The WASHINGTON POST's Thomas Heath profiles DC-based
Williams & Connolly sports attorney LON BABBY, whose 17
clients include Pistons F GRANT HILL and Spurs F/C TIM
DUNCAN, both of whom will "be among the most sought-after
free agents" in the NBA this offseason. Babby "has
cultivated a small but thriving sports representation
practice in an industry dominated by sprawling
conglomerates" such as SFX Entertainment, IMG and Octagon.
Heath: "Babby has done it by a nontraditional approach he
calls 'the Grant Hill model,'" after his first client. By
representing few clients and by billing by the hour, as
opposed to taking a percentage of a player's salary, Babby
has tried to avoid the appearance of the bigger-than-life
agent who calls the shots for his clients." But Babby
"doesn't come cheap," as Williams & Connolly is "one of the
highest-priced law firms in the nation, charging" $400 or
more per hour. Babby, on his philosophy: "The player is the
brand name that should be known, not the agent's. Some
agents think, 'I'm making you rich and I own a piece of
you.' We're coming from a different philosophical point of
view. I'm working for you to maximize your opportunities,
to counsel you and help you make decisions. It's like any
business model. How many corporate executives do you know
that have agents?" Hill and Duncan have 31 corporate
sponsors between them, and are "each a mini-conglomerate,
commanding up to 15 lawyers [at Williams & Connolly] for
various legal services" (WASHINGTON POST, 5/10).
