Categories
Sports Law

Yale Law School – Sports Litigation Panel

What: Panel Discussion on Sports Litigation

Where: Yale Law School.  See map.

When: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 – 4:10 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Moderator: MICHAEL MCCANN (Professor at Vermont Law School; Legal Analyst at Sports Illustrated)

Panelists:

  • HAL BIAGAS (Deputy Counsel, National Basketball Players Association; plays a lead role in collective bargaining for players and has advised Stephon Marbury in his on-going dispute with the New York Knicks)
  • BILLY MARTIN (has litigated on behalf of Michael Vick, Allen Iverson, Jayson Williams, and other athletes; has represented other notable clients, including U.S. Senator Larry Craig and the parents of former White House intern Monica Lewinsky)
  • ALAN MILSTEIN (has litigated on behalf of Maurice Clarett, Allen Iverson, Eddy Curry, jockey Eddie King, and other athletes, and also a nationally-recognized expert on bioethics and clinicial trials litigation)
  • JEFFREY MISHKIN (has litigated on behalf of the National Basketball Association in all of the league’s key litigations over the last 20 years, including in NBA v. Williams and NBA v. Motorola; formerly served as Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of the NBA)
  • JAY REISINGER (legal adivser to Andy Pettitte and Sammy Sosa during Mitchell Report and Congressional hearings on steroids; also represents MLB players in salary arbitrations)
  • MICHAEL ZARREN (Assistant Executive Director of Basketball Operations and Associate Counsel of Boston Celtics; directs Celtics in legal matters, including those concerning player contracts and endorsement and licensing deals; also plays a key role in the evaluation of players)

More Info: Email michael.bloom@yale.edu.

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.