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Sports

Our team has extensive experience handling both transactional and litigation matters for individuals and organizations involved in amateur, collegiate, and professional sports, including coaches, athletes, agents, and corporate sponsors. Our work spans various areas, such as advising on charitable activities, international tournaments, team acquisitions, the purchase and sale of sporting venues, NIL agreements, and related real estate matters.

We address the complex legal challenges that organized programs face, from liability and professional insurance claims to emerging issues in this highly focused field. These challenges include intellectual property, employment liability, player endorsements, rules compliance, and the implementation of sport-specific safety protocols. Our approach involves strategically using our legal resources to protect our clients, whether they are professional or amateur sports organizations, or their insurance carriers. We tailor our defense or offense to the specific needs of each client, drawing on our comprehensive understanding of the principles and rules governing organized sports. Our capabilities extend to leagues, teams, franchises, stadiums, arenas, participants, and fans, addressing the unique industry challenges both on and off the field.

We represent manufacturers and designers of sports, fitness, and recreational products and equipment, focusing on minimizing legal exposure. Additionally, we assist sports arenas and venues with risk assessment and management, personal injury defense, and commercial litigation, including intellectual property protection and vendor contract disputes.

In litigation, we handle a broad spectrum of cases, including copyright and trademark prosecution and defense, infringement actions, rights of publicity, defamation, and disputes over the use of names and likenesses. We also manage professional and personal liability claims, employment disputes such as wrongful termination, sexual harassment, and breach of contract, including violations of morals clauses. Our team is skilled at managing commercial litigation, particularly in contract disputes, ownership rights, and royalties, while also offering crisis management and public relations counsel.

For intellectual property matters, we provide strong protection for intellectual property rights, including social media concerns and rights to privacy and publicity. Our services cover both domestic and global IP rights, including registration, protection, clearance, and enforcement litigation. We represent and protect the interests of brands, athletes, and endorsement deals, ensuring their rights are secured and leveraged effectively.

Employment matters are another critical focus, where we negotiate and draft agreements for athletes, executives, and other key personnel, including performance contracts with morals clauses. We also handle the entire spectrum of employment issues, from employee, consultant, and contractor hiring to dispute resolution, policy development, and defense against harassment and discrimination claims. Additionally, we provide guidance on NCAA eligibility, compliance, investigations, infraction proceedings, collective bargaining agreements, and agent regulations.

Our services in business transactions and contract negotiations include business entity formation, contract review and negotiation, asset protection, privacy rights, and licensing agreements. We are skilled in negotiating contracts for stadium, arena, or venue construction, as well as in handling professional sports franchise acquisitions and sales. Our services also encompass complex commercial transactions, brand management, marketing and sponsorship agreements, and tax compliance.