In 2007, while working in the NBA, Jared Bartie hired law firm Arent Fox to help negotiate an arena naming-rights contract. Not only did the partnership result in a deal, it laid the groundwork for Bartie to become part of Arent Fox as of last year.
Arent Fox, founded in Washington, D.C., made Bartie part of its sports practice in the firm’s New York offices. It’s the latest move in a career that began at Proskauer and has since included stints in publishing (Maxim), cable television (BET) and the NBA, and roles ranging from the startup of the XFL to tennis.
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| Photo by: Photo Op |
Sports law started percolating in Bartie’s mind during his days as a member of a nationally ranked, championship basketball team in high school in Cambridge, Mass. “I realized I wasn’t as good as some of the other guys on the team,” he said. “I was the fifth starter.”
Instead, he aimed to reach the NBA through law school, a goal he achieved — and then some.
Now his focus is on Arent Fox, a firm that has worked on deals such as the Los Angeles Lakers’ $3 billion, 20-year contract with Time Warner Cable. Stadium and arena development, franchise sales and acquisitions, and labor and employment contracts are also Arent Fox areas of emphasis. Bartie recently helped Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment sign AEG Facilities to help operate the Barclays Center, the soon-to-be home of the New Jersey Nets.
The pathway to Arent Fox provided Bartie with experiences that make him more than just a source of legal expertise.
“I functioned as an attorney, as a business adviser [and as] an operator,” he said. “So I have a 360 view of the landscape.”
— Erik Spanberg
