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Sports Agents

Buddy Baker’s Big Move

If you go to http://www.imsportsservices.com/, you will be hit with a white page that says, “This site is Under Construction.”  Who knows how long construction will last now that Andrew “Buddy” Baker has left Ice Miller, which is a huge Indianapolis law firm that had IM Sports Services under its umbrella.  Baker basically was IM Sports Services, which means that it is doubtful that Ice Miller ever regains an interest in the world of sports representation.  I say that it is doubtful since Baker purchased all of IM Sports Services’s assets, allowing him to continue to manage the careers of the athletes that has represented in the past.

Buddy Baker has transferred over twenty-eight NFL players, twenty professional basketball players (mostly overseas), and three coaches to his new Indianapolis-based agency.  Some of his more popular clients include Carl Landry (Houston Rockets), James Singleton (Dallas Mavericks), and Aaron Moorehead (Indianapolis Colts).  At thirty-seven years old, Buddy Baker talks like he is ready to take over the world…or atleast the athlete representation industry.  Here is a recent quote from the Indianapolis Business Journal:

“We want to be an elite agency…Our goal is to be internationally renowned. We want to have a facility here that reflects that.”

My one question to Buddy is, why call it Exclusive Sports Group?  As many of you readers know, my former partner at Dynasty Athlete Representation and one-time contributor on this blog, Matthew Vuckovich, started a similar named firm called Xclusive Sports Management.  But more importantly, there is a sports agency that exists with the same exact name!  Apparently, there is an Exclusive Sports Group (ESG) registered in Minneapolis.  Strike one in the research column.

But I am rooting for you, Buddy.  Who wouldn’t be a fan of what SportingNews calls a short, stocky, quick-talking, fast-thinking family man/lawyer who became a full-time agent in 2001 and had his first NFL client drafted in 2003?  From what I have read, Buddy is an honest and ethical guy, who has big dreams but wants to make sure that they are achieved the right way.  Good luck, Buddy!

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.

2 replies on “Buddy Baker’s Big Move”

The Minneapolis Exclusive Sports Group (ESG) has yet to file for a federal trademark to protect its name. While the original ESG could prove that it was the first company to use the name in commerce and it would have priority over any other application for a federal TM using the same name, the name is still up in the air. If anything, you usually want to pick a name that is unlikely to create a likelihood of confusion.

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