Sports Lawyers: Don Remy

The NCAA gets sued — a lot. Don Remy said that at any given time there are 12 to 15 active lawsuits against the NCAA. That keeps the association’s lead attorney awfully busy.

“There’s not really a typical day, except that every day is busy,” Remy said. “Not a day goes by that I don’t have a conversation with our staff or outside counsel on the various pieces of litigation brought against the NCAA. You really have to stay abreast of whatever developments there are in the law and any developments that might affect these cases.”

Please enter image description here. Photo by: Marcia Stubbeman / NCAA

These lawsuits may include such matters as student athlete rights through licensing and commercialism, eligibility issues, and scholarship rules.

Remy came to the NCAA a year ago from the Washington, D.C., offices of Latham & Watkins, where he specialized — not shockingly — in litigation. He was drawn to the NCAA, in part, because of his love of sports and his background as a youth basketball coach.

While living in Northern Virginia, Remy coached teams ranging from 10 to 17 years old at different AAU programs. He got involved because his two sons played.

“Coaching basketball at the grassroots level really gave me an affinity for what it takes for young student athletes to be successful,” he said.

Remy, the son of an Army officer, followed his father into the military for a while in the LSU ROTC program and later the Army, but he didn’t envision a career path taking him into law until after his service.

“It’s not like I grew up around a bunch of lawyers, but the military background did show me the discipline and values it takes to be successful,” Remy said.