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.
Miami, Florida-based Distinction Agency, co-founded by CEO Alexander Onaindia, has signed two University of Florida athletes for name, image, and likeness (NIL) representation. The athletes are six-time NCAA All-American gymnast Nya Reed and defensive back Mordecai McDaniel. Both Reed and McDaniel signed exclusive representation agreements with Distinction Agency. “We are thrilled about the opportunity to […]
Talent representation company Wasserman has purchased Esportif to launch Wasserman Rugby. The acquired entity has already been rebranded, but many of Esportif’s leaders will remain in charge of the rebranded entity. Ryan Constable, Craig Innes, Rhys Parsons, Duncan Sandlant, Bruce Sharrock, and Mark Spoors and their team of over 40 executives and agents are part of the new Wasserman division, which represents […]
Three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl champion Aaron Donald has signed with Kanye West’s Donda Sports agency. Donald made the announcement in an interview on the I AM ATHLETE show. The full episode has not yet been released. However, in a published clip, Donald indicated it was a no-brainer to link […]
In March, Excel Sports Management initiated a lawsuit against its former employee Eric Eways and Rich Paul’s Klutch Sports Group based on allegations that Klutch Sports tortiously interfered with Eways’ employment agreement with Excel Sports and that Eways breached his employment contract. Excel Sports also expressed an interest in enjoining Klutch Sports from employing or […]
New York City-based Sportstars led all NFL agencies with the largest number of clients taken in the 2022 NFL Draft. The team of agents that includes Alan Herman, Jared Fox, Ron Slavin, Luke McMurtrey, Jon Perzley, Brian Mackler, Jerard “JR” Roggio, Jim Ivler, Dave Butz, Justin Ferris, and Jason Chayut, had a total of twenty-five […]
Excel Sports Management has initiated a lawsuit against its former employee Eric Eways and Rich Paul’s Klutch Sports Group. The Complaint, filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, claims that Klutch Sports tortiously interfered with Eways’ employment agreement with Excel Sports and seeks to enjoin Klutch Sports from employing or otherwise […]
Basketball agent Charles Briscoe has been sued for allegedly making false representations to Continuum Capital Ltd., which relied on those statements to help fund a startup agency called Icon Legacy Group in March 2021. The Complaint alleges that Briscoe represented to Continuum that he was the agent for Dwight Howard and was in the midst […]
‘Tis the season for many college football players to decide that they will be entering the NFL Draft and signing with agents to represent them in their professional endeavors. Kudos to our friend Brett Greenberg for staying on top of some recent signings, which I am reporting below. Note that some of these are based […]
In August, New York Knicks big man Nerlens Noel initiated a lawsuit against NBA agent Rich Paul in Dallas, Texas, which named Paul and his agency, Klutch Sports Group, as defendants. Noel asked to be made whole for forfeiting what he said was $58 million in lost earnings after being led to leave his prior […]
New York Knicks big man Nerlens Noel blasted NBA agent Rich Paul through a Complaint filed in court, which stated that Paul lost interest in Noel as a client, failed to try to secure contracts on Noel’s behalf and that it was Paul’s fault that Noel lost $58 million when Noel passed up an offer […]