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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5 replies on “8/07/08 News & Notes”
Haran is on fire, hopefully he will get more playing time on this team even though the competition is not as good. Real quick, where do we go to inquire about autograph requests? Should materials be sent to dynasty headquarters or the athletes themselves? I got my hands on a newspaper article about leatherman which I would like signed and my Topps rookie card of Haran on the cardinals i would like autographed too.
Jamal
You ask some very good questions –
1. For Haran autos – please just send to the local YMCA near the ball field. It is where all the players stay.
Heitner worked out a deal for all the players as he is ‘The King’ of representing independent ball players.
2. Leatherman will be doing a public signing at the local Wal-Mart in Maryland this Saturday. He is charging a penny an autograph so you can have up to 25 newspaper articles signed for a mere quarter!
3. As Lara is finding out – ‘ You are more than a client – you are part of a Dynasty!’ – which means the new interns are filling out applications at the local Home Depots, Best Buys and Starbucks for him so he has a job when he returns from Low A ball.
Gerard is just unstoppable as a Wild Thing. Even after hitting a homerun in each of his first two games, he then has another impressive game including a double the earned him 2 RBIs.
Make sure you keep that autographed rookie card because that may just be a very noteworthy collectible!
TBG- thanks for the info, you mentioned Leatherman charges a penny but didnt mention the prices for Lara and Haran. Because Lara is dominating the lowest possible level of minor league ball he must be charging close to leatherman. And based on what herzig just said I would imagine Haran can start charging as well. Its funny how people dont do well on a better team like newark and then they go to a garbage team where no one has major league experience and now all of a sudden hes the best thing in indpedendent ball. i need to get my card signed ASAP before a MLB team gives him the call and he gets so cocky that he stops signing.
Herzig- Just a recommendation, i like the idea of putting up the stats in the excel sheet but maybe you shouldnt add in those few sentences for each player. If you want to put what they did in the recent game thats fine but please stop sniffing these dudes asses.
If you honestly have nothing better to do then make fun of other peoples clients…. why even bother? These guys are bringing something to the table that no one else can. The sheer fact that you acknowledge Gerard Haran means that their doing something right and getting there clients publicity that they otherwise wouldn’t have.