Contract, Endorsement & Celebrity Representation

Our Sports and Entertainment Contract, Endorsement and Celebrity Representation team has substantial experience in drafting and negotiating a wide range of contracts in the sports and entertainment space, including television, radio, streaming and other broadcast contracts, naming rights and sponsorship agreements (including jersey sponsorship, betting and gaming industry sponsorship and cryptocurrency category sponsorship matters), sports betting market access licenses, suite license agreements, concession agreements, retail agreements and executive and player contracts.

We have handled several endorsement deals, including representations of both athletes and celebrities and the companies hiring them to endorse their products or services.

Our representation of athletes, agents and other celebrities extends beyond advising them in connection with their sports contracts and endorsement and includes advice in connection with a whole spectrum of legal and business matters.

Select representations in this area include the following:

Represented a number of sports clients, including the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and St. Louis Blues Hockey Club, in connection with negotiations of television contracts, including contracts involving broadcasts on ABC, CBS, ESPN/ESPN2, FOX Sports, NBC, OLN, Versus and CBS Radio
Represented the St. Louis Blues in player contract negotiations with Wayne Gretzky
Represented the Los Angeles Galaxy in player contract negotiations with David Beckham
Represented the St. Louis Blues and its affiliates in connection with agreements related to the 2016 NCAA, 2016 Missouri Valley Conference and 2018 Southeastern Conference (SEC) men’s college basketball tournaments played at Scottrade Center (now known as Enterprise Center)
Advised clients on a number of agreements involving transmission of events over the Internet and other digital media
Represented Delaware North Companies, Inc. in connection with various concession, food and beverage, catering, merchandise and other agreements involving professional sports teams in each of Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League and the National Hockey League
Advised large media and sporting rights organization on its business critical technology platform contracts, with a variety of suppliers, to enable it to provide a live streaming service to its customers and with respect to a number of potential disputes with its supply chain

Select representations in this area including the following:

Represented NBA All Star player in connection with numerous endorsement deals
Represent high profile international football (soccer) club stars in commercial transactions, IP rights protection and endorsement deals
Represented various celebrities, including Jimmy Connors, Brendan Shanahan, and a number of leading international football (soccer) stars with respect to licensing, endorsement and sponsorship agreements
Represented various businesses in connection with endorsement and product support agreements with celebrities such as Brazilian soccer player Ronaldinho, Jimmy Connors, Melissa “Missy” Franklin, Jimmie Johnson, Mike Krzyzewski (“Coach K”), NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes, Nick Saban, Deion Sanders, Brendan Shanahan, Kurt Warner, Sandra Bullock, Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez, Bridget Moynahan, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Simpson and Mr. T
Represented various businesses with the structuring and execution of “influencer” endorsement packages and “celebrity meets internet” deals with celebrities, such as Jessica Simpson, Lady Gaga and the Olsen Twins
Represented several clients, on both the business and the talent side, in connection with various endorsement deals involving celebrity models, stylists, make-up artists and dermatologists, including Bridget Moynahan, Amber Valletta, Shalom Harlow and various Victoria’s Secret models, and products of companies such as Maybelline, L’Oréal and Revlon
Represented Israeli company in endorsement deal involving Brazilian soccer star Ronaldinho
Represented major league sports players’ associations with respect to player rights to endorsement agreements for the MLB Players’ Association, NBA Players’ Association and NHL Players’ Association
Represent a gaming and technology company in connection with the structuring and negotiation of artist endorsement, musical licensing and “avatar” development for an interactive gaming platform
Authored social media policies and guidelines for, and provided social media influencer marketing training to, multiple major corporations
Led multiple industry groups and committees in interfacing with the Federal Trade Commission regarding its Endorsement Guides

Select representations in this area include the following:

Represented a number of sports clients, including the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and St. Louis Blues Hockey Club, in connection with negotiations of television contracts, including contracts involving broadcasts on ABC, CBS, ESPN/ESPN2, FOX Sports, NBC, OLN, Versus and CBS Radio
Represented the St. Louis Blues in player contract negotiations with Wayne Gretzky
Represented the Los Angeles Galaxy in player contract negotiations with David Beckham
Represented the St. Louis Blues and its affiliates in connection with agreements related to the 2016 NCAA, 2016 Missouri Valley Conference and 2018 Southeastern Conference (SEC) men’s college basketball tournaments played at Scottrade Center (now known as Enterprise Center)
Advised clients on a number of agreements involving transmission of events over the Internet and other digital media
Represented Delaware North Companies, Inc. in connection with various concession, food and beverage, catering, merchandise and other agreements involving professional sports teams in each of Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League and the National Hockey League
Advised large media and sporting rights organization on its business critical technology platform contracts, with a variety of suppliers, to enable it to provide a live streaming service to its customers and with respect to a number of potential disputes with its supply chain

Select representations in this area including the following:

Represented NBA All Star player in connection with numerous endorsement deals
Represent high profile international football (soccer) club stars in commercial transactions, IP rights protection and endorsement deals
Represented various celebrities, including Jimmy Connors, Brendan Shanahan, and a number of leading international football (soccer) stars with respect to licensing, endorsement and sponsorship agreements
Represented various businesses in connection with endorsement and product support agreements with celebrities such as Brazilian soccer player Ronaldinho, Jimmy Connors, Melissa “Missy” Franklin, Jimmie Johnson, Mike Krzyzewski (“Coach K”), NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes, Nick Saban, Deion Sanders, Brendan Shanahan, Kurt Warner, Sandra Bullock, Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez, Bridget Moynahan, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Simpson and Mr. T
Represented various businesses with the structuring and execution of “influencer” endorsement packages and “celebrity meets internet” deals with celebrities, such as Jessica Simpson, Lady Gaga and the Olsen Twins
Represented several clients, on both the business and the talent side, in connection with various endorsement deals involving celebrity models, stylists, make-up artists and dermatologists, including Bridget Moynahan, Amber Valletta, Shalom Harlow and various Victoria’s Secret models, and products of companies such as Maybelline, L’Oréal and Revlon
Represented Israeli company in endorsement deal involving Brazilian soccer star Ronaldinho
Represented major league sports players’ associations with respect to player rights to endorsement agreements for the MLB Players’ Association, NBA Players’ Association and NHL Players’ Association
Represent a gaming and technology company in connection with the structuring and negotiation of artist endorsement, musical licensing and “avatar” development for an interactive gaming platform
Authored social media policies and guidelines for, and provided social media influencer marketing training to, multiple major corporations
Led multiple industry groups and committees in interfacing with the Federal Trade Commission regarding its Endorsement Guides

Representative matters we have handled in this area include the following:

Provided employee benefits advice with respect to the pension plan sponsored by Michael Vick’s MV7, LLC
Represent Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers in connection with trademark issues
Represent Orlando Pace and Roland Williams, formerly of the St. Louis Rams, in connection with various business and transactional matters
Represent several current and former professional team owners and athletes, including current or former NBA, NFL, MLB and IndyCar professionals, and various individuals involved in the entertainment industry in connection with various business, transactional, tax, estate planning and charitable foundation matters
Represent charitable foundations with respect to various nonprofit, tax, corporate and intellectual property issues, including representations of Kurt Warner’s First Things First Foundation, the St. Louis Blues Fourteen Fund (now known as Blues for Kids), the Jackie Joyner Kersee Foundation and Justin Gage’s Twelve Starz Foundation
Represent numerous clients with respect to player insurance matters
Advised a number of leading international football (soccer) club stars in connection with their social media activities
Represent agents in the sports and entertainment space, including the leading sports agent in the United Kingdom (which houses the largest football (soccer) agency), and one of the most active sports agencies in Asia, specifically in China