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Former Hendricks Sports Agent Rodney Fernandez Charged With Grand Theft

According to Tweets by Melissa Segura of Sports Illustrated, Rodney Fernandez has been charged with grand theft based on allegations that he stole money from Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim first baseman, Kendry Morales.  More specifically, it is based on an allegation that Fernandez is linked to $300,000 magically disappearing from Morales’ bank account.  Fernandez was held at the Broward County Main Jail, which is less than a mile from my office.

Rodney Fernandez used to be an agent with Hendricks Sports Management.  He was briefly famous for becoming Aroldis Chapman’s agent after he fired Edwin Mejia of Athletes Premier International (API), which resulted in a lawsuit filed by API.  The suit claimed that Hendricks Sports made material false and disparaging statements to Chapman concerning API and Mejia, and provided improper enticements to Chapman in an effort to make him switch to Hendricks Sports.  That lawsuit was later settled for an undisclosed sum of money.

At the time that Chapman made the switch to Hendricks, many people speculated that Kendry Morales played a role in wooing Chapman to his new representatives.  Not long thereafter, Morales switched to Boras Corp.  Rodney Fernandez was likely a big part of Morales’ switch.

Will Fernandez attempt to take down Hendricks Sports Management with him?  In February 2010, Fernandez spoke to ESPN The Magazine and stated that Randy and Alan Hendricks approved the removal of money from Morales’ bank account.  Furthermore, Fernandez claimed that the money was used for “expenses related to Hendricks Sports Management.”

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.