Andrew Mercer

Andrew is a UK qualified lawyer with extensive experience in the sports sector. He started his legal career in private practice at leading international firm, Slaughter and May, in London in 2006, specialising in IP/commercial matters and advising a range of corporate clients (including Premier League football clubs). In 2010, Andrew moved to the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) in Switzerland, where he stayed for over 7 years. At UEFA, Andrew initially provided legal support in commercial matters as a member of the Marketing Legal Services unit (advising on IP, sponsorship and licensing contracts) but later joined UEFA’s Disciplinary Services unit, specialising in football-specific regulatory and disciplinary matters (including financial fair play, club licensing, general disciplinary and anti-doping cases). In 2017, Andrew joined the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in Malaysia as Deputy Legal Director and Head of the Sports Legal Services, Disciplinary and Governance unit, which provides legal expertise in disciplinary, regulatory and governance matters. In May 2020, Andrew took on the role of AFC General Counsel & Legal Director. He is the chief legal officer of the AFC, with responsibility for the supervision and management of the AFC’s legal function and all legal activities undertaken by the organisation (namely IP/commercial matters, corporate legal affairs, integrity, disciplinary, governance and regulatory matters, as well as the AFC’s medical function). Andrew is a member of the FA Judicial Panel and an arbitrator with the European Handball Court of Arbitration. He is a regular contributor to the distinguished 'Football Legal' journal and is a member of the editorial panel for the publication.