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CĂLINA TEJAN

Călina Tejan is an Associate Lawyer at Gherdan & Associates, Romania’s first law firm dedicated exclusively to sports law. Her practice focuses on contract law, disciplinary proceedings, and representation in football, handball and basketball disputes before arbitration courts and national federation bodies.

She is perhaps best known for her role in one of the most consequential CAS decisions in recent Olympic history. At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Călina was part of the legal team, coordinated by partner Sabin Gherdan, that represented the Romanian Gymnastics Federation and gymnast Ana Maria Bărbosu before the CAS Ad-Hoc Division. Following five days and four nights of intensive proceedings, CAS ruled in favour of Romania, awarding Bărbosu the Olympic bronze medal after the American team’s inquiry was found to have been filed past the regulatory deadline. The decision received worldwide media coverage and remains a landmark in international sports arbitration.

In her day-to-day practice, Călina assists athletes, coaches, and clubs across a broad range of legal matters, from drafting and reviewing sports activity contracts and negotiating their terms, to representing clients in disciplinary proceedings before Romanian and international federation bodies. She acts in both football, handball and basketball disputes, with a focus on contractual entitlements, unpaid obligations, and regulatory compliance.

Călina holds a law degree from the Faculty of Law of Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, where she studied from 2016 to 2020. She passed the bar exam and became a member of the Cluj Bar.

Her background in team sports, where she played at a professional level, gives her a genuine understanding of the dynamics and pressures that athletes face, both on and off the field.

Călina can be contacted directly at calina.tejan@gherdanassociates.com.

RECENT RELEVANT MATTERS:

• Represented the Romanian Gymnastics Federation and Olympic athlete Ana Maria Bărbosu before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Ad-Hoc Division at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, as part of the legal team led by partner Sabin Gherdan. Successfully challenged the validity of a score inquiry lodged by the American team after the floor exercise final, on the grounds that the inquiry was filed four seconds past the regulatory one-minute deadline. Following five days and four nights of intensive proceedings in Paris, CAS ruled in favour of Romania, awarding Bărbosu the Olympic bronze medal. The decision received worldwide media coverage and stands as one of the most consequential CAS rulings in recent Olympic history.