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Lagardere Unlimited Re-brands To Lagardere Sports

I have been provided the opportunity to sit in on a class taught by ESPN and Sports Illustrated writer Andrew Brandt that is called “Business and Legal Aspects of Professional Sports.” Brandt is teaching the class through Villanova University’s online offering, which makes it easy for anyone to access the content.  This article is part of a series of posts that I am crafting for Brandt’s class.

lagardere sportsThe sports agency business is dominated by a few large companies that have an excessive amount of resources to spend on a variety of items, including the salaries of some of the most notable sports agents.  One such sports agency has been Lagarde?re Unlimited, which came into being back in 2010 when it purchased Blue Entertainment Sports Television (BEST) from Jonathan Blue’s Blue Equity, LLC.  Interestingly, BEST had been organized based on acquisitions of prior prominent independent agents as well as agencies.  It’s a far too familiar story of one purchase leading to another in the world of sports agency.

Now, after five years of operating as Lagarde?re Unlimited, it is going through a re-branding process.  The division is going to be renamed Lagarde?re Sports and Entertainment, which includes many of the acquisitions made by the division since its formation in 2010.  The Lagarde?re Sports brand will include Sportfive, World Sport Group, IEC in Sports, Sports Marketing and Management and Lagarde?re Unlimited Inc.

“To consolidate our ambitions, we set out on a series of strategic acquisitions.  As our integration continues, the launch of our unified brand is a logical and necessary outcome.  The Group is transforming and the recent reorganization has already yielded positive results.  We’re combining our forces to be stronger, more agile and to capitalize on growing opportunities in the sports and entertainment business,” said CEO Arnaud Lagarde?re.

In actuality, the reorganization does not mean much; it will be business as usual at Lagarde?re.  However, it also makes sense.  Lagarde?re Unlimited was organized to primarily represent professional athletes with their professional contracts and some endorsement arrangements.  It has developed into a platform that includes events, properties, etc.  Thus, “unlimited” may still be an apropos description, but it was time to transition to a new structure, for public relations purposes at a minimum.

If you’re interested in learning more about Villanova’s online sports program, please visit VillanovaU.com/SABSponsor.

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.