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Lagardère Unlimited Looking For New Chief Operating Officer

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Kevin O’Connor will step down as COO of Lagardere Unlimited and become a Senior Advisor to Arnaud Lagardere.

In May 2010, word spread that Kevin O’Connor was going to become COO of Lagardère Unlimited.  O’Connor had served as President of Saddlebrook Properties, which offered training for tennis, football, baseball and hockey players.  Around that time, O’Connor had the following to say about Lagardère’s entrance into the world of sports representation:

“They are fully committed to doing it and understand it is a long-term play.  I certainly see Lagardère becoming part of the big three.”

O’Connor became COO of Lagardère Unlimited and it did not take him long to take the company to the top of the realm of athlete representation, fighting alongside the best agencies for top talent and leading strategic acquisitions of its competitors to enter new sports and bolster its existing divisions.  He took the executive position after Lagardère purchased Blue Entertainment Sports Television (“BEST”), which was founded by Jonathan Blue, Chairman and Managing Director of Blue Equity, LLC.

For some time there had been rumors that O’Connor would be stepping down from his position as COO of Lagardère Unlimited.  The official announcement came on May 29, when it was stated that O’Connor will be moving on to become a Senior Advisor to Arnaud Lagardère, the General and Managing Partner of Lagardère SCA.  Based on the Managing Partner’s public statement, it appears that the change is viewed to be an extension of O’Connor’s relationship with the parent company; however, some industry insiders question the type of role O’Connor will fill in his new position.

As of now, there has been no appointed successor to O’Connor at Lagardère Unlimited.

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.