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Headline NFL Players Sports Law

Agents Of MJD, Matt Forte And Le’Veon Bell Start Up New Sports Entertainment Group

Maurice Jones-Drew, Matt Forte and Le’Veon Bell share the shame agents, who recently left their law firm to start up a new Sports Entertainment practice.

Jan. 1, 2012; Jacksonville FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at EverBank Field. Jacksonville defeated Indianapolis 19-13. Mandatory Credit: Matt Stamey-US PRESSWIRE
Jan. 1, 2012; Jacksonville FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at EverBank Field. Jacksonville defeated Indianapolis 19-13. Mandatory Credit: Matt Stamey-US PRESSWIRE
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew is represented by Adisa Bakari and Jeff Whitney. Photo Credit: Matt Stamey-US PRESSWIRE

Adisa Bakari is a rare breed of sports agent.  He has been able to build a successful practice representing professional football players while attached to a law firm.  The specific law firm that Bakari was aligned with for many years is Dow Lohnes PLLC, where he served as a partner and created the firm’s sports and entertainment division over a decade ago.  But Bakari is now “on to the next one,” and has left Dow Lohnes PLLC to chair a new Sports Entertainment Group at Kelley Drye & Warren LLP.

Bakari is not the only attorney departing from Dow Lohnes to start up the new Sports Entertainment Group at Kelley Drye & Warren LLP.  His partner of four years, Jeffery A. Whitney is coming along for the ride.  Together, Bakari and Whitney will continue to represent over 30 NFL players including Maurice Jones-Drew, Matt Forte and Pittsburgh Steelers rookie Le’Veon Bell.  The duo’s running backs alone gives them a strong practice.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to be joining Kelley Drye,” said Bakari.  “The firm’s geographic reach and preeminence in advertising and marketing law will enable us to better position our clients for short term and long term success.”

Bakari represented a total of five players selected in the 2013 NFL Draft (including the aforementioned Le’Veon Bell).  Those players are: No. 105 overall pick Duke Williams (DB from Nevada selected by the Buffalo Bills), No. 118 overall pick Sean Porter (LB from Texas A&M selected by the Cincinnati Bengals), No. 149 overall pick Brandon McGee (DB from Miami selected by the St. Louis Rams) and No. 238 overall pick Aaron Mellette (WR from Elon selected by the Baltimore Ravens).

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.