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Shaq’s Spit Splatters The News

This comes by way of a reader of the blog who wishes to remain anonymous:

Many sports management firms tout their abilities to assist their clients with contract negotiations, finances, tax prep, PR and marketing. Agents bend over backward to court the spouses and family members of their prospective clients. What happens when that comes crashing down in a divorce?

An agent’s duty is to serve his/her client; yet that client is to serve his/her family as the breadwinner. Knowingly the sports agent inks the phatty deal to serve his client and his client’s family. What duty does the agent have to the family?

So Shaquille O’Neal makes a cool $20 mil plus endorsements…I’m not saying $10 million a year won’t help feed the 6 kids Shaunie will be caring for (yes, I’ve heard there’s an iron-tight prenup of what I’m not sure). I’m sure Perry Rogers (or whomever Shaq’s agent is today) sugared Shaq’s wife and kids with all kinds sweet talk and goodies over the years.

In general, and more often in the lives of professional athletes, divorce is commonplace. With this in mind, it is vital that sports stars have a reliable team of prenup lawyers on their side to protect their property and assets. Are sports management firms living up to the expectations they create or are the peripheral services illusions? “Behind every successful man is a successful woman” as the old saying goes. Depending on the athlete it may be several women; regardless, are the sports management firms of today living up to the expectations they create for the client and their family?

By Darren Heitner

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.

One reply on “Shaq’s Spit Splatters The News”

I believe the agent’s obligation is to the client, and I think most family members understand that although they enjoy a cordial or even friendly relationship with the agent that agent works for the athlete. If Shaq involved his agent in the prenup and his agent did his job, then Shaq has an iron-clad prenup. Beyond that it gets a little murky. As a woman who has read Ann Crittenden’s “The Price of Motherhood,” I hope any wife in this situation has the best representation she can find, and I hope she first found that representation around the time of the prenup. With personal matters like this it’s different every time…In most cases, relatively blind allegiance to the client is probably the best bet for an agent who wants to stay in business. That said, I guess I think it’s best not to parse the facts or judge just in case there’s a reconciliation down the road.

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