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Pat Dye Jr.’s First Day Of 2011 Free Agency Duties

On Tuesday, July 27, 2011, Pat Dye Jr. welcomed Len Pasquarelli of The Sports Xchange into his SportsTrust Advisors office to observe what was expected to be a day of madness – the first day teams could contact veteran free agents and rookies since the start of the NFL lockout.  Pasquarelli’s subsequent write-up describes what sounds to be a busy day at Dye Jr.’s office, but not a day that was absolute madness.  Here is a section of the article, which actually discusses a negotiation between the Oakland Raiders and my college friend Jarvis Moss, along with the different tasks Dye Jr. tackled in a short span of time:

In the opening two hours of the signing period on Tuesday, Dye negotiated a one-year, $1.25 million deal to send unrestricted defensive end Jarvis Moss back to the Oakland Raiders. He phoned Moss to apprise him of the contract, to counsel him on the logistics of what lie ahead, to remind Moss that the contract can’t be officially signed until Friday evening, and to offer the services of his office in arranging travel for his four-year veteran client.

Over the next several hours, Dye found time to chat by phone with client DeMarcus Ware, who wanted to be updated on the moves made by the Dallas Cowboys; to conduct an interview with a local sports-talk radio station; to wolf down a chicken salad from a restaurant a couple blocks away; to field a call from a team about one of the firm’s first-round selections; to update Sexton on communications with clubs, including a tip his partner had on a client in whom a team had broached interest; and to answer the several questions of an interloper columnist.

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.