Partner named 'Law360' Rising Star in Sports & Betting

BCLP Partner Jonathan Potts has been named a 2023 Law360 Rising Star in Sports & Betting for his work representing the NCAA in its head injury cases, and steering 30 NHL clubs in connection with national multidistrict litigation.

For the past eight years, Jonathan has represented NHL clubs and the NCAA in litigation concerning the long-term health effects of playing contact sports, including concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). This is an emerging area of the law. “It’s right at the intersection of sports, public policy and medicine,” he explained. “Even if you go back a few years ago, this discussion was not going on. It’s something that is really, really new.”

Jonathan said his proudest professional moment is helping exonerate three men of murder as part of the Innocence Project. Using DNA and other methods, the nonprofit organization seeks to free people who were wrongly convicted. He helped free David Robinson, who spent 18 years in prison for first-degree murder; Donald Nash, who was imprisoned 12 years for capital murder; and Lamar Johnson, who spent 28 years behind bars following a first-degree murder conviction.

"I had no interest in criminal law coming out of law school," he said. "I fell into this. I was a lawyer at the firm for only a few months and was approached to take this. It's completely pro bono and a years-long effort, and it takes hundreds to thousands of hours to get people exonerated."

As an accomplished class action defense attorney and commercial litigator, Jonathan represents businesses in high-stakes lawsuits throughout the country. He is the co-leader of the firm’s Consumer Fraud Team. Jonathan has spent his career defending multi-state and nationwide putative class actions for clients in all sectors, including e-commerce, financial services, manufacturing, retail, and sports. Jonathan defends clients in some of the most visible litigation in the country. He previously represented all National Hockey League clubs in multidistrict litigation regarding the long-term effects of head injuries. He currently serves as National Coordinating Counsel for the NCAA’s portfolio of sports injury litigation.

Jonathan and all of this year’s Law360 Rising Stars are currently featured here.