kylian Mbappé has refocused attention on football’s controversial ‘ethics bonus’ clauses. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Estelle Ivanova of Valloni Attorneys at Law examines how such provisions sit within French labour law

These bonuses, tied to conduct on and off the pitch, are lawful in principle—but only if framed as objective remuneration, not disguised penalties. French law prohibits ‘financial penalties’, rendering contrary clauses ‘deemed unwritten’.

The Paris Labour Court stressed that ‘contractual undertakings must be complied with’.

Poor drafting risks recharacterisation or invalidation; sophisticated drafting is now essential in a sport where reputation and revenue are entwined.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Withers—Sophie Barrett-Brown

Withers—Sophie Barrett-Brown

Withers drives further growth in its UK immigration team with new partner Sophie Barrett-Brown

Venus Legal—Esther Amoako

Venus Legal—Esther Amoako

Venus Legal invests in next generation of legal talent as specialist litigation practice grows

Fisher Phillips—Catrina Smith

Fisher Phillips—Catrina Smith

Fisher Phillips continues momentum in London with arrival of Catrina Smith

NEWS
Restrictions on workplace non-disclosure agreements could make settlements slower, more complex and more expensive when reforms expected in 2027 take effect
Private prosecutors face closer scrutiny under Crown Prosecution Service guidance designed to strengthen accountability and consistency when intervention is requested
Foreign states cannot necessarily claim immunity for cyber operations launched abroad against computers in Britain, following a divided Supreme Court ruling
Defendants who make unsupported complaints about their lawyers risk losing legal aid while confiscation proceedings continue without representation
Lawyers advising Russian clients face different sanctions restrictions across the UK, EU and US, despite their shared objective of increasing pressure on Russia
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