Our Sports and Entertainment Services
Sports
We're attorneys, athletes, and sports lovers. Our multidisciplinary team includes former NCAA athletes and a former NFL board of directors for the Charlotte chapter of the NFLPA’s retired players division, the Charlotte Touchdown Club, and the Board of Advisors to the NIL Prep Foundation. The Charlotte Touchdown Club hosts the Bronko Nagurski Award Ceremony, recognizing the nation’s top collegiate defensive football player.
Who We Represent
- Athletes: Current and former professional athletes
- Organizations: Major collegiate universities and athletics programs, sports agencies, current and former professional athletes, pro teams, including three MLB teams, sports executives, race teams and drivers
- Industry participants: National and regional sports organizations, sports product manufacturers, and industry service providers
Entertainment
Experience in the sports, entertainment, and media industries helps us understand the business models and technologies involved in most of our clients' legal issues. For instance, we may advise on content-driven marketing, digital distribution, fan management, and mobile advertising.
Our Clients
- Actors, celebrity entertainers, and influencers
- Authors and book publishers
- Film, television, and live-stage production companies
- Dancers and choreographers
- Entertainment venues
- Grammy nominated musicians, record labels, broadcast stations, and music publishers
Industry-Focused Advice and Services
Commercial Agreements
We review, draft, and negotiate terms for contracts and industry agreements, including Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), entertainment performance, recording, endorsement, marketing, production, guest feature, licensing, collaboration, child actor, union and guild, and employment agreements.
Business Transactions and General Corporate Legal Services
Our team can assist you with entity formation, corporate governance, legal compliance, routine legal issues, and long-term strategic and business transition planning, as well strategic investments within the industry. We often act as “Outside General Counsel” to our sports and entertainment clients.
Investments and Financing
We provide end-to-end transaction management for investments and projects in the sports and entertainment sectors. We also help clients identify appropriate business opportunities, conduct diligence, and secure necessary funding.
Intellectual Property
Protecting, managing, and monetizing intellectual property assets is a significant part of our practice. Our experience is relevant to copyrights and trademarks (including brand, name, and likeness marks) in the U.S. and internationally. Our attorneys are also nationally recognized for their expertise in NIL issues in collegiate and high school athletics.
Litigation and Dispute Resolution
We’re prepared to defend your rights in various state and federal disputes, including constitutional law, products liability, contracts, intellectual property, employment, construction/real estate litigation, and government investigations. Our team routinely secures favorable outcomes through alternative mechanisms such as arbitration and mediation.
Internal Investigations and Criminal Representation
Some of the most high-profile and confidential matters involve investigations into potential wrongdoing or the defense of criminal accusations. Our experienced team can guide individuals and entities through the myriad challenges these issues create, including public relations guidance.
Employment Law
We help entertainment and sports companies manage staff and contractors and avoid compliance problems. Should a problem arise, several team members have experience resolving employment disputes while avoiding negative publicity. We also work with higher education clients in the emerging area of college athlete compensation.
Wealth Management, Trusts, and Estates
Our attorneys offer wealth transfer, business succession, and estate planning to minimize future income, estate, and gift tax obligations.
Tax
A complex array of local, state, and national taxes can impact sports and entertainment clients, particularly touring acts. We offer domestic and international tax planning services, with experience in 50+ countries worldwide. We also represent clients in tax audits and disputes with the IRS and other tax authorities.