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Friday Wrap-Up

Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up (1/1/2010)

This is the first Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up of the new year.  The column is one of the favorites for readers and there is no threat of it leaving.  However, I was close to scrapping it for this week.  I had collected a great number of interesting stories, only to have my browser crash yesterday.  I have been able to find most of the links, and added in some new ones that are of particular interest.  Thus, the streak of posting this column every week continues.  I had a fantastic week scouting and talking to young baseball players and their families at the PerfectGame National Underclass Showcase – Main Event.  Three days full of pure baseball was draining, but enjoyable.  On one day I had Frank Zaino (Director of Baseball Operations at Dynasty) and Justin Herzig (HR Director) with me and on another I was only accompanied by Frank.  A lot of relationships were formed and I look forward to following up with many of the families we were able to meet.  In a very competitive industry, it is extremely important to get your name out to these families very early.  I believe that there is also a lot for them to gain by learning about a company early on so that a certain amount of trust may be developed.  Anyway, here are some stories I missed over the past week:

Football

Baseball

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.