Firms To Watch: Sport

Litigation boutique Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP has significantly increased its expertise in the sports law area recently, representing major universities, as well as the NCAA, former players in the National Women’s Soccer League, and former professional athletes, in contentious and non-contentious matters. The group is led by Roberta Kaplan.

Sport in United States

Latham & Watkins LLP

Latham & Watkins LLP handles strategic M&A investments, contentious work for sports governing bodies, and assists firms investing in professional sports leagues. A standout transactional mandate for the firm was its advice to Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital on the acquisition of Chelsea Football Club for £4.25bn. The firm has also increased its work for sport associations, and recently represented the NFL Players Association in a restructuring matter. Based in Los Angeles, ‘exceptional transactional lawyerAdam Sullins is now the practice head, following the retirement of Joe Calabrese, and advises clients on the full range of sports law issues. Kendall Johnson in Los Angeles and Frank Saviano in New York are also key names to note in the team, and often operate at the intersection between sport and media/entertainment. New York-based Justin Hamill concentrates on high-value M&A and private equity deals.

Practice head(s):

Adam Sullins


Other key lawyers:

Frank Saviano; Justin Hamill; Kendall Johnson


Testimonials

‘This team has the highest technical legal skills with respect to sports-related transactions.’

‘Adam Sullins is an exceptional transactional lawyer. In addition to his outstanding technical legal skills, he’s a highly effective negotiator who is able to engage with counterparties to find practical solutions and close deals. He is also a pleasure to work with.’

Key clients

Endeavor/IMG


Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital


NFL Players Association


Fédération internationale de Football Association (FIFA)


Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)


United States Soccer Federation, Inc. (USSF)


Pac-12 Conference


Self Financial, Inc.


International Olympic Committee (IOC)


Fanatics, LLC


Dapper Labs


XFL


GOAT


Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA)


Los Angeles Dodgers


Silver Lake


Oakland Athletics


Manchester United


NASCAR


LPGA


Detroit Pistons


Live Nation


Diamond Baseball Holdings


National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)


Proskauer Rose LLP

Proskauer Rose LLP has a strong track record in sports law matters and is known for providing sector specific advice and working on high profile corporate and commercial matters in sport. Heading up the team is transactions expert Joseph Leccese, who is co-chair of the firm’s renowned sports group, and recently represented the sellers and related entities in the $4.65bn sale of the Denver Broncos to the Walton-Penner family. Elsewhere, fellow practice head Bradley Ruskin is a go-to practitioner for litigious issues and recently represents the MLS in various matters. An area of recent growth for the firm, in line with the wider market, is sports betting work, and Jason Krochak is a standout name in this area. Jon H Oram is a key name to note when it comes to advising private equity firms on their first ventures into sports sector investment. All named practitioners are based in New York.

Practice head(s):

Joseph Leccese; Bradley Ruskin


Other key lawyers:

Jason Krochak; Jon Oram


Key clients

Activision Blizzard


Ares


Atlantic Coast Conference


ATP Tour


BIG EAST Conference


Big 10 Conference


Bruin Capital


Detroit Pistons


Drone Racing League


Goldman Sachs


Jacksonville Jaguars


JPMorgan


Los Angeles 2028


Madison Square Garden Co.


Major League Baseball


Major League Soccer


NASCAR


National Basketball Association


National Football League


National Hockey League


Winston & Strawn LLP

Among the clients advised by the team at Winston & Strawn LLP, which is praised for its ‘legal expertise, experience, professionalism, strategic thinking and diversity‘, are major players’ associations, sports franchises and leagues, professional athletes, financial services firms with sport-industry clients, and intellectual property licensees/licensors. Alongside established strength in litigation, the firm also advises clients on transactional issues through every phase of development and financing matters. The trio leading the team out of the firm’s New York office are prominent sports litigators Jeffrey Kessler, David Feher, and David Greenspan, with Kessler described as ‘an exceptional attorney with whom you feel like you are in the best possible hands‘. Jason Goldstein, also based in New York, is a key team member when it comes to transactions and is experienced in handling multi-use sports stadium and arena transactions. Associate Adam Dale, also in New York, is a key name to note for litigious matters.

Practice head(s):

Jeffrey Kessler; David Feher; David Greenspan


Other key lawyers:

Jonathan Amoona; Jeanifer Parsigian; Angela Smedley; Adam Dale; Jason Goldstein; Mark Rizik


Testimonials

‘The Winston team is set apart by their genuine passion and commitment to the underlying root causes of the cases they’re fighting for. For example, gender equality. In addition, the team’s legal expertise, experience, professionalism, strategic thinking and diversity is head and shoulders above anything I’ve ever experienced.’

‘The individuals on the team are very thorough in their approach. They have brilliant legal minds and can conceptualize thoughtful strategies. They work hard and are always responsive and available. Angela Smedley is a standout performer with all of these qualities.’

‘The firm provides very high-quality advice, are incredibly responsive and able to provide very concise, commercially oriented advice. They have a very broad understanding and knowledge of the sports field.’

‘I’ve worked with Winston & Strawn on very complex sport mandates. I believe that they have the best knowledge of the US sports legal market, are extremely skilled at settlements and are able to understand very quickly the commercial as well as the legal aspects of any matter. They are very fast to respond and super reliable. You feel like you are in the best possible hands.’

‘Jeffrey Kessler is an exceptional attorney with whom you feel like you are in the best possible hands. His knowledge of the sport industry is unparalleled in the US market in my opinion. I was particularly impressed by his responsiveness and ability to quickly get to the core of any matter and provide extremely clear and concise advice.’

‘Mark Rizik also provides very clear and to the point advice. He reacts very promptly and is very reliable.’

Key clients

Cangrejeros Baseball Club, LLC


Class of swimmers


Classes of current and former NCAA athletes


JPMorgan Chase Bank


Klutch Sports


Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA)


MVP Sports Group


National Basketball Players Association (NBPA)


National Football League Players Association (NFLPA)


North American Soccer League (NASL)


Relevent Sports, LLC


Super Slam Ltd. (Madrid Open)


U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) soccer players


United Talent Agency


William Morris Endeavor (WME)


WinStar Farm LLC


Work highlights


  • Represented USWNT players employed by the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) in a landmark class action filed in California federal court in March 2019, which accused the USSF of wage discrimination based on gender.
  • Representing a class of professional swimmers in a case against the sport’s international organizer Federation Internationale De Natation (“FINA”).
  • Defending WME (aka Endeavor) in litigation and arbitration brought by competitor Excel Sports Management.

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP

The full-service group at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP has a strong record representing large professional sports teams and leagues, with practice group head Brad Karp, a seasoned trial lawyer, has been a longtime adviser to key clients such as the NFL. Claudia Hammerman also counts the NFL as a longstanding client and the group as a whole continues to represent the NFL in important matters such as a race discrimination putative class action. Other key lawyers include Lynn Bayard and Chris Boehning are also experienced litigators and trial lawyers. The group also offers a wide range of transactional and restructuring advice. A key recent matter for the group is for FIFA, for whom Boehning often acts as outside counsel. Other standout matters for the group include representing sports teams in significant litigation, licensing and other transactional matters. Lawyers mentioned are in New York.



Practice head(s):

Brad Karp


Other key lawyers:

Lynn Bayard; Claudia Hammerman; Chris Boehning


Key clients

Altitude Sports & Entertainment


North Carolina State University


Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)


Sport Republic Holding


Florida Panthers


World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE)


Major League Baseball


Zuffa, LLC


National Football League


Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP has a strong track record of handling complex mandates in the sports arena and adopts a cross-practice approach, which enables the team to act as outside counsel on a range of issues within the sector in both litigation and general corporate matters. Practitioners are also able to draw on the firm’s extensive M&A and banking expertise and strong practice groups in these areas. Anthony Dreyer, a key figure in the team’s contentious mandates, leads the team alongside Karen Lent, who assists prominent sports organizations such as the PGA TOUR, NBA, and the NCAA. The pair are well supported by Matthew Martino, a key team member who recently advised the NHL on an array of legal issues including league governance, broadcasting, ticketing, events, licensing and sponsorships, and demonstrates vast experience representing professional sports leagues and teams. All named practitioners are based in New York.

Practice head(s):

Anthony Dreyer; Karen Lent


Other key lawyers:

Matthew Martino


Key clients

PGA TOUR


National Football League


FanDuel subsidiary Betfair Interactive, LLC


National Basketball Association, Inc.


FaZe Clan Inc.


Ladies Professional Golf Association


Brooklyn Nets


National Hockey League and the Seattle Kraken hockey club


Lemieux Group


National Hockey League


Juggernaut Capital Partners


Major League Soccer


XFL


PCI Gaming Authority


ArentFox Schiff

The diverse practice at ArentFox Schiff, which works across a variety of sports, has notable specialisms in the fields of crypto, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and name, image, and likeness (NIL). The cross-practice sports group also regularly works with the firm’s intellectual property practice on related data protection issues as well as the real estate and corporate practice regarding stadium and arena work. Richard Brand, managing partner of the firm’s San Francisco office, heads up the practice. He recently led the team representing the Los Angeles Lakers in a matter regarding the extension of the Staples Center lease until 2041. Also based in San Francisco, Zachary Welsh focuses on transactional work.

Practice head(s):

Richard Brand


Other key lawyers:

Zachary Welsh; Wesley Gee; Maidie Oliveau; Eric Fishman


Testimonials

This team has a deep bench of expertise in this area. In addition to being uniquely knowledgeable, they are highly responsive.

Richard Brand is a preeminent expert in this field. I highly value his responsiveness and practicality. Zak Welsh and Wesley Gee also provide excellent client service.

Key clients

SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park


Los Angeles Lakers


Board of Trustees of the California State University


National Women’s Soccer League


Tampa Bay Rays


Credit Karma


Bank of Hawaii


Under Armour, Inc.


Miami Heat


Total Quality Logistics


Paragon Marketing Group


ASM Global


NBA League-Wide Financing


Barclays Center and Brooklyn Events Center


New York Red Bulls


California State University Fresno Athletic Corporation


New York City Football Club


Work highlights


  • Representing SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park in a multitude of high-profile sponsorship transactions with Fortune 100 companies for SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park as well as with the Los Angeles Rams.
  • Representing the Board of Trustees of the California State University, on behalf of its San Diego State University (“SDSU”) campus, in all naming rights and sponsorship transactions relating to the new multipurpose sports and entertainment venue on the SDSU Mission Valley site in San Diego, CA, known as Snapdragon Stadium.
  • Representing The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in its league expansion initiative and ongoing issues relating to ownership changes, financings, corporate governance, bankruptcy, and employment matters.

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner is commended for its ‘the breadth and depth of its resources in the sports business’, and its global network includes experts in sports litigation. The team’s industry specific litigation has been particularly noteworthy, with members recently representing NCAA athletics in lawsuits in relation to precedent-setting concussion legislation,e. Another area at the forefront of the practice is naming rights transactions, with the team recently assisting Acrisure with a 15-year naming rights deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team is led by Ryan Davis and Steve Smith out of St. Louis and Colorado Springs respectively.

Practice head(s):

Ryan Davis; Steve Smith


Other key lawyers:

Chris Schmidt


Testimonials

‘This practice is unique due to the breadth and depth of its resources in the sports business. The team couples subject-specific expertise with deep experience in innumerable applicable situations which can be applied to the client’s current situation.’

‘The individuals from this practice with whom we work have become trusted members of our organization and have helped us navigate challenges and achieve successes numerous times. Their unique understanding of our enterprise, the nuances therein and the dynamics of our organization enables them to connect immediately with the issue at hand to help us advance a solution.’

Key clients

31 National Hockey League Clubs


Various Major League Baseball (MLB), National Basketball Association (NBA), National Football League (NFL) and National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Clubs and/or their owners


National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)


Various corporate sponsors, including Acrisure, Airbnb, Dolby, Enterprise, Lower.com, MetLife, Progressive, SoFi, Stifel and Target


National Football Foundation


Mountain West Conference, Big West Conference, Big Sky Conference and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference


The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee and more than 20 Olympic National Governing Bodies


The Sacramento River Cats and Oklahoma City Dodgers in the sale of their respective clubs, as well as prospective buyers of several Minor League Clubs


World Anti-Doping Agency, U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and World Triathlon Corporation/IRONMAN


Minority investor in an English Premier League Club and an NHL Club


Work highlights


  • Representing the National Collegiate Athletic Association Acts as national coordinating counsel for concussion, CTE and other sports-injury claims in State and Federal courts around the US.
  • Advised Acrisure LLC on a 15-year naming rights deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL to rename the home of the Steelers “Acrisure Stadium”.
  • Advised River City Baseball Investment Group, LLC and the Savage Family on their sale of the Sacramento River Cats Triple-A Minor-League Baseball Club and Sutter Health Park to the Sacramento Kings and Arctos Sports Partners.

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP offers a multidisciplinary practice encompassing contentious and non-contentious issues for sports industry clients, with a strong capability in corporate and commercial agreements for sport sector clients. Directing the practice out of New York are Richard Birns, who co-chairs the firm’s private equity group and handles high profile transactions in the sports industry, and Maurice Suh, who acts for a diverse range of household-name clients, and is particularly active in litigious matters in the federal and state courts.

Practice head(s):

Richard Birns; Maurice Suh


Key clients

Redbird Capital


Monumental Sports


LIV Golf


LeBron James


Springhill Company


Cohen Private Ventures


FanDuel


Loeb & Loeb LLP

Loeb & Loeb LLP‘s ‘biggest strength is the experience of its partners’, with practice heads Arash Khalili in Los Angeles and Brian Socolow in Washington, DC/New York providing clients with extensive experience across litigation and transactional work. Socolow is especially well versed in the expanding sports technology and data industry, and Khalili has particular experience in unique corporate transactions, with the firm increasingly active on behalf of esports clients. A standout recent mandate for the team was representing the Chicago Bulls in its multiyear partnership with Chicago-based technology company Motorola Mobility, an example of the firm’s work for household-name sports teams, associations, and individuals. Chicago-based Douglas Masters is a key name when it comes to IP issues in the sports arena and has a strong relationship with National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Practice head(s):

Arash Khalili; Brian Socolow


Other key lawyers:

Seth Rose; Scott Zolke; Douglas Masters


Testimonials

‘Loeb and Loeb is definitely a full-service law firm. I think their biggest strength is the experience of their partners.’

‘Brian Socolow has been there at every turn with the experience and knowledge to help my clients with whatever the need may be.’

Key clients

Dwyane Wade


Chicago Bulls


Angels Baseball, LP and SRB Management Company, LLC


National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)


Buffalo Bills


Chet Holmgren


Tyler “Ninja” Blevins


 


Cynisca Cycling


Parsons Xtreme Golf


Peak Achievement Athletics


Intersport, Inc.


Simmons Bank


StatStak Inc.


Cavalier Futures


Work highlights


  • Representing NFL football team the Buffalo Bills in negotiations with New York State, Erie County and National Football League in the development, financing and construction of a new football stadium.
  • Represented the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in various intellectual property matters.
  • Representing the Chicago Bulls in its multiyear relationship with Chicago-based tech-giant Motorola Mobility.

O'Melveny & Myers LLP

O'Melveny & Myers LLP‘s sports industry group, which is now led by Amy Siegel and Molly Lens in Century City, California, stands out for its prowess in transactional work at the intersection of sports, media, and entertainment. Siegel’s practice focuses on complex commercial licensing arrangements, and Lens is active in high profile litigation. Another development within the team was the hiring of New York-based Matthew Syrkin from Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP in August 2022, a prominent figure in the media, tech, and sports sectors. Syrkin is based in New York. Former practice heads Charles Baker  and Irwin Raij departed in May 2022.

Practice head(s):

Amy Siegel; Molly Lens


Other key lawyers:

Eric Andalman; Apalla Chopra


Key clients

Adirondak North Country Sports Council


Baltimore Orioles Owner/Chairman


UCLA


USA Water Polo


FuboTV


Oakview Group


ReKTGlobal


Riot Games


TaylorMade


Top Rank


Trail Blazers


Work highlights


  • Supported UCLA with its pending move from the Pac-12 Conference to the Big Ten.
  • Represented the Portland Trail Blazers in an independent review of concerns about the workplace environment by non-player personnel at the practice facility.

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP

Practitioners at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, who are described as ‘knowledgeable across the board‘, include Washington DC-based Andrew Tulumello, New York-based Yehudah Buchweitz and Eric Hochstadt. The trio run a group whose varied workload comprises litigation, contract negotiations, corporate transactions, restructurings, and financings, as well as litigation. Key clients for the team are major league athletes, and the group continues to represent Zion Williamson in the long-running dispute between the NBA star and his former agent. Other key clients are sports associations, who Tulumello regularly assists, and sports leagues, including recently representing the National Women’s Soccer League Players Association in a contentious matter.


Practice head(s):

Andrew Tulumello; Yehudah Buchweitz; Eric Hochstadt


Other key lawyers:

David Lender; Zach Schreiber


Testimonials

‘Extremely personable. Bright and knowledgeable across the board. Category experts who can explain legal issues clearly and succinctly for the layman. Accessible, responsive and caring for their clients.’

‘Both David Lender and Zach Schreiber are incredibly knowledgeable and thoughtful in their approach. They are always accessible, responsive and thoughtful in their interactions with clients. They have an obvious passion for their work and that shines through in every encounter and discussion.’

Key clients

National Women’s Soccer League Players Association


NBA All-Star Zion Williamson


Major League Baseball Players Association


Staten Island Yankees Minor League Baseball Team


Tri-City ValleyCats Minor League Baseball Team


Men’s U.S. National Soccer Team Players Association


CBS Sports


eBay


DIRECTV


Professional Tennis Players Association


Work highlights


  • Acted as counsel to the National Women’s Soccer League Players Association in connection with a joint, league-wide investigation into high-profile allegations of abusive coaching and racially insensitive remarks by a number of senior team executives and head coaches.
  • Acted as lead counsel to several Minor League Baseball team in a high-profile lawsuits against the New York Yankees and Houston Astros, as well as Major League Baseball (MLB), in connection with MLB’s plan to contract and restructure the century-old minor league affiliation system.
  • Representing NBA star and #1 draft pick Zion Williamson in connection with major headline-making litigations arising out of a marketing contract he entered into prior to turning professional.

Arnold & Porter

Leading the practice at Arnold & Porter are Scott Lent in New York and Dan Cantor in Washington DC, the latter of whom specialises in high-profile complex intellectual property and royalty litigation issues impacting the finances of major sports leagues. Elsewhere, the team advises clients on such issues as IP, bankruptcy, environmental, tax, and licensing. Another key team member is Daniel Asimow, who has deep experience in sports litigation, and recently represented Oakland Raiders in an antitrust case.

Practice head(s):

Scott Lent; Dan Cantor


Other key lawyers:

Daniel Asimow


Key clients

The Oakland Raiders


Major League Baseball (MLB)


Professional Golfers Association (PGA)


Women’s Tennis Association


Entain Plc


Work highlights


  • Assisted Oakland Raiders with obtaining dismissal of a federal antitrust lawsuit and a state court action filed by the City of Oakland against the NFL and its 32 teams.
  • Advised Major League Baseball on various copyright and telecommunications issues and represented them in proceedings involving such issues before the Copyright Office.
  • Represented joint sports claimants at both the trial and appellate level in copyright royalty allocation litigation proceedings involving more than $1 billion in royalties.

Herrick, Feinstein LLP

Responsive, commercial‘ New York boutique Herrick, Feinstein LLP concentrates on a range of mandates, including corporate, real estate, tax, intellectual property, employment and litigation matters, primarily advising eagues, teams, owners, banks and investors. Leading the team are sports group co-chair Irwin Kishner, finance group co-chair Eric Stabler, corporate department chair Morris DeFeo, and Daniel Etna, who is influential in the team’s work concerning the financing, construction and development of arenas and stadiums.

Practice head(s):

Irwin Kishner; Daniel Etna; Eric Stabler; Morris DeFeo


Testimonials

‘A very professional outfit and cost-effective.’

‘A very responsive, commercial and collaborative approach.’

‘Our assigned attorneys are very knowledgeable of the law and of the business of sports. They are also very responsive and highly productive.’

‘Their specialization in sports gives us a huge edge.’

Key clients

New York Yankees


Legends Hospitality Management, LLC


New York Racing Association (NYRA)


Oak View Global Advisory


New York Islanders Hockey Club


New York Mets


Top Rank, Inc.


Phoenix Sports Partners


D.C. United


Lelands Collectibles, Inc.


Work highlights


  • Represented Legends in its strategic partnership and minority investment in TeamTrak Cycling League, an entity of World Cycling Limited, to support the launch and growth of the startup indoor cycling league.
  • Represented D.C. United in connection with the establishment of a state-of-the-art retail sportsbook at Audi Field operated by FanDuel.

Katten

Based primarily in Chicago, Katten fields a team which is well equipped to deal with a range of corporate and financing issues within the sports industry such as the purchase and sale of sports franchises, debt and equity financings, and television and radio broadcast agreements. This is typified by practice head Adam Klein in Chicago, who has a strong track record assisting professional sports teams, sports leagues, sports venues and their investors. Daniel Render in Century City is particularly knowledgeable in the sports industry, and his work often overlaps with the media and entertainment industry.

Practice head(s):

Adam Klein


Other key lawyers:

Daniel Render; Jason Gorczynski


Key clients

Atlanta Hawks


Baltimore Ravens


D.C. United (Major League Soccer)


Detroit Red Wings / Detroit Tigers


Dyal Capital Partners, division of Blue Owl


Golden State Warriors


JP Morgan Chase


Los Angeles Clippers


Mellody Hobson and Lewis Hamilton


Memphis Grizzlies


Miami Marlins


Miller Family


Milwaukee Bucks


Monster Energy


Philadelphia Phillies


Philadelphia Union


Sacramento Basketball Holdings LLC / River Cats


Seattle Kraken


United Center


United States Soccer Federation


Work highlights


  • Representing the Los Angeles Clippers in the negotiation of a major agreement with AT&T to be a sponsor of the team and for the team’s new arena to be built in Inglewood, California.
  • Represented the Golden State Warriors in the sale by several minority investors of a portion of their equity interest in the team to institutional private equity backed investors, Arctos Sports Partners.
  • Represented Dyal Capital, a division of global alternative asset manager Blue Owl, in the purchase of minority interest in the Atlanta Hawks.

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP is particularly noted for its work on sports industry private investment deals; one such deal was assisting The Family Office of David Blitzer in its investment in the Cleveland Guardians and in other deals to add to his investment portfolio. A key team member, based in Orange County, is the chairman of the firm’s global sports industry initiative Jeffrey Moorad, whose role as a consultant and former sports agent enables the team to handle a wide range of mandates for key clients in the sports sector. Moorad leads the team alongside Andrew White in Boston and Andrew Rocks in Philadelphia.


Practice head(s):

Jeffrey Moorad; Andrew White; Andrew Rocks; Jocelyn Cuttino


Other key lawyers:

Jack Concannon


Key clients

U.S. Soccer Federation


Fanatics


MSP Sports Capital


Family Office of David Blitzer


The New York Times Co.


Gametime


Juggernaut Capital Partners


Work highlights


  • Represented the U.S. Soccer Federation in the groundbreaking equal pay collective bargaining agreements for the US women’s and men’s national teams.
  • Acted as counsel to Fanatics in various matters and transactions, led the financings that resulted in Fanatics being valued at $27 billion.
  • Represented the family office of David Blitzer in the purchase of the MLS team Real Salt Lake and other club-related assets, and in the purchase of a minority interest in MLB’s Cleveland Guardians, with a path to control.

Thompson Hine LLP

Thompson Hine LLP‘s Columbus-based team is well known for its provision of advice on the development, design and construction of professional sports facilities in the US and elsewhere in North America, notably advising on a number of arena projects of stadiums for teams in diverse national sports leagues. Construction expert Jeffrey Appelbaum heads up the team, and is well supported by an experienced transactional lawyer Patrick J. Sweeney, who regularly acts for sports owners in a range of construction projects and sports transactions.

Practice head(s):

Jeff Appelbaum


Other key lawyers:

Patrick Sweeney; Alan Ritchie


Key clients

Haslam Sports Group


The Cleveland Guardians Baseball Club


Jacksonville Jaguars LLC


HOF Village, Inc.


Truist Financial Corporation


Bank of America


Cobb County


San Francisco 49ers


Work highlights


  • Acted for Jacksonville Jaguars LLC as project construction counsel.
  • Acted for Haslam Sports Group as an owner’s project counsel for the development and construction of Lower.com Field, a $314 million, 20,000-seat MLS Stadium.
  • Acted as lead construction counsel for The Cleveland Guardians Baseball Club regarding the negotiating and drafting of all design, construction and project labor agreements and the development of the overall risk management program for the Project.

Wilkinson Stekloff

Wilkinson Stekloff in Washington DC is a litigation boutique which represents by major sports leagues, including the NCAA and NFL in major antitrust matters, as well as repesenting a diverse range of other major professional sports leagues and associations in contentious proceedings. Leading the team are Beth Wilkinson, Brian Stekloff, Kosta Stojilkovic, Rakesh Kilaru, and James Rosenthal, with Kilaru and Stekloff being key members in a litigation matter for the NFL.

Practice head(s):

Beth Wilkinson; Brian Stekloff; Kosta Stojilkovic; Rakesh Kilaru; James Rosenthal


Key clients

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)


National Football League (NFL)


Work highlights


  • Representing the NFL, its 32 member teams, and NFL Enterprises in a putative class action lawsuit challenging the NFL’s multibillion-dollar exclusive distributorship arrangement with DIRECTV for Sunday Ticket and the business arrangements whereby the NFL teams collectively license the broadcast rights to NFL games.
  • Representing the NCAA in a putative antitrust class action lawsuit brought by current and former student-athletes under the Sherman Act involving commercial use of their name, image, and likeness (NIL).