Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP's sports law practice group advises a wide range of clients across professional and amateur sports, from individual teams and sports facilities to television networks, sponsors, and municipalities. The team draws on the wider firm's experts across M&A, finance, antitrust, and litigation. Richard Birns and Stefan dePozsgay, in New York, co-head the practice with Los Angeles-based Maurice Suh, Birns is a go-to for corporate transactions, while Suh regularly handles litigation in the sector, and private equity investments are a key area of work for dePozsgay. Also recommended are Kevin Masuda, in LA, who regularly works with investment funds operating in the sports sector, and Matthew Schwartz, in New York, who brings expertise gained in-house.
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Accolades
Client satisfaction: Lawyer & team quality
Client satisfaction: Billing & efficiency
Client satisfaction: Sector knowledge
Client satisfaction: NPS ®
Key clients
- News Corporation Ltd.
- Serent Capital Management Company
- The RR McReynolds Company LLC / Wrexham AFC
- Hillspire, LLC
- Serena Williams
- Nike, Inc.
- RedBird Capital Partners Management LLC
- SURJ Sports Investment
- Maximum Effort Advisory LLC / Ryan Reynolds
- Daikin Comfort Technologies North America Inc
- Dallas Basketball Limited
- Otro Capital Partners
Work highlights
Advised News Corporation, a global media company, on its A$3.4 billion sale of Foxtel Group, an Australian digital sports and entertainment company, to DAZN Group, a provider of sports streaming.
Advised KORE, a sports and entertainment engagement platform and portfolio company of Serent Capital, in connection with its acquisition by Two Circles, a data-driven sports and entertainment business.
Advises Wrexham AFC (the English Football Championship club) and its owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney on the sale of a minority stake in the club to the Allyn family of New York, the creation of a new joint venture with the Allyn family called Red Dragon Ventures, and the acquisition of Wrexham Lager.
Practice head
Richard Birns; Maurice Suh; Stefan de Pozsgay
Other key lawyers
Kevin Masuda; Sean McFarlane; Matthew Schwartz