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Headline Sports Business

Lagardère Unlimited Hires Industry Veteran Andy Pierce As President And CEO

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Lagardere Unlimited’s new CEO has experience working at CAA and IMG.

Lagardère Unlimited lost a Chief Operating Officer when Kevin O’Connor left the company to become a Senior Advisor to Arnaud Lagardère, the General and Managing Partner of Lagardère SCA.  It now has a new Chief Executive Officer and President after it hired sports industry veteran Andy Pierce to fill that particular position.

Pierce was formerly involved in Golf and Consulting at Creative Artists Agency.  He served at CAA from April 2009 until the recent announcement that he was joining Lagardère Unlimited.  Prior to CAA, Pierce served in a similar capacity at IMG Worldwide.  He was an IMG employee for more than 25 years and was instrumental in running IMG’s well-known Golf division.

In 2009, when Pierce departed IMG for CAA, CAA Sports co-head Howard Nuchow said,

“Andy is one of the most accomplished and well-respected executives in the business and his experience helping blue-chip marketers drive business though successful sports partnerships will be invaluable to us.”

In his new role as Lagardère Unlimited CEO and President, Pierce will lead the company’s North American platform, reporting directly to Arnaud Lagardère.

“Andy is a trusted leader,” said Mr. Lagardère. “His 30 years of experience in forming corporate partnerships and within the sports industry will enhance our existing business and will bring about several new lines of business for Lagardère Unlimited globally. I have full confidence in Andy’s ability to lead and grow our sports business in North America.”

 

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.