Sports Law

Flaster Greenberg’s sports law attorneys understand the unique challenges our clients in the sports industry face daily. We recognize that each client brings with them a distinct set of opportunities, goals, and challenges. Our team of attorneys understand these goals, and their challenges, and are well-equipped to provide sophisticated legal advice and practical assistance to professionals facing legal issues in the world of sports.

Our experience includes two decades of representing individuals and companies in different types of sports from the NFL to college basketball to professional cycling to women’s professional soccer and more. In addition, our attorneys have a depth of knowledge about the sports industry outside the legal arena. Shareholder Jeff Cohen, chair of the Litigation Department, has worked in the front office of an NFL franchise and hosts one of the longest running sports talk radio shows in Philadelphia. Shareholder Tom Durling is an avid cyclist and has served as general counsel to an international bicycle manufacturer who sponsored numerous professional bicycle teams that raced on the world tour and throughout Europe and the United States.

We serve as trusted legal advisors to professional and amateur athletes, coaches, owners, executives, leagues, universities/colleges, teams, manufacturers, distributors. licensors and vendors. The many ways our attorneys can help range from employment and labor issues to complex business issues to manufacturing and distribution to intellectual property issues and more.

Corporate & Business Law

• Counseling on routine and complex business issues, including acquisitions, negotiation and administration of contracts, distribution and logistics, labor and employment issues, and premises-related litigation

Contracts & Agreements

• Negotiating and securing employment and vendor contracts, and licensing and sponsorship agreements
• Drafting and negotiating management, development, licensing, sponsorship, barter, and distribution agreements

Employment & Labor Related Issues

• Counseling organizations on personnel policies and procedures
• Drafting and negotiating executive agreements
• Influencer and sponsorship agreements

Intellectual Property

• Clearance related to the selection, adoption and registration of team, league and product names, negotiation of license agreements, and global trademark portfolio management, inclusive of obtaining trademark registrations in the United States and internationally
• Defending, and enforcing intellectual property rights, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, domain names, and personal image and likeness
• Protection of copyrighted content through registration and enforcement
• Advise on the use of third-party intellectual property, fair use, and negotiation of co-branding agreements

Insurance Recovery

• Evaluating insurance coverage, counseling clients, and strategically planning claim presentation in order to maximize insurance recoveries.
• Evaluating liability claims and coverages and assisting clients in securing defense and indemnity coverage and avoiding exposure to uncovered liabilities.
• Representing policyholders in litigation and arbitration against insurance companies.

Litigation

• Representing individuals in litigation and litigation avoidance related to:
  • Intellectual property, including name, image and likeness disputes;
  • Employment contract negotiations and disputes, including for professional athletes, staff and entertainment professionals/mascots;
  • Disputes involving commercial contracts; and,
  • Complex commercial disputes, including antitrust matters.

Additional Services

Our firm also has attorneys with decades of experience in

• Maximizing long-term financial security by providing advice as to tax planning/litigation, estate planning, corporate and administration, real estate, construction, and security
• Domestic/family matters, including, but not limited to, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, divorce, paternity, child support, custody, post-judgment enforcement, and modification issues
• Transport and distribution of goods

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. You can explore our list of sports law attorneys in the menu below.

Representative Matters

• Advised a new professional golf league on the selection and adoption of league and team names, and currently overseeing the registration of league and team names as trademarks throughout the world
• Advised a not-for-profit youth soccer club on an employee classification issue
• Represented a National Women’s Soccer League coach in contract negotiations
• Drafted and negotiated a sponsorship agreement for a national organization that provides networking and connections to jobs for women and marginalized individuals in the soccer industry
• Drafted sponsorship and barter agreements for a National Football League team
• Counseled a university concerning its rights under a liability insurance policy in connection with a lawsuit filed by a coach terminated by the university
• Drafted successful NCAA eligibility waiver request on behalf of university seeking to recruit foreign golfer
• Served as general counsel for international sports wholesale, distribution and retail organization
• Negotiated sponsorship agreements with professional bicycle racing teams
• Negotiated co-branding agreements between manufacturer and sports and music stars
• Advised on the acquisition of new brands for manufacturing companies
• Advised and negotiated on acquisition agreements for national retail and online marketing company with 106 locations and 2000 employees in 21
• Negotiated contracts for numerous individuals related to sports industry, including professional athletes, commentators, and several of the leading mascots
• Litigated complex commercial disputes for professional athletes

Attorneys