Overview
Comprised of attorneys with practical experience in the sports arena, our Collegiate and Professional Sports practice group is uniquely situated to serve the diverse needs of collegiate and professional sports entities. Our attorneys understand the fast-moving, high stakes issues affecting the realm of sports and athlete management.
At the collegiate level, we conduct investigations into alleged infractions of NCAA rules, and to represent universities before the NCAA Committee on Infractions and NCAA Infractions Appeals Committee. We advise college and university clients on compliance with the growing number of NCAA and NAIA rules and guide institutions through increasingly complex regulations governing collegiate sports. We have vast experience advising institutions on Title IX and civil rights laws, representing colleges and universities at every stage of the compliance process, including audits, civil rights reviews and government investigations.
At the professional level, we advise sports franchises during acquisitions, both in times of crisis and throughout the life of a franchise. We also counsel agents and sports agencies on the current regulatory and enforcement environment, including the myriad of state licensing and sports union certification requirements. While our priority is litigation avoidance, where prevention is not enough, our attorneys vigorously defend clients in cases of alleged non-compliance, player association investigations and in numerous areas of civil litigation.
With the growing number of foreign athletes throughout the collegiate and professional ranks, our firm can provide assistance in sports-related global immigration matters. Whether it is guiding teams, coaches, managers or players through the immigration process or developing strategies to overcome potential immigration barriers, we provide timely, cost-effective solutions that help meet organizational needs.
Our Collegiate and Professional Sports Practice Group can:
- Outline best practices to keep your team operating while preventing the spread of COVID-19;
- Advise on the most recent recommendations from federal and state regulators for PPE and other safety considerations;
- Advise institutions on NCAA waivers and compliance considerations related to cancellation of sports due to COVID-19
- Guide clients through the process of NCAA and NAIA regulatory compliance, investigations and enforcement
In addition, our attorneys can advise on issues including:
- Title III ADA accessibility and accommodation
- Title IX compliance, civil rights and diversity
- Coaches training brochure
- Effective compliance with athlete-agent laws and regulations
- Salary arbitration
- Grievance advice and arbitration
- Contract and compensation
- Wage and hour
- Global immigration
- Drug testing policies and procedures
- Safety and health
- Sports franchise acquisition due diligence
- Crisis management
- Collective bargaining
- Labor, employment and employee benefits litigation
- Social responsibility and good judgement
Name, Image and Likeness
While student athletes can now be paid for the commercial use of their name, image and likeness (NIL), much uncertainty still remains around the roles, rights and responsibilities of universities, offices of the general counsel, athletic departments and corporations seeking to enter in NIL agreements and student athletes.
