Franck Lobe: from failing the bar exam to the taxation of elite athletes

For this new episode of Le Cheat Code, we welcomed Franck Lobe, founder of Lobe Law and a lawyer specialising in the taxation of company directors and professional athletes. He looks back on a path marked by a formative failure, his very human view of the work, and the often overlooked realities of sports law.

Failure as the starting point

Franck became a lawyer partly by chance, carried by his grandfather's legacy. But it was a failure that truly shaped his career. Turned down at the bar exam, he first lived that setback as an ordeal before seeing it as a blessing in disguise.

That failure pushed him to question himself and raise his standards. After spells in prestigious firms such as PwC and Deloitte, he chose to found his own practice, in the middle of the pandemic. A risky decision, but carried by real conviction. Today he says it plainly: no regrets. And for anyone going through something similar, his message is simple, every failure can be an opportunity in disguise.

Listen before you advise

For Franck, this work asks above all that you like people and know how to listen. Asking the right questions is, in his view, the key to a precise diagnosis. The law can seem cold and technical, but behind every case there are emotions, especially where money is involved.

The whole challenge is balance: showing empathy to reassure your clients, without ever losing sight of objectivity and the facts. A stance that, for him, makes all the difference to the final result.

Create your opportunities, do not just wait for them

By going out on his own, Franck took a calculated risk. But it is also a question of mindset: inside a firm, you can miss plenty of chances. He learned to anticipate them and to provoke them.

How? By being visible, by communicating and by joining networks. Conferences, meetings, genuine connections count for far more than a business card handed over in passing. His conviction is sharp: if you do not like people, this work is not for you. The human is at the heart of everything.

Sport is a profession, not just a pastime

Franck insists on a point people often forget: sport is a profession in its own right. Athletes have rights and duties, like any employee. Behind the spectacle sits a complex legal framework to master, made of contracts, salaries and taxation.

He also recalls an essential principle: whatever the size of the salary, the tax rules stay the same. Recognising athletes' professional status also means recognising the business reality of their careers.

The people around you, a decisive factor

Being a professional athlete demands enormous sacrifice, and rarely leaves time to dig into legal and tax questions. That is where the people around you become decisive. A well-informed family or circle can make all the difference, where a poorly informed environment can lead to complicated situations.

Clubs sometimes offer good support, but it depends on the resources they put in. Franck's advice is clear: do not leave your career in the hands of badly informed people, and surround yourself with the right people on the legal side.

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A concrete, inspiring conversation about failure, the human, and what goes on behind a demanding profession. The full episode is on Le Cheat Code by OURAMA.