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.
Maxximum Marketing, Inc. Represents Tiki and Ronde Barber. Sosnick Cobbe Sports. The agency highlighted in the book: License to Deal: A Season on the Run with a Maverick Baseball Agent – Jerry Crasnick. Represents three great young Marlins: Dontrelle Willis, Josh Willingham, and Scott Olsen. Both agencies are now listed along with many other Sports […]
In the past, I have spent most of my attention discussing Sports Law programs and not focusing much on the marketing/business side of the profession. I get a lot of e-mails from readers asking whether the right graduate school route is to get a J.D. or go for an M.B.A. There really is no correct […]
MAC Sports & Entertainment, LLC. Represents football, hockey, and boxing athletes with a soon-to-be startup in baseball as well. It is a new company out of St. Louis. It seems like lately I am receiving a tip on a new agency to add each day. I am loving it, and I hope that the readers […]
This is one of the interesting parts of the NBA’s salary cap that I discussed before. In brief, the exception allows a team to go above and beyond the salary cap in order a re-sign a free agent. The amount of the contract cannot exceed the maximum salary. The contract signed cannot be for more […]
RMG Sports Management. It is now listed along with many other Sports Agency Sites on the “Pages & Links†tab. Big name clients include Roy Oswalt, Mark Loretta, and Rich Harden. Side note: As usual, thanks to Deadspin.com for today’s link. As of 9:55PM, this site has received 1,079 hits today. Also, thanks for all […]
As was reported last week by MLB.com, Luke Hochevar (1st overall pick in the 2006 MLB draft) has been signed by the Kansas City Royals and now has a 4 year Major League contract [Royals agree with top pick Hochevar]. Why is it particularly important that Scott Boras got his client a Major League contract? […]
ACE Group. It is now listed along with many other Sports Agency Sites on the “Pages & Links†tab. I have spent a ton of time compiling the list of Sports Agencies that are listed under the “Pages & Links†tab. This site has one of the most comprehensive lists, if not the most comprehensive […]
In an effort to focus on more important issues and shorten the amount of time that it takes readers to look over “nightmare client…” posts, I have decided to only give snippets of stories and if you are interested in learning more about each event, follow the external links. 1. Dale Davis of the Detroit […]
The Sports Law Blog made a post on July 24th highlighting Phil Kessel’s (hockey player at University of Minnesota) contract negotiations with the Boston Bruins. An agent by the name of Wade Arnott is serving as an advisor instead of as an agent. He is not receiving any money for his services as an advisor, […]
Skip Sauer from The Sports Economist, reports that there is a new football league that will sprout up with the best of college football’s undrafted players. It will be called the All American Football League (AAFL), and will contain 8 teams and a 14 game schedule. Players and coaches will be employed by the league, […]