Launching a new league or team in the sports industry is a complex matter, and requires trusted counselors and partners to navigate through the various legal issues that arise. Our firm’s platform, depth of experience, and holistic view of the sports industry offers clients practical, efficient advice for new sports organizations.
Emerging teams and leagues turn to our global Sports Industry team as trusted advisors as they break into the market and establish themselves. Our lawyers have extensive experience and draw upon the multidisciplinary strength of our firm’s platform to guide new sports teams and leagues through all phases of growth in this rapidly expanding industry, from the initial stages of entity formation to assisting with the development of growth and expansion plans once the venture has been established. We have experience in organizing and structuring entities in both the single-entity and franchisee models and regularly counsel clients on the pros and cons of each approach.
Raising capital is one of the most important–and necessary–goals of a new team or league, and our lawyers can help with financing, capital offerings, shareholders agreements, convertible notes, and debt offerings. Another priority for newly established teams and leagues is reviewing real estate and facility ownership needs. Our lawyers harness a vast knowledge of opportunity zones and other tax incentives to help clients secure the best option financially for their facility or stadium.
We help emerging teams and leagues draft and negotiate a broad range of contractual agreements, including player and coach contracts, sponsorship and naming rights agreements, suite licenses, venue use agreements, apparel contracts, broadcast and media rights deals, and other strategic collaboration agreements.
We also help emerging leagues or teams with intellectual property, data privacy, immigration, and labor and employment matters–all critical issues that face new organizations.
Since his inauguration on 20 January 2025, President Donald J. Trump has signed dozens of executive orders and presidential memoranda on topics including, but not limited to, energy and the environment; immigration; international trade; foreign policy; diversity, equity and inclusion; transforming the civil service and federal government; and technology.
On 3 February 2025, the United States reached agreements with Canada and Mexico to pause tariffs on imports from those countries in exchange for actions on border security, illegal drugs, and immigration.
President Donald Trump issued a flurry of executive orders (EOs) in his first hours and days in office. The numerous EOs cover a range of topics, many of which impact environmental regulation and related areas. While many of President Trump’s EOs will be—and already are—facing litigation challenges, and others will require congressional approval prior to full implementation, the EOs nevertheless signal the intention and direction of the Trump administration in the environmental law realm and beyond.
On 1 February 2025, President Trump announced that the United States plans to impose additional tariffs on imports from Canada, China, and Mexico to address “the sustained influx of illicit opioids and other drugs” into the United States which is having “profound consequences on our Nation, endangering lives and putting a severe strain on our healthcare system, public services, and communities.”
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