Categories
Sports Law

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment and Technology Law Symposium

What: Symposium: Lights, Labor, Action: Labor Controversy in the Sports and Entertainment Industries.

Where: Flynn Auditorium, Vanderbilt University Law School.  See map.

When: Friday, March 13, 2009 – 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Schedule:

  • 9:00-9:50 am: Registration & Continental Breakfast
  • 10-11:30 am: NCAA Panel (Student-Athlete or Student-Employee? The Relationship Between the NCAA, Universities, and Student Athletes)
    • David Cohen, Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman LLP
    • William King, III, Lightfoot, Franklin & White
    • Gene Marsh, Professor of Law, University of Alabama Law School
    • Naima Stevenson, Assistant General Counsel, NCAA
    • David Williams, Vice Chancellor for University Affairs, General Counsel and Secretary, Vanderbilt University
  • 12-1:00 pm: Keynote Speaker Jonathan Handel, Like Scorpions in a Silicon Cage: How Hollywood Management and Labor Fought While Content’s Kingdom was Slipping Away
  • 1:30-2:45 pm: NFL Panel (Sweat Equity: Contracting with Players and Coaches in the NFL)
    • Anthony Agnone, Eastern Athletic Services
    • Dennis Cordell, Founder of Coaches, Inc.; Former Staff Counsel for the NFLPA and Asst. Exec. Dir. of NFL Coaches Association
    • Rick Karcher, Assoc. Prof. of Law and Dir., Ctr. for Law and Sports, Florida Coastal School of Law
    • Steve Underwood, General Counsel, Tennessee Titans
  • 3:15-4:30 pm: Music Panel (Maintaining the Musician: Protecting Music, Image, and Technology Today)
    • Joseph F. Brazil, Loeb & Loeb; Former Vice President of Business Affairs for EMI Music
    • Elizabeth Gregory, The Law Offices of Elizabeth V. Gregory, P.C.
    • Ken Sanney, Day & Blair, PC, and Adjunct Prof. in the Department of Recording Industry, College of Mass Communication at Middle Tennessee State University
    • Cheryl Slay, Solo Practitioner and Asst. Prof. of Music Business at Belmont University in the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business
  • 4:30-5:30 pm: Closing Remarks & Reception

Cost: Five hours of CLE credit will be available for an $85 fee (for the whole day), which includes a continental breakfast and lunch. Email Emily Creditt (emily.c.creditt@vanderbilt.edu) for more information.

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.