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On To The Next One: Zach Britton

I am a month late on reporting Zach Britton’s switch from Hendricks Sports to Boras Corp. What is most interesting is what the Baltimore Orioles 2010 Minor League Pitcher of the Year said about his former representation:

“I was with Hendricks Sports and dealt with Matt Laird.  He was great but I never really had contact with the Hendricks brothers myself, so I just never felt comfortable going forward with people I hadn’t met. So I had a good opportunity to meet with Scott and came away very impressed.”

That makes me think of Dicky Fox’s line from Jerry Maguire – “The key to this business is personal relationships.”  Agents are held to an extremely high standard by their clients.  One mishap, and there will be hundreds of agents waiting for an opportunity to pounce on the client and have him make the dreaded switch.  Sometimes it has nothing to do with a poorly handed contract negotiation or a lack of marketing deals.  It can be as simple as feeling neglected or even just feeling not as important as one of the agent’s other clients.

I make it a point to interact with each one of my clients, even if I am not the “primary agent.”  Certainly, not every agency operates the same way, and that seems to be the chief reason why Zach Britton left Hendricks Sports.  Do you think rival agents will use Britton’s statement against Hendricks Sports in the future when they are in a recruiting battle against the company?  You better believe it.

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.