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St. John’s School Of Law Spring 2013 Sports Symposium

St. John's Law School will be hosting a symposium with many distinguished professionals in the world of sport arbitration.
St. John's Law School will be hosting a symposium with many distinguished professionals in the world of sport arbitration.
St. John’s Law School will be hosting a symposium with many distinguished professionals in the world of sport arbitration.

What: St. John’s University School of Law Spring 2013 Symposium: Arbitration in Professional Sport

When: Friday, April 19, 2013 (8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.)

Where: St. John’s School of Law, Belson Moot Court Room | Second Floor, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Queens, NY 11439

Schedule

8:30 – 9 a.m.
Registration and Light Breakfast

9:15 – 9:30 a.m.
Welcome

  • Michael A. Simons, Dean and John V. Brennan Professor of Law and Ethics, St. John’s School of Law
  • David L. Gregory, Dorothy Day Professor of Law; Executive Director, Center for Labor And Employment Law, St. John’s School of Law
  • Gene Orza ’73, Chief Operating Officer, MLBPA (ret.)

9:30 – 10:15 a.m.
Panel I: Salary Arbitration Practitioners
Moderator: Jeff Fannell, ’92 C and ’96 L , Deputy Director, LL.M. in International and Comparative Sports Law; Adjunct Professor of Sports Law, St. John’s School of Law

  • Daniel Dumais, Partner, Norton Rose
  • Paul Mifsud, Senior Counsel, MLB
  • Ian Pulver, Agent, Pulver Sports
  • Rick Shapiro, Senior Advisor, MLBPA

10:30 – 11:45 a.m.
Panel II: Salary Arbitration Arbitrators
Moderator: Gene Orza ’73, Chief Operating Officer, MLBPA (ret.)

  • Ralph Berger, Arbitrator
  • Elliott Shriftman, Arbitrator
  • Carol Wittenberg, Arbitrator

Noon – 1:30 p.m.
Lunch

12:45 PM – 1:15 PM
Keynote Address
Introduction: Jeff Fannell ’92 C and ’96 L,Deputy Director, LL.M. in International and Comparative Sports Law; Adjunct Professor of Sports Law, St. John’s School of Law

Address: Donald Fehr, Executive Director, National Hockey League Players’ Association

1:30—2:30 p.m.
Panel III: Grievance Arbitration Practitioners
Moderator: Gene Orza ’73, Chief Operating Officer, MLBPA (ret.)

  • Richard Berthelsen, Former General Counsel, NFLPA
  • Dennis Curran, Senior Vice President/General Counsel, NFL
  • Dan Halem, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Labor, MLB
  • Ronald Klempner, Interim Executive Director, NBPA
  • David Prouty, General Counsel, MLBPA

2:45-3:45 p.m.
Panel IV: Grievance Arbitration – A Conversation with the Arbitrators
Moderator: Rosemary Townley, Arbitrator

  • John Feerick, Norris Professor of Law, Fordham Law School
  • George Nicolau, Past President, National Academy of Arbitrators

3:45 PM – 5 p.m.
Panel V: Closing Panel
Moderator: Gene Orza ’73, Chief Operating Officer, MLBPA (ret.)

  • All panelists and speakers

Cost: Free. CLE (4 credits) fee is $100. 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.