Sports

Sports organizations today operate in an increasingly complex legal environment shaped by evolving athlete rights; Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL); revenue-sharing models; commercial partnerships; media rights; technology; and changing regulatory frameworks. Our attorneys advise professional and amateur sports organizations, educational institutions, conferences, governing bodies, athletes, brands, sponsors, venues, investors, vendors, and service providers operating at the intersection of sports, business, and innovation.

Our attorneys have firsthand experience as collegiate athletes and in-house counsel, giving us a practical understanding of how sports organizations and businesses operate. We understand the unique legal and commercial challenges our clients face and bring together attorneys across corporate, litigation, intellectual property, employment, tax, real estate, privacy, and regulatory practices to deliver comprehensive legal solutions.

Serving the Modern Sports Industry

Our practice is designed for today's sports marketplace, where athletics increasingly intersect with media, technology, data, and entertainment. We advise clients across the full sports ecosystem, from athletic departments and professional teams to sponsors, sports technology companies, investors, venues, and businesses supporting the industry.

As the business of sports continues to evolve, we help clients structure new commercial opportunities, protect valuable brands and intellectual property, and adapt to emerging legal and business developments without losing sight of their long-term goals.

Representative Clients & Industries

Our Sports Law team assists:

• Professional and amateur sports teams and organizations
• Colleges, universities, athletic departments, conferences, and governing bodies
• Student-athletes, professional athletes, coaches, agents, and player representatives
• Brands, sponsors, and corporate partners
• Sports venues, arenas, and event operators
• Sports technology, gaming, and esports companies
• Manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, vendors, investors, and other businesses supporting the sports industry
• Nonprofits and organizations serving the sports community

Sports Law Services

Our Sports Law team advises on:

College Sports

• Name, Image & Likeness (NIL): Advising colleges, universities, student-athletes, collectives, brands, agents, and sponsors on NIL policies and programs, endorsement and sponsorship agreements, group licensing, athlete compensation, institutional strategy, and evolving NCAA, conference, state, and federal requirements.
• Educational Institutions & Athletic Departments: Counseling colleges and universities on NCAA compliance, Title IX, athletic governance, employment matters, institutional policies, licensing, risk management, and other legal and operational issues affecting collegiate athletics.
• College Sports Commission & Regulatory Matters: Advising clients on the evolving regulatory framework governing college athletics, including College Sports Commission requirements, compliance matters, and arbitration related to Commission decisions.
• Athlete & Collective Matters: Advising student-athletes, agents, and collectives on NIL agreements, licensing opportunities, brand partnerships, business arrangements, and compliance considerations.
• Litigation & Dispute Resolution: Representing clients in antitrust, contract, regulatory, and other disputes involving collegiate athletics, including matters affecting student-athlete rights and compensation.

Professional Sports

• Commercial Transactions: Sponsorship, naming rights, media rights, endorsement, licensing, vendor, advertising, distribution, and other commercial agreements that drive the business of sports.
• Athlete & Talent Representation: Endorsement agreements, licensing, business entity formation, brand development, intellectual property protection, and commercial opportunities.
• Teams, Venues & Events: Venue operations, concessions and pouring rights, concerts, signage, ticketing, sponsorships, construction, leasing, financing, and event-related agreements.
• Corporate & Business Transactions: Business formation, mergers and acquisitions, financing, joint ventures, venture capital and private equity investments, and strategic partnerships.
• Employment & Labor: Employment agreements, executive compensation, workplace policies, independent contractor matters, wage and hour compliance, and employment litigation.
• Intellectual Property: Trademark, copyright, licensing, brand protection, enforcement, and portfolio management.
• Litigation & Dispute Resolution: Contract disputes, intellectual property litigation, business torts, employment disputes, and other commercial litigation affecting the sports industry.
• Tax & Regulatory: Tax planning, nonprofit governance, incentive programs, and regulatory compliance.

College Athletics & Name, Image & Likeness (NIL)

Our team is deeply engaged in the rapidly evolving world of name, image, and likeness (NIL), advising colleges, brands, student-athletes, and collectives on this complex area of athletics spanning high school and collegiate levels. As legal and regulatory frameworks continue to shift, driven by evolving NCAA rules, conference policies, state laws, antitrust developments, and new athlete compensation models, we help clients understand today's requirements while preparing for what's next.

We combine regulatory insight with hands-on experience structuring NIL arrangements nationwide. Our team regularly assists with group licensing programs, endorsement and sponsorship agreements, and NIL ambassador initiatives for organizations ranging from emerging brands to Fortune 500 companies. We frequently work with athlete agents and collectives to design compliant programs and negotiate agreements that protect both brand integrity and athlete rights.

We also advise Division I institutions on NIL policy development, NCAA compliance considerations, and athletic department strategy, helping align institutional priorities with evolving legal standards. Our approach is informed by a practical understanding of day-to-day athletics operations and includes courtroom-tested experience, including precedent-setting antitrust litigation that reshaped opportunities for student-athletes.

Whether supporting athletic departments, guiding collectives, structuring brand partnerships, or helping student-athletes monetize their platforms, we deliver practical, forward-looking NIL counsel grounded in deep industry knowledge.

Connected to Media & Entertainment

Many sports organizations, athletes, brands, and venues operate at the intersection of sports, media, entertainment, and technology. Our Sports Law team works closely with our Media & Entertainment team to advise clients on content production and distribution, sponsorship and influencer programs, advertising, intellectual property, live events, digital media, gaming, and other commercial opportunities that extend beyond the playing field.