LOS ANGELES — MAY 21, 2012 — Arent Fox sports attorney Maidie E. Oliveau has been named as one of 12 attorneys worldwide to serve on the special Ad Hoc Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in London to settle disputes that arise during the 2012 Olympic Games in London. She is the only American and the only woman member of the panel of arbitrators that will resolve disputes such as athlete team selections, judging issues and drug test results.

The International Council of Arbitration for Sport (ICAS) first elected Maidie an arbitrator to the CAS in 1997 and her term has since been repeatedly renewed. This is the fifth time that she has been asked to serve on the Ad Hoc Division of CAS, having previously done so for the Olympic Games in Athens, Sydney, Torino and Salt Lake City. Established by the ICAS, the Ad Hoc Division is the final arbiter of all Olympic Games-related disputes.

Prior to each Olympic Games, Maidie also has been called upon to arbitrate the cases of American athletes who contend that they should have been chosen to represent the United States in their particular sport. In addition, she has served as an arbitrator on various CAS and American Arbitration Association panels deciding the appeal of athletes such as cyclist, Tyler Hamilton, tennis player, Guillermo Cañas, swimmer, Jessica Hardy, and others, with respect to positive doping results.

The Ad Hoc Division often hears cases of highly visible medal winners, such as American gymnast Paul Hamm when South Korea appealed his all-around gymnastics gold medal award in 2004 – an award that he ultimately was allowed to keep. And, after a successful appeal to the Ad Hoc Division of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, American track athlete Walter Dix was awarded a bronze medal in the 200 meters.

Currently, Maidie is Sports Vice Chair and serves on the editorial board of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Entertainment and Sports Forum. She is also a frequent contributor and speaker at conferences on the business of sports and entertainment, including the ABA’s Entertainment & Sports Forum Conference and Alternative Dispute Resolution Annual Meeting, the Sports Lawyers Association annual conference, IEG’s sponsorship conference, and various other conferences. She also serves on the Board of Advisors of the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission, the National Sports Law Institute, the Loyola Sports Law Institute, and the Georgetown Entertainment and Media Alliance.

Maidie resides in Arent Fox’s Los Angeles office. Her practice focuses on sports-related transactions. She represents professional sports teams, leagues, event owners, corporations, owners of sports and entertainment facilities, Internet video providers, television networks, and governing bodies in connection with licensing transactions such as naming rights, sponsorships, acquisitions and grants of television rights, talent and service agreements, event-related rights, merchandising rights, industry specific legal issues, and trademark protection. She also represents acquirers of professional sports events and/or clubs.