Categories
Uncategorized

Back From Israel

My 10+ day trip to NY/Israel is over, and I am back home in sunny South Florida. I have about 100 e-mails to sort through, 1/4 of which concerning this blog, 1/4 concerning Dynasty Athlete Representation, and the rest mostly Facebook wall posts :).

The next few weeks should be extremely hectic, but fun. I will be reading up on many of the stories that I have missed during my trip and keeping up to date on new stories to discuss on this blog. I will post a link to pictures from the trip once I upload them if any of you are interested in vicariously taking my journey.

A major event that is coming up is the MLB Entry Draft, which should mark the beginning of my career as a sports agent alongside my partner Matthew Vuckovich. Believe me that much will be discussed about this as time goes on.

In addition, AccessAthletes.com is starting to be deveveloped behind the scenes. As a reminder, it is a super-secret project that I am embarking on with partner Matthew Allinson.

Besides all of that, I would like to thank the contributors for posting some insightful thoughts in my absence. I also think that Andrew did a great job with Nightmare Clients of the Week, and if you all think that he should retain the role as writer of the column, be sure to mention it!

Now I am back to re-organizing my life!

-Darren Heitner

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.