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Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-up (7/28/2017)

Only 3 days until I make the move within Fort Lauderdale from the beautiful Victoria Park to the even more beautiful Isles of Las Olas. I am incredibly excited and stressed about the move. This weekend is also El Clasico Miami, and I have to give a shout out to my buddy Daniel Sillman who has come a long way in a short time, starting in sports with a management company and now serving as President of Relevent Sports, which is responsible for promoting the major match-up between Barcelona and Real Madrid this weekend.

I first met Sillman in 2012, when he was working on developing Birmingham, Michigan-based Compass Management Group, a full-service business management firm that handled everything from private banking and bill pay to short and long term budgeting to oversight of investment and insurance services for sixteen NFL and NBA players at the time. Sillman would eventually start working with Draymond Green and was the person who originally connected Green with me so that my firm could begin providing important legal services for him, mostly within the realm of intellectual property protection. It has been a joy to see Sillman grow Compass Management Group, then sell it to a family office, join RSE Ventures under Miami Dolphins founder Stephen Ross and now be placed in the important position of president for a promotional soccer startup in charge of bringing important international games to the U.S., with a particular focus on the South Florida market.

Quick thanks to Bet365 Mobile for supporting us this week.

This week on Forbes:
(1) This Week In Sports Law: Parole For O.J. Simpson, Lululemon v. Under Armour, Paul George Scammed;
(2) El Clasico In Miami Is Major Test For Stephen Ross’ Soccer Business;
(3) Rams Fight Back Against Fans Who Purchased Personal Seat Licenses;
(4) The $23.3 Million Poker Player Who Just Turned 24-Years-Old;
(5) Esports Audience Monetization Platform Raises $1.8 Million Seed Round

And as always, the weekly wrap-up:

Football

Baseball

Golf

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.