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Headline Sports Law

Travis Leach Starts New Sports And Entertainment Legal Practice At Jennings, Strouss & Salmon

In November 2011, I had the privilege of sitting on a couple of panels with Travis Leach at the Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law’s 2nd Annual Conference on Sports and Entertainment Law.  We engaged in a lively discussion regarding Collective Bargaining Agreements in the “Big 4” sports as well as sports agent regulation.  At the time, Leach was Co-chair of Phoenix, Arizona law firm Snell & Wilmer LLP’s Sports and Entertainment Industry Group.  Recently, he made the switch to Jennings Strouss & Salmon PLC, where he will lead a new sports and entertainment legal practice at the firm.  Jennings Strouss & Salmon PLC is also based in Phoenix.

“Travis is a talented attorney with extensive experience in the areas of securities, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance,” states Richard Lieberman, Chair of the firm’s corporate, securities and finance department. “As a certified contract advisor by the NFL, he also brings a substantial professional sports practice, which will enhance the firm’s growing sports and entertainment group.”

Leach is also certified as a Contract Advisor by the Canadian Football Players’ Association. He earned a J.D. from University of Miami Law School and a B.S. from Arizona State University.

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.