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Agent Spotlight: Bill Henkel

Line him up next to Mr. Dunn

This was written today as part of Darren Rovell’s post on his ESPN Sports Business blog:

IMG announced on Tuesday that it received a temporary restraining order against former employee Bill Henkel. The company says Henkel violated his employment contract by soliciting clients to leave the agency to come with his new sports marketing business. Among the court documents filed in Cuyahoga County (Ohio), IMG says it has an affidavit from IMG client LaDainian Tomlinson that supports the firm’s claims that Henkel was working for the San Diego Chargers running back on the side. Henkel marketed IMG clients from 1988 until he left in November 2005. Henkel’s employment contract stipulated he could not contact IMG clients for two years.

We just happened to spotlight Agent David Dunn yesterday and coincidentally, both Mr. Dunn and Bill Henkel are being accused for making the same stupid move. This should further prove that it is just not worth it to try to steal clients away from other agencies (especially past employers/partners!!!). If you cannot succeed on your own and convince unique players to sign with you, then it is either in your interest to stay with the company that you have been successful with, or find a new profession.

This article at CBS Sportsline delves a little further into this issue with Bill Henkel.

[tags]bill henkel, img, espn, tomlinson, sports agent[/tags]

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.

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