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Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

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United States • Industry focus

4

Sport

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP fields a multidisciplinary sports practice capable of advising across a broad spectrum of areas, including M&A, dispute resolution, and IP. The team’s vast industry expertise sees it receive instructions from leagues, brands, and broadcasters. The team is jointly led by Emily Huang, who specializes in advising on M&A and private equity transactions, and experienced litigator Zachary Saltzman. William H. Taft V has an established practice focusing on corporate governance litigation and international arbitration, while Megan Bannigan’s IP expertise spans trademark, copyright, and design patent issues. John Gleeson leverages his judicial background when handling a range of complex commercial and civil litigation matters. All lawyers mentioned are based in New York.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Accolades

Client satisfaction: Sector knowledge
Client satisfaction: NPS ®

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'An extremely sophisticated litigation practice with multiple legitimate touchpoints in the sports industry—unlike many firms that simply create a "sports practice" with tenuous links at best. Second-to-none client service.'
  • 'Will Taft and his team are exceptional lawyers who know the sports industry inside out and are also outstanding litigators. They are strategic, pragmatic, and responsive.'
  • 'William Taft is one of the best lawyers and people I’ve had the privilege to work with and spend time with (and we’ve done a lot of both over the past several years). He’s brilliant, incredibly detail-oriented, and extremely thoughtful in how he develops strategy and advises his clients. He also has genuine experience and expertise in the sports industry, with several clients and an impressive understanding of several key issues they face.'
  • 'Will Taft is truly an exceptional lawyer.'
  • 'Just as important to me in choosing the outside counsel I work with, Will is a genuinely good, empathetic, and considerate person in how he treats everyone—from his clients and partners to his associates, the folks in the firm cafeteria, or the waiter at a restaurant. That can’t be faked.'

Key clients

  • adidas America
  • Ari Emanuel, CEO of Endeavor
  • DraftKings
  • FanDuel
  • Fédération Française de Tennis
  • Former Fox Sports executive Hernan Lopez
  • Fox Corporation
  • Mark Anthony International RSL
  • National Basketball Association
  • National Football League
  • National Women’s Soccer League
  • SocioMX
  • Steven Cohen, owner of the New York Mets
  • U.S. Tennis Association

Work highlights

Represented the National Football League in its recently approved policy allowing private equity funds to purchase non-controlling interests of up to 10% of an NFL club.|
Advising Cohen Private Ventures in the sale of the Brooklyn Cyclones and the Syracuse Mets, two minor league baseball affiliates of the New York Mets to Diamond Baseball Holdings, a portfolio company of the private equity firm, Silver Lake.
Representing the National Football League in an antitrust case in the Southern District of New York. The plaintiffs—individual NFL fans—allege the League is orchestrating a group boycott of the social media platform Bluesky in favor of X (formerly Twitter), violating antitrust laws.
Practice head

Emily Huang; Zachary Saltzman

Other key lawyers

William H. Taft V; Megan Bannigan; Helen Cantwell; Daniel Gitner; John Gleeson

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