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.
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Seth Mnookin is coming out with a book tomorrow that looks to be a good read: Feeding the Monster : How Money, Smarts, and Nerve Took a Team to the Top. Today, Mr. Mnookin has realease his last preview of the book by highlighting the negotiation between agent Scott Boras and Theo Epstein over Johnny Damon’s contract [Sneak Peeks: Scott Boras orchestrates Damon’s move to New York]. It is a good look into the negotiation process between GMs and agents. Tactics used included stalling direct communication, lying about competing offers, using a player’s wishes to remain in a certain city (whether true or false).
3 replies on “Johnny Damon’s Move to New York; Was it Theo’s Ego or Boras’s Lie?”
It was boras’s lie. I think he wanted the bigger commision and knew he had someone he could ‘work with’in Damon. The first thing I noticed from this whole thing was John Henry saying they never came back for our counter offer… knowing that Damon would take only 1 million more from the Sox to stay there, Boras let him sign with the Yankees leading him to believe the Sox said no. This is what I think. Boras was also on the west coast at this crucial time so Ive read and Damon was left with two deadlines. He was hurt and in retaliation signed with the Yankees and leaving the city that loved him. How this works out for everyone involved we won’t know for a while, but Scott Boras is the one that won for sure. Immediately.
On top of that I believe Boras was in cahoots with the Yankees all along and when all of the chaos in the Red Sox front office happened ie: Theo — they all knew they had their window of opportunity and they attacked.
[…] Since the beginning of the Steinbrenner era, the Yankees have been notorious for purchasing high-priced and sometimes overvalued free-agents. George Steinbrenner’s willingness to spend an exorbitant amount of money on his team has made Sports Agents eager to have their clients signed by the New York Yankees (for recent story, see: Johnny Damon). […]