Acting on behalf of private equity firms, NBA franchises, and major sporting federations, the Latham & Watkins LLP team demonstrates ‘valuable industry knowledge’ in handling multi-jurisdictional M&A, antitrust litigation, and sponsor-backed minority investments in sports franchises. The practice is also highly regarded for its work in the media space, regularly assisting with multi-party joint entertainment ventures and terminating telecast rights agreements. Described as ‘thorough’ and a ‘balanced negotiator’, Adam J. Sullins heads the team from Century City and focuses on strategic investments and transactions, whilst Kendall Johnson is knowledgeable on the licensing and financing of sponsorship rights. In New York, Frank Saviano specializes in team acquisitions and stadium development, and Justin Hamill assists with corporate governance affairs. San Francisco-based Chris Yates concentrates on high-stakes antitrust claims, and Adam Rosenthal is well-regarded for his expertise in matters concerning sports league governance and rules.

Regularly delivering ‘unmatched results’ and displaying ‘unparalleled knowledge’, the Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP practice has extensive expertise in advising international and domestic clients on all aspects of litigation, transactional, and regulatory affairs. The team is renowned for both its corporate and contentious offering in the sports area, frequently handling multi-jurisdictional M&A, debt finance transactions, and sponsorship deals in addition to overseeing high-profile settlements. New York-based chairperson Brad Karp being an expert litigator- covering claims ranging from concussion litigation to racial discrimination class actions. Lynn Bayard is knowledgeable in tort and negligence proceedings within sport, whilst the ‘standout’ Chris Boehning has vast experience in high-stakes regulatory and civil litigation in addition to advising major sports leagues and federations on transactional issues. Claudia Hammerman is a key contact for clients in commercial disputes and internal investigations, and Daniel J. Toal specializes in antitrust and private securities contentious matters.

Noted for ‘touching many different sports and different facets within the industry’, the Proskauer Rose LLP team provides expertise across IP, M&A, and litigation matters to its roster of global sporting associations and financial institutions. The team also boasts leading specialists in the labor and employment space capable of assisting clients with collective bargaining claims, complex contract disputes, and alleged breaches of fiduciary duty. Joseph Leccese and Bradley Ruskin co-head the department, with the former being highly experienced in representing professional sports leagues, private equity firms, and sovereign wealth funds, while the latter routinely litigates in antitrust claims and corporate governance disputes. Jon H Oram is an expert on equity and debt financings, the ‘outstanding’ Christine Lazatin acts on behalf of owners and corporate borrowers in finance and corporate transactions, and Jason Krochak handles joint ventures and naming rights agreements. All the named attorneys are New York-based, including Wayne Katz, who focuses on team ownership transfers.

Counting sports franchises, financial service providers, and governmental entities amongst its key clients, the team at Winston & Strawn LLP has extensive experience acting in high-profile litigation and arbitration proceedings in addition to advising on project developments and financing transactions. The practice is highly regarded for assisting companies and institutional investors in securing media rights, obtaining license agreements, and managing sponsorship assets. The practice is headed by David Feher, David Greenspan, and Jeffrey Kessler, with the trio specializing in complex sports labor law proceedings, antitrust litigation, and finance issues surrounding NFL and NBA teams. Alan Hoffman is an expert on conventional financing structures, Jonathan Amoona routinely represents athletes across all sports in arbitration claims, and San Francisco-based Jeanifer Parsigian is a key for regarding gender-discrimination lawsuits. Sofia Arguello focuses on salary and benefit-related matters, whilst Jason Hellwig and Jason Goldstein serve as key contacts for real estate finance and infrastructure projects. Adam Dale is knowledgeable on employment related issues, and all lawyers are New York-based unless otherwise stated.

Fielding a ‘business-minded and practical’ team, ArentFox Schiff specializes in advising on franchise acquisitions, arena and stadium leases and licenses, as well as gaming and esports matters. The practice also routinely advises on contentious matters and has a record of handling cases related to invasion of privacy, defamation, and commercial disparagement issues. San Francisco-based Richard Brand leads the team and regularly supports clients with media rights agreements and naming rights-related matters. In Los Angeles, Maidie Oliveau has developed a strong reputation for advising on sponsorships and event-related rights, whilst New York-based Eric Fishman and Stephen Hanson maintain close client relationships with advertising agencies, start-ups, and major sports leagues. Boston-based lawyer Wesley Gee is an expert on financing matters, and Zachary Welsh, who practices from San Francisco, focuses on representing clients in connection with franchise acquisition agreements.

Leveraging its extensive expertise in the M&A, employment, and IP fields, the team at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP routinely represents major US sports leagues and membership organisations in complex transactions and high-profile lawsuits. The team is especially well-regarded for its ability to represent clients in high-sakes antitrust claims and trade mark infringement cases, with practice co-heads Anthony Dreyer and Karen Lent serving as key contacts for commercial litigation surrounding sports, licensing, and competition matters. Matthew Martino specializes in league governance, broadcasting, and sponsorship issues, while Thad Hartmann focuses on high-profile mergers. Michael Menitove regularly advises professional sports leagues on their business practices and agreements. All named attorneys operate out of New York.

With a team praised as ‘first class from top to bottom’, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP is noted for its ability to handle complex litigation, contract negotiations, and corporate transactions arising within the sports sector. With a client list encompassing high-profile athletes, players' associations, and media and entertainment corporations, the practice stands out in particular for its bespoke guidance regarding antitrust claims as well as disputes over programming rights and e-commerce issues. Andrew Tulumello co-heads the team from Washington DC and is an expert in commercial litigation and sports-related appeals, whilst Yehudah Buchweitz co-leads from New York and focuses on rights of publicity and antitrust matters. Also in Washington DC, Arianna Scavetti has vast experience acting in investigations surrounding allegations of sexual harassment and emotional abuse. Zach Schreiber and David Lender are also highlighted as key contacts in New York.

Demonstrating broad knowledge on all aspects of sports litigation, M&A, and naming rights-related matters, the Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner team maintains a client roster that encompasses professional sports teams, Olympic committees, and national sporting leagues. The practice boasts a particularly strong record of handling stadium developments and financings and also regularly advises on media contract negotiations for sports-related TV and radio stations. Ryan Davis co-heads the department from St Louis and serves as a key contact for litigation proceedings and sponsorship issues, whilst Steve Smith co-leads from Colorado Springs and chiefly advises on naming rights agreements and contractual disputes. Also in Colorado Springs, Richard Young focuses on complex commercial disputes, while New York-based Douglas Mishkin offers niche expertise on US gambling laws. Christopher Schmidt primarily handles professional and collegiate sports disputes from St Louis.

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP counts athletic commissions, television networks, and financial institutions in its client roster and chiefly handles media rights and crisis management issues as well as sporting disputes arising in federal and state courts. New York-based lawyer Richard Birns co-heads the team and is noted for his transactional expertise in connection with high-profile franchise acquisitions and joint ventures, while co-head Maurice Suh is based in Los Angeles and primarily advises on corporate litigation and government enforcement actions. Also operating out of Los Angeles, Kevin Masuda acts on behalf of talent and sports agencies in restructurings and strategic agreements, while Sarah Graham assists media and technology corporations with investments and betting law issues.

Frequently providing counsel to individual investors and ownership groups in bids for professional sports franchises and esports teams, the Loeb & Loeb LLP team is active across transactions in the entertainment, financial services, and  telecommunications spaces. Based out of Los Angeles, Arash Khalili co-heads the practice and is noted for his vast experience handling M&A and joint ventures on behalf of professional athletes and public companies. Co-head Brian Socolow, who divides his time between Washington DC and New York, specializes in advising clients on media broadcast and distribution agreements as well as on trademark licenses, while Chicago-based Seth Rose and Douglas Masters stand out for their knowledge on advertising and IP issues, primarily within the tech and automotive sectors. Also in Chicago, Lisa Wiznitzer primarily focuses on joint ventures and corporate transactions.

With an established track record of advising domestic and international clients in major acquisitions, high-profile stadium developments, and complex litigation, the O'Melveny & Myers LLP practice is highly regarded for its corporate and IP expertise in the sporting space. Amy Siegel and Molly Lens co-head the Centuy City-based team, with the former serving as a key contact for licensing arrangements and naming rights agreements while the latter specialises in all aspects of employment, unfair competition, and business tort law issues. Lindsay Conner is an expert on matters related to broadcasting and digital content, whilst Jeff Gordon frequently represents athletes and sporting franchises in business disputes. Daniel Petrocelli focuses on securities, media, and sports law affairs.

The team at Herrick, Feinstein LLP comprehensively handles the corporate, IP, employment, and litigation aspects of sports law for a roster of international and domestic clients including sports franchises, associations, and corporates entities. The New York-based practice is jointly headed by Irwin Kishner and Daniel Etna, who focus on M&A, entertainment law, and stadium financing matters in addition to advising on naming rights agreements and debt financings for professional sports teams, as well as by Eric Stabler, who chiefly advises owners, investors, and sports networks on financial and corporate transactions, Morris DeFeo, who is knowledgeable on corporate governance matters, and Liliana Chang, who focuses on joint ventures. Also recommended is Tara Guarneri-Ferrara, who maintains close client relationships with both leagues and financial institutions.

Providing an extensive range of services within the sporting space, the Katten practice is capable of offering both transactional and contentious advice to major sporting leagues, stadium developers and financial institutions. Adam Klein leads the Chicago-based team and specializes in assisting with minority investments, M&A, and debt financing transactions, while Daniel Render offers bespoke advice to clients on media rights and sponsorship agreements from the Los Angeles office. Also in Chicago, Jason Gorczynski is knowledgeable in commercial real estate transactions, and Valentina Famparska primarily concentrates on leveraged buyouts and private equity investments.

Offering the full spectrum of corporate, employment, and IP services to major US sports leagues, universities, and investors, the Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP practice handles a wide array of matters related to broadcasting agreements, debt finance transactions, franchise acquisitions, and commercial disputes. Boston-based Andrew White and Jack Concannon chiefly focus on M&A and private equity investments across the sports and tech sectors, while Washington lawyer Jocelyn Cuttino primarily advises on employment and labor issues. White and Cuttino co-head the practice with Philadelphia lawyer Andrew Rocks, an expert for joint ventures in the sporting space. Further key contacts include Boston lawyer Doneld Shelkey, who stands out for his advice on commercial contract and licensing matters.

Representing major NFL, NBA, and MLS teams in renovation projects and risk management programs, the Thompson Hine LLP practice displays extensive knowledge in both the construction and sporting space. Based out of Cleveland, Alan Ritchie heads the group, frequently advising clients on project finance and development agreements, while Jeffrey Appelbaum acts on behalf of design professionals and construction managers across the US and Canada. Jack Clark consistently assists with structuring and negotiating agreements for construction and financing initiatives from Columbus.

Leveraging its expertise in patent litigation, data privacy compliance, and commercial disputes, the Vinson & Elkins LLP practice regularly acts on behalf of major sports leagues, franchises, and media corporations. Operating out of Austin, Hilary Preston has in-depth experience in complex IP claims and is also capable of handling ecommerce matters, whilst Washington DC-based Zachary Terwilliger regularly represents clients in federal investigations and trials. In New York, Michael Kurzer specializes in technology-focused transactions and investments.

Demonstrating a strong track record in major antitrust class-action lawsuits and defamation cases, the Washington DC-based Wilkinson Stekloff practice is highly regarded for its representation of clients in commercial courts. The team is co-headed by Brian Stekloff, James Rosenthal, and Beth Wilkinson, who bring extensive knowledge of litigious matters and enforcement actions to the offering, while Kosta Stojilkovic and the ‘outstanding’ Rakesh Kilaru are also highlighted as key contacts. Cali Arat is noted for leading on the practice's close client relationship with the NCAA, and Kieran Gostin stands out for his knowledge of product liability proceedings.

Demonstrating substantial strength in matters related to sports betting, data privacy, and corporate transactions, the team at Eversheds Sutherland maintains relationships with a client roster encompassing professional sports teams, major event organizers, and investors. Based out of San Francisco, Baird D. Fogel heads the team and specializes in advising professional franchises and athletes on all aspects of transactional matters. Fogel is also noted for his ability to advise on energy issues relating to the construction of arenas.

High-profile athletes and professional sports leagues rely on Hecker Fink LLP's strong track record of handling contentious issues in the sport space, including gender discrimination and sexual harassment claims. New York-based Roberta Kaplan heads the practice and is an expert on commercial and public interest litigation, while Julie Fink assists clients with the implementation of anti-harassment and retaliation policies. Gabrielle Tenzer focuses on complex civil claims, and Shawn Crowley is noted for her expertise in national security trials.

Showcasing ‘fantastic attention to detail’, the Perkins Coie LLP practice offers tailored advice on all aspects of stadium construction and financing alongside handling content licensing and IP portfolio management affairs. Stewart Landefeld operates out of Seattle and specializes in corporate governance and securities compliance matters, New York-based Shirin Malkani focuses on sports media rights and emerging technologies, and Jamie Schafer, who divides her time between Washington DC and New York, routinely represents entities and individuals in complex criminal and regulatory affairs.