Categories
Headline Sports Law

University Of Texas Sports & Entertainment Symposium

What: 2nd Annual Texas Review of Entertainment & Sports Law Spring Symposium

When: March 24, 2011

Where: Eidman Courtroom and Joe Jamail Pavilion (at University of Texas School of Law)

Title: “The Role of Agents in Sports & Entertainment Law”

Agenda

  • 9:00-9:30 am Registration and Coffee
  • 9:30-10:00 am Opening Remarks
  • 10:00-11:00 am Professor David Caudill, Villanova School of Law

Professor Caudill will speak on the ethics of agents and attorney-agents, who are held to higher ethical standards than agents, and how they can adequately co-exist in the sports and entertainment industries.

  • 11:00-12:00 pm Josh Luchs, former high-profile sports agent

Josh Luchs will speak about his real-world experience with amateur athletes, the NCAA ethics rules, and the NFL. He will discuss his own NCAA ethics violations and in light of what Professor Caudill’s topic.

  • 12:00-1:00 pm Lunch
  • 1:00-2:30 pm Agents Across Entertainment Panel

Bill Stapleton, Lance Armstrong’s agent and co-founder of Capital Sports & Entertainment
Brian Jones, former NFL player and current CBS Sports Analyst
Larry Waks, entertainment lawyer, Jackson Walker
Erin Aldrich, former Olympian and future agent
Professor Bob Boland, athlete representative and professor at New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies

This is a panel discussion about agents and attorneys across the entertainment spectrum, including athlete endorsement deals, and the types of legal challenges they encounter. Moderated by Professor David Sokolow.

  • 2:30-2:45 pm Break
  • 2:45-4:15 pm The Future of Agents: New Developments & Proposed Changes

Professor Michael Cramer, former President of Texas Rangers and Dallas Stars current director of the Texas Sports and Media Program
Professor David Caudill, Villanova School of Law
Josh Luchs, former NFL agent
Professor Maureen Weston, Pepperdine School of Law

This panel will address the future legal climate for agents and attorney-agents, potential ethical frameworks for the industry, and thoughts on recent developments. Moderated by Professor David Sokolow.

Cost: Free for students.  Offering 5 hours of CLE credit (including 1.5 hours of ethics) for a $100 registration fee.  Click here to register for the CLE credits.

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.