Sectors

Sports

We understand the sports industry, the players, and the interplay at all levels.

Morgan Lewis advises clients involved in the sports industry on the complex management and business challenges facing professional sports teams and leagues, collegiate athletic programs, conferences and governing bodies, media companies and broadcasters, marketers and advertisers, stadium, arena, and other venue owners, retailers, ticketing companies, gaming operators, online platforms, and their investors.

What We Do

We provide our clients with the experience and implementation resources necessary to drive success. We offer a full complement of services to identify growth opportunities and maximize performance both on- and off-field, including the following:

Key Industry Players

Business Transactions

Public/private mergers and acquisitions, including joint ventures, spin-offs, and strategic alliances
Venue naming rights
All aspects of real estate
Franchise relocation
Sponsorships and promotional agreements, including licensing
Outsourcing
Vendor relations, bidding process, and procurement

Stadium & Team Financing

Venue development and construction
Public/private venue financing
Ownership financing
Investment and acquisition assessment
All aspects of front and back-end financing
Restructuring and bankruptcy
Private note placements
Multicurrency and cross-border financing

Media & Streaming Rights

Media and broadcasting deals
Data protection, privacy, and enterprise cybersecurity
Licensing and franchising
Internet-based services and applications
Wireless and spectrum issues
Subsea cable
Satellite
Local services

Labor & Employment

Labor and management relations
Salary arbitrations
Pensions and insurance trusts
Compensation plans and programs
Diversity and inclusions programs
Global employment law
Strikes and work stoppages
Suitable seating requirements
Temporary staffing
Workplace training
Workplace violence
Wrongful termination

Antitrust

Single plaintiff and class action litigation
Collaboration agreements and arrangements
Complex mergers and acquisitions
Internal investigations
Compliance training and audits
Preventative and strategic counseling

Intellectual Property

Trademark protection and licensing
IP licensing and joint development agreements
Patent litigation
Patent prosecution and counseling
Trade secret litigation
Trademark litigation
US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, including inter partes reexaminations, and the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, including oppositions

Litigation

Labor disputes
Class actions
Americans with Disabilities Act public accommodation and accessibility litigation and counseling
Crisis management
Commercial litigation
Intellectual property litigation
Privacy and cybersecurity
Trade secrets, proprietary information, and noncompetition/nondisclosure agreements