All posts tagged: sports law

So You Want To Be A Sports Lawyer?

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I receive a lot of inquiries from law students, recent graduates, and even senior lawyers asking for advice about breaking into sports law. Many of these messages come from students and lawyers from other states who follow me on social media or who have attended panels or seminars where I served as a featured speaker. It is truly humbling. I am always open to talking with anyone in the legal profession who shares my passion for sports law and the commitment to the analytical, negotiation, and drafting skills that this practice area demands. But the harsh reality is that getting a job in sports law is often not based on merit alone. The selection process is heavily weighted towards relationships and prior experience. Everyone wants in on sports; practicing in this area brings with it a certain “cool” factor. People will work harder to be a sports lawyer, many will take a pay cut just get in the door. But getting those jobs are often based just as much on good timing and personal contacts …

From Temple to Germany: How Temple Law School Shaped My Career in Sports and Entertainment Law

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When I completed my LL.M. at Temple Law School in Philadelphia in 1994/1995, I did not anticipate how profoundly this experience would shape my professional path. The focus of my studies was a comparative thesis on “Secondary Industrial Activities” in the United States, the United Kingdom and the Federal Republic of Germany – a thesis that later became the basis of my doctoral dissertation in Germany, which I completed and published in 1996. I was able to pursue my LL.M. at Temple thanks to an Ambassadorial Scholarship from Rotary International, which gave me access not only to an excellent academic environment but also to a truly international legal community. A pivotal moment for me was my first encounter with Sports & Entertainment Law at Temple Law School. The professor teaching this course at the time was the lawyer who had negotiated the product placement contracts connected with the movie “Rocky”. For a young German lawyer whose background was primarily in traditional business and labour law, this was an impressive introduction to the intersection of law, …

Why Top Global Law Firms Are Racing to Build Sports Law Practices

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The legal industry is undergoing a noticeable shift, and the latest battleground isn’t technology, private equity, or corporate restructurings—it’s sports. Over the past year, six of the world’s leading law firms have launched or significantly expanded dedicated sports law practices, signaling that sports law has evolved as one of the most attractive practice sectors. This isn’t a series of isolated hiring decisions. It’s a strategic move to secure expertise in a market where demand is accelerating faster than the supply of experienced legal talent. The most recent entrant is Paul Hastings, which has officially launched a global sports practice by hiring two highly regarded lawyers with deep experience across the industry. The firm recruited Brandon Etheridge, formerly the general counsel of the Baltimore Ravens, alongside sports mergers and acquisitions specialist Mark Zerdin. Zerdin is well known for advising on complex business transactions, including General Motors’ high-profile entry into Formula 1 with the Cadillac Formula 1 team. However, Paul Hastings is not alone. Several of the world’s most prestigious law firms—including Latham & Watkins, Kirkland & …

Rutgers: Sued for Keeping Up with the Jones’ 

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On March 31, a class action lawsuit was filed against Rutgers University, led by Rutgers graduate and New Jersey resident, Hector Rodriguez. The complaint alleges that since Rutgers joined the Big Ten Conference in 2014, the University has misappropriated funds by diverting operating revenues from state taxes, tuition, and mandatory student fees to support the failing athletic program. The first charge alleges that the University leadership breached their fiduciary duties by continuing to fund the athletics program despite their knowledge of the magnitude of its losses. The second charge asks for declaratory judgement declaring that the athletics expenditures are unlawful and a waste of public funds.  The lawsuit was filed in response to the fiscal report released by the University in early 2026 showing that the 2025 athletics deficit was over $70 million, the third time in the last five years. Since 2014, the total deficit has grown to $526 million. Rutgers is not the only school operating in an athletics budget deficit. In the 2021-2022 academic year, 98.6% of the 2,023 colleges and universities …

A New Precedent in Sports Arbitration: How Gruden and Flores Won Their Day in Court

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With the Arizona Cardinals’ hiring of former Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, the NFL’s 2026 head coaching carousel has officially stopped spinning. A record-tying 10 franchises decided to let go of their head coach this offseason, a stark reminder of how rapidly one’s career can be shaken in the NFL. While some of these coaches fought to get jobs on other teams, Jon Gruden and Brian Flores are two former head coaches who saw their exits turn into battles of the legal kind, both of which still rage on to this day.   In 2021, Jon Gruden resigned from his position as the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders after the NFL released private emails between him and former president of the Washington Commanders Bruce Allen during an investigation into toxic work culture. Gruden used profane, misogynistic, and racist language to describe certain NFL players and executives. Gruden then sued Roger Goodell and the NFL in Nevada state court in November 2021. His claims arose from the NFL collecting about 650,000 emails in …