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Leigh Steinberg Continues To Provide Advice On How To Be A Great Sports Agent

Leigh Steinberg's most popular piece on Forbes.com is
Leigh Steinberg’s most popular column on Forbes.com discusses “How To Be A Great Sports Agent.”

Leigh Steinberg has been contributing articles to Forbes.com since June 2012.  His most read article since joining the Forbes team is titled, How To Be A Great Sports Agent.  Based on that article’s success, Steinberg has decided to continue with additional posts on the same topic.  Last week, he wrote Part Three in the series.

The focus of the article is on the negotiation component that is a part of any player/team/company relationship.  Steinberg cites to the median family income of an American family on the one hand, and the public attention paid to millionaires fighting billionaires in collective bargaining, on the other.  The article seems to stress cooperation between agents and owners, as opposed to the perceived competition and angst that the general public discerns from reading websites or watching interviews.

Roughly half way through the article, Steinberg shifts to talking about free agency in the NFL, where the true superstars rarely become free agents, irreplaceable players have their contracts restructured, franchise tags are applied, and then the rest of the players enter free agency.  As stated by Steinberg,

The role of the agent in this process is profound. The first job is to contemplate the prospect of free agency in the negotiation of a prior contract. The goal is to time  a player’s maximum arc in respect to achievement and future promise at the point of complete contractual freedom. Knowing free agency is coming gives an agent ample time to research and anticipate who the most interested parties will be. Injuries and other signings can alter the possibilities. Research into the coach, general manager, pay structure, and ‘modus operandi’ of each team is vital.

Steinberg goes on to say that “it is all about pleasing a client.”  True, because without the client being pleased, he will not be a client much longer (see: Elvis Dumervil and Marty Magid).  However, I am a big believer that managing a client’s expectations at the outset of the relationship, and continuing to remind the player about realistic possibilities (including those surrounding free agency), is of utmost important to the agent-client relationship.  Having the athlete prioritize values and considerations, as Steinberg suggests, is also an excellent idea.

The end of Steinberg’s most recent article says that there is more to come.  We will be watching.

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.