Draft:Elio Perlman
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Last edited by Maura Brule (talk | contribs) 3 days ago. (Update) |
Elio Perlman | |
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| Born | Aurelio Luca Robert Perlman February 20, 2001 Crema, Cremona, Lombardy, Italy |
| Nationality | Italian, French, American, British |
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| Awards | Golden Recipient (1st Place) of the Leeds International Piano Competition (2018) |
Elio Perlman (born Aurelio Luca Robert Perlman; 20 February 2001) is an Italian pianist and musician (also lawyer), best known for winning the prestigious Leeds International Piano Competition in 2018. He is also recognized for his prominent family background, which combines distinguished intellectuals, diplomats, and aristocracy lineages from both his paternal and maternal sides.
Elio was work as a legal professional and rugby legal counsel. He is known for his work with multiple rugby federations across Europe, Oceania, and Africa. Perlman holds degrees from the University of Oxford and has been admitted to several law societies, including those of England and Wales, South Africa, Australia (notably the Law Society of New South Wales), New Zealand, France, Italy, Scotland, and Ireland. His expertise focuses on sports law, particularly rugby governance and legal consultancy. As of 2025, he is pursuing qualification as a barrister in England and Wales.
Early Life and Education
[edit]Elio Perlman was born on 20 February 2001 in Crema, a city in the province of Cremona, Lombardy, Italy. He holds multiple nationalities: Italian and French through his mother, and American and British through his father.
Elio's father, Samuel Eugen Lorenz Perlman, is an American-British diplomat serving as a High Commissioner for Refugees at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). He holds a degree in history from the University of Milan and has resided in Milan for many years due to his professional commitments. Samuel descends from a family with notable academic and cultural heritage. His father, Selig Perlman, was a renowned economist and labor historian at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, while his mother, Pannonica de Koenigswarter, was a celebrated patron of jazz and a member of the Rothschild family. Through his paternal lineage, Elio is of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, with roots primarily tracing back to Austrian Jewish and Russian Jewish.
On his mother’s side, Elio is the son of Annella Daniela Perlman (née de Camondo), an Italian-French economist who serves as an Assistant Director-General for Corporate Services at the International Labour Organization (ILO). Annella holds a degree in mathematics from Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University. Born in Paris, Annella spent much of her early life in the French capital before relocating to Milan, Italy. She belongs to the distinguished de Camondo family, a lineage of Sephardic Jewish aristocrats of Ottoman-Turkish origin who later settled in France. Her father, Count Salomone de Camondo, served as the head of the House of Camondo and is known for his contributions to the arts and philanthropy. Her mother, Sarah Cahen d'Anvers, also comes from a prominent Jewish banking family. Annella herself has a diverse heritage, combining Sephardic Jewish roots with ancestral connections to Moroccan Jews.
Elio’s upbringing was shaped by this unique blend of intellectual, cultural, and international influences, with frequent exposure to diplomatic, artistic, and academic circles from an early age.
Elio began his formal education in 2009 at the prestigious Institut Le Rosey in Rolle, Switzerland, where he studied until 2019. During his time at Le Rosey, Elio developed a strong interest in music, focusing on the piano and violin. His musical talent flourished, and he began participating in international competitions. In 2018, at the age of 17, Elio achieved a major milestone by winning first place and the gold medal at the Leeds International Piano Competition, becoming the youngest winner in the competition's history and surpassing much older and more experienced competitors.
After completing his secondary education, Elio enrolled at Trinity College, University of Oxford, where he pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree in Law (Jurisprudence) from 2019 to 2022. Following the completion of his undergraduate studies, Elio continued at the same institution to undertake the Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) programme, one of the most prestigious postgraduate law degrees in the world, which he completed in 2023.
Elio enrolled at City Law School in January 2025 to pursue the Bar Vocational Studies (BVS) programme, which is a prerequisite for becoming a Barrister in England and Wales. This programme provided Elio with practical training in advocacy, professional ethics, and courtroom procedures, complementing his previous academic qualifications in law. His studies at City Law School reflect his ambition to broaden his legal expertise and qualify for practice in the UK legal system.
Career
[edit]Elio Perlman began his professional career in February 2021 with an internship at the Welsh Rugby Union as a Legal Intern. Initially uncertain about where to intern, Elio followed the recommendation of a university friend who introduced him to Ben John, a former Welsh rugby player turned coach. During his internship, Elio had extensive interactions with rugby players, gaining valuable experience in sports law. He completed this internship in July 2021.
In September 2021, Elio continued his legal internships by joining Scottish Rugby, where he further expanded his knowledge of the Scottish legal system and adapted to the culture within the rugby community. This internship lasted until December 2021.
At the beginning of 2022, Elio planned to pursue an internship unrelated to rugby. However, despite his intentions, he was accepted for an internship with Irish Rugby. He began his tenure there in February 2022, continuing until July 2022, further solidifying his expertise in sports law within the rugby domain.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Law (Jurisprudence) on 10 August 2022, Elio Perlman was offered a position as a Legal Officer at England Rugby. He began working in this role in September 2022 while simultaneously pursuing his Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) degree at the University of Oxford.
Elio had previously completed the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) Stage 1 (SQE1) on 8 May 2022 and proceeded to take SQE Stage 2 (SQE2) on 23 January 2023. He fulfilled the minimum requirements for qualifying work experience (QWE) and subsequently resigned from his position at England Rugby on 28 May 2023.
While awaiting the outcome of his application as a solicitor with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), Elio Perlman pursued an opportunity abroad by applying for a position as Junior Legal Counsel at the South African Rugby Union (SARU). He began working in this role on 29 May 2023.
Elio was able to formally qualify as an attorney in South Africa through the Legal Practice Council (LPC) after completing the required conversion process. This included a mandatory period of supervised articles under the guidance of a certified attorney. He became eligible to register as an attorney after his admission as a solicitor with the Law Society of England and Wales on 28 July 2023.
Elio successfully completed his conversion process and was officially admitted as an attorney with the Law Society of South Africa on 27 January 2024.
Coinciding with his registration as an attorney in South Africa, Elio Perlman made the decision to relocate to Australia, where he applied for a position as Legal Counsel with Rugby Australia. He began working in this role in February 2024. To facilitate his legal practice in Australia, Elio commenced the process of admission through the Law Society of New South Wales, as his work was based in Sydney.
During his time in Australia, Elio interacted with prominent rugby figures in the Asia-Pacific region, including former All Blacks fly-half Dan Carter, who expressed interest in Elio's legal expertise. Negotiations were subsequently initiated between Rugby Australia and Rugby New Zealand to facilitate Elio’s transfer. As part of the arrangements, Elio was also required to pursue legal admission in New Zealand, which he began in May 2024, even as his Australian admission process remained ongoing.
In July 2024, Elio officially joined Rugby New Zealand, while continuing the admission process with the Law Society of New South Wales. His registration with the Law Society of New South Wales was formally completed on 8 August 2024, enabling him to practise as a solicitor in New South Wales regardless of his relocation to New Zealand.
On 17 October 2024, Elio was officially admitted to the New Zealand Law Society as a practising lawyer. However, around the same time, he began reconsidering his long-term career plans and contemplating a return to Europe. This decision was influenced by an offer from the French Rugby Federation (Fédération Française de Rugby), which invited him to join as an External Legal Consultant. With the support of the federation and leveraging his French citizenship, Elio initiated the process of legal admission in France on 24 October 2024.
Simultaneously, Elio received a similar offer from the Italian Rugby Federation (Federazione Italiana Rugby). The Italian federation was seeking legal experts with a deep understanding of common law systems, as part of a broader initiative to enhance the legal and governance frameworks of rugby in continental Europe—particularly in efforts to compete with the major rugby nations predominantly from common law jurisdictions.
With the support of the Italian Rugby Federation and leveraging his Italian citizenship, Elio commenced the process of legal admission in Italy on 9 November 2024, while his French admission process was still ongoing.
Elio officially left his position at Rugby New Zealand on 27 December 2024, choosing to return to the United Kingdom. Just two days later, on 29 December 2024, he initiated the process of legal admission in both Scotland and Ireland, while the procedures for his legal recognition in France and Italy were still ongoing.
In parallel with his professional commitments, Elio enrolled at City Law School to pursue the Bar Vocational Studies (BVS) programme, beginning in January 2025, as part of his ambition to become a barrister in England and Wales.
On 17 February 2025, Elio successfully completed the process of legal recognition in France and was formally admitted to the Conseil National des Barreaux (National Council of Bars). Just days later, on 20 February 2025, coinciding with his 24th birthday, Elio also finalised the process in Italy and was officially registered with the Consiglio Nazionale Forense (National Bar Council of Italy).
Legal Associations
[edit]Elio Perlman has obtained professional legitimacy in multiple legal associations across various jurisdictions. His memberships were granted through a combination of legal qualification processes, including equivalency assessments, completion of examinations, qualifying work experience, and compliance with jurisdiction-specific requirements. Perlman is recognized as a global legal expert in sports law, particularly in the field of rugby governance, holding cross-border legal practice rights in both common law and civil law systems.
| Country/Jurisdiction | Association | Status/Title | Registration Date | Pathway to Admission |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 United Kingdom  England and  Wales |
Law Society of England and Wales | Solicitor | 28 July 2023 | Completion of SQE1, SQE2, and QWE |
 South Africa |
Law Society of South Africa | Attorney | 27 January 2024 | Articles of clerkship and LPC equivalency |
 Australia (New South Wales) |
Law Society of New South Wales | Solicitor | 8 August 2024 | Admission process and equivalency |
 New Zealand |
New Zealand Law Society | Barrister and Solicitor | 17 October 2024 | Admission via equivalency route |
 France |
Conseil national des barreaux | Avocat | 17 February 2025 | Equivalency process based on French nationality |
 Italy |
Consiglio Nazionale Forense | Avvocato | 20 February 2025 | Equivalency process based on Italian nationality |
 Scotland |
Law Society of Scotland | Solicitor | 29 December 2024 | Equivalency and registration process |
 Ireland |
Law Society of Ireland | Solicitor | 29 December 2024 | Equivalency and registration process |
Elio Perlman’s extensive legal memberships reflect his versatility and expertise in navigating complex legal systems across the globe. This cross-jurisdictional competence strengthens his profile as a legal advisor in international sports governance, particularly within the rugby sector. Perlman has contributed to legal and regulatory frameworks across rugby federations in Europe, Oceania, and Africa, offering consultancy on contract law, dispute resolution, and regulatory harmonization.
His international legitimacy also supports his ongoing legal education and career development. As of 2025, Perlman is pursuing the Bar Vocational Studies program at City Law School to qualify as a barrister in England and Wales.