Kenyan lawyer Khayran Noor flies flag for Africa by winning Rising Star at Women in Sports Law Awards

It is a deep honour to be named the Rising Star among inspiring women who break barriers and whose work shapes the future of sports law, says Kenyan lawyer Khayran Noor, who yesterday became a two-time winner of the Rising Star category at the annual Women In Sports Law (WISLaw) Members Awards.

“Khayran has been vocal about her opinions on various developments of sports and law and she is extremely supportive and kind to those who seek her assistance and guidance,” said WISLaw in its announcement. “She is one of the influential legal personalities who constantly provides updates on various aspects of sports law.”

Based in Switzerland and established in 2016, WISLaw is an international, non-profit association that aims to promote women in the sports law sector, through scientific and networking events, annual meetings and annual reports. In recent years its annual WISLaw Members Awards have celebrated exceptional, trailblazing women “who are making an extraordinary impact across sports legal services worldwide”.

The five 2025 winners - Lawyer of the Year (Private Practice), In-House Counsel of the Year, Arbitrator of the Year, Rising Star (under 35), and top honour the WISLaw Award - were announced during the 9th General Assembly and Annual Conference.

Khayran, founder of Sports Legal and current Chair of the Sports Law Committee of the East Africa Law Society, yesterday won the Rising Star Award for a second time, having previously scooped the WISLaw under-35 honour in 2023.

“A heartfelt thank you to WISLaw, the nominators, and the entire community for this recognition, and congratulations to all the incredible winners,” shared Khayran on social media. “Each of you sets a powerful example of excellence, leadership, and dedication in our field. Here’s to continuing the journey of breaking barriers and building a more inclusive, impactful future in sports law together.”

Melanie Schärer, a Swiss lawyer specialising in football matters and co-founder of WISLaw, was named 2025 Lawyer of the Year (Private Practice). Uruguayan-born Alexandra Gómez Bruinewoud, Legal Director at FIFPro, the Dutch-headquartered global union for professional football players and a FIFA Football Tribunal Dispute Resolution Chamber Judge, won In-House Counsel of the Year.

Arbitrator of the Year was won by Dr Despina Mavromati, a renowned Swiss-Greek sports law attorney and Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) arbitrator, and co-founder of WISLaw. Canadian lawyer, arbitrator, and senior sports executive Catherine Pitre, a former Commissioner of Athletics Canada and past President of WISLaw, was honoured with the WISLaw Award, the organisation’s highest honour.

“Each winner exemplifies the excellence, innovation, and leadership that drives our industry forward - from groundbreaking arbitration decisions to regulatory evolution, from athlete advocacy to sports governance excellence,” said WISLaw.