Smith in ‘American Lawyer’ on Effects of Pandemic on Sports Law

Colorado Springs Managing Partner Steve Smith was quoted at length March 31 by The American Lawyer regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports law practices. While some sports-related work has slowed, other areas are busy as lawyers work to reschedule major athletic competitions. Smith, a co-leader of BCLP’s Sports & Entertainment Group, represents international federations and national governing bodies in the Olympic movement. He said he was not surprised the 2020 Olympics were moved to next year. “It’s easy to be critical, and maybe they waited a bit too long to make the decision,” Smith said. But “I don’t have complaints about how they handled it. It isn’t a U2 concert that you can just move to a later date.” He also commented that the force majeure clause in contracts, often an afterthought in the negotiation process, is now particularly important. Force majeure is “historically one of the least paid-attention-to clauses,” Smith said. “Not now.”