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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6 replies on “Open Thread”
Yal do a great job with this site, covering a wide range of topics and offering some insightful analysis. I think it would be interesting for you to cover the major differences in being an agent in basketball vs. baseball vs. football, a study on players switching agents, what goes into recruiting a student-athlete, some innovative/trendsetting contracts by agents (and which agents are known for this), break down some CBA provisions, a breakdown of the background, education and experience of basketball agents, an anaylyis of how many high school players stick with their advisors if they end up going to college, the impact of Athletes Performance training (and do agents or players pay for this) and maybe how much Happy has been paying your boy and his fam. Thanks.
Agents usually pick up the tab for pre-combine training. I know training at API runs a minimum of $10k, plus the agent is usually required to pick up any housing required, rental cars, spending money, etc. For this type of training for players outside of the first round or two the agent usually only breaks even on the player in his first contract or even ends up in the hole a bit. That’s where the agent has to work his ass off to make sure to keep the player for his second contract, which is where he makes his money.
Your site is awesome. It would be nice to get advice from people in the field on how to get in the field. Especially for college students, what subjects should we focus on, what school’s have the best graduate program for the field, etc.
Darren, it might be helpful if you have a section, where it lists the stories that each contributor has written for easy access. I know you can search each person’s name, but have a separate section archiving each columnist.
Let me see if I can add something like that to the About page.
Matt – I added the links already. Great idea, and easy to implement.
Eric – Thanks for the props. We actually do a column called Interview With The Agent, which should give some good inside info about the field. I have also done a couple of posts on graduate schools with special sports MBAs, and some Sports Law programs.
Jordan – Great list of stuff to cover. I have saved your comments and hope to touch on a variety of those issues.