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Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up (2/12/2010)

Post author By Darren Heitner
Post date February 12, 2010

My 25th birthday (this past Tuesday) was a wild and crazy time. As I get older, I hope that I never lose my fun side. Work hard, play hard. I will be in Gainesville this weekend, but next weekend, I will be down in Ft. Lauderdale to speak at the 2010 Nova Southeastern Sports and Entertainment Law Symposium. I found out that the moderator of my panel is a founding father of the UF chapter of my fraternity…small world. I also happened to run into another panelist at Leigh Steinberg’s party last Saturday. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to the upcoming panel. Pete Parise is back in the U.S. and has reported to Jupiter earlier than pitchers and catchers are required to show up. I will be visiting him on my way down to Ft. Lauderdale. Valentines Day is coming up. Anyone doing anything special for their loved ones? Here are some stories I missed over the past week:

Football

I would imagine that Lawrence has been pretty busy [Everett-based sports agent Paul Lawrence sees a bright future for his client Tracy Porter after Porter’s big Super Bowl play].
Even sports agents are wearing the mouthpiece? [Jaw dropping performance? Personal Best with Performance Mouthpiece].
Andy Reid calls him the assistant commissioner [Reno’s Bob LaMonte among NFL’s most powerful].
Still not a fan of the restrictiveness of the franchise tag, but it exists, so let’s acknowledge its presence [Teams can use franchise tags starting Thursday].

Baseball

Not sure that fingerprinting is the answer, but it’s nice to see the MLB getting serious about problems in the Dominican Republic [Baseball Considers Plan to Curtail Age Fraud].
Even Scott Boras cannot master the system in all situations [Did Boras Fail Damon, Washburn, & Lopez?].

Sports Business

The discovery process will make this very interesting [NCAA Loses Motion To Dismiss Suit From Former UCLA F Ed O’Bannon].
Tax issues are not the easiest things to understand [AN OFTEN OVERLOOKED TAX SAVINGS].

Tags Andy Reid, Baseball, Bob LaMonte, Dominican Republic, Football, franchise tag, mlb, Paul Lawrence, scott boras, Tracy Porter

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.