Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.
As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.
Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.
Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.
View Archive →
4 replies on “Agents Are Overrated”
Unless you’re Ray Allen and you know you’re getting the max contract I don’t see any point in not having an agent. If you don’t want someone controlling your life, hire Lon Babby (I believe he mostly focuses on contracts only). Pat Garrity made comments about not wanting an agent to control him in the past. If there is no negotiation in your contract, it might not make sense to hire an agent. However, as you pointed out Darren, relationships can be broken due to what’s said in the negotiation room. The team is playing down your clients worth, you’re building it up. If you’re a player hearing these things has to sting and be a hit to ones self confidence. I’m reading Wayne Embry’s book and he mentions a few reasons on why he hired an agent for his last (managerial) contract in Cleveland. Sure the fees are high, but it’s a full-time job. Not to mention all the other aspects behind shopping a player, using other teams to your advantage, etc., etc.. Most players are not experts at CBAs either. Again, Ray Allen’s situation really was the only time I thought it made some sense because there was no negotiation when he was in Milwaukee. However, since then I believe he’s hooked up with Babby.
[…] that an athlete can suffer when choosing the “cheap way out” by not signing an agent [Agents Are Overrated]. I also gave testimony from Doug Brown, a defensive lineman in the CFL, who gave 2 reasons for […]
[…] manager of his team do not enter a personal arena where playing on the team becomes uncomfortable [Agents Are Overrated]. This is huge. You do not want to make playing on the team uncomfortable, and by going into a […]
[…] about their flaws. Point #2 is actually one of the reasons I, and former CFL player Doug Brown, believe agents are necessary for players. Tags: Add new tag, Baseball, free agent, Major League Baseball, Marvin Miller, sports agent […]