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Headline Sports Law

1st Annual NYU School Of Law Sports Law Symposium

What: First Annual New York University School of Law Sports Law Symposium

When: March 23, 2012 (10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.)

Where: Vanderbilt Hall, 40 Washington Square South, New York, New York

Panels:

Collective Bargaining and Labor Relations (10:00 am – 11:50 am)
What is the topic occupying most sports attorneys lately? Drug testing? Crime? No, it’s collective bargaining and labor relations. Fresh off prolonged lockouts in the NFL and NBA and a peaceful CBA negotiating process in MLB, experts and participants in past, present, and future negotiations come to NYU Law to discuss their experiences and highlight problems looming ahead.

Participants:
Rob Manfred, Executive Vice President of Labor Relations, Major League Baseball
Russ Granik, former NBA Deputy Commissioner
Charles Grantham, former National Basketball Player’s Association Executive Director
Bruce Meyer, Partner, Weil, Gotshal & Manges
Moderator: Dana Jacobson, ESPN anchorwoman

Keynote Address – The Role of the Commissioner (12:00 pm – 1:00 pm)
Gary Bettman ’77, NHL Commissioner

The Role of Lawyers in Franchise Sports Teams and Leagues (2:00 pm – 4:30 pm)
Lawyers play a huge role in the every day happenings in sports franchises and leagues, including managing the salary cap, contracting with a facility, and buying and selling teams. Hear from some of the foremost lawyers who deal with these important tasks on a regular basis.

Participants:
Ari Nissim, Director of Football Administration, New York Jets
Russ Granik, Vice Chairman, Galatioto Sports Partners
More speakers to be announced.
Moderator: Robert Boland, Academic Chair and Professor of Sports Management, NYU Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism & Sports Management

Reception to follow.

Cost: Free. CLE Credits Available. Register here.

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.