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Sports Business

William Morris Endeavor To Scrap Sports Marketing Division?

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Over at the brand new, EntertainmentAgentBlog.com, we have discussed the effects of the recent merger between William Morris Agency and Endeavor.  The merger is not only affecting the entertainment industry, but has been felt in many other industries, as well…including sports.  Endeavor has never put together a sports division, but William Morris had some high profile sports clients before the two companies decided to join.  Since the new joint-company has been established, over 100 WMA employees have been fired or asked to gracefully resign.  And one of WMA’s biggest sports guys, Lon Rosen, may be on his way out as well.

Rosen was initially signed by WMA to build a sports marketing division.  He was slapped with a VP title and quickly accumulated clients with names like Magic Johnson and Alex Rodriguez.  Interestingly, before switching over to WMA, Rosen was with Endeavor.  So who is pushing Rosen out now, or if he is not being pushed out, why does he so suddenly want to leave?

When the WMA/Endeavor merger was still only a rumor, I speculated that the new entity may finally create a large sports representation division to rival CAA.  Rosen would have been one of the people on a short list to run that new division.  If he is on his way out, does that mean that this new sports representation division might have only been a pipe-dream of mine?

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.