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Octagon’s Barcelona office to help find deals for Marc Gasol

Octagon has signed Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol for representation on and off the court.

Gasol will be represented by agent Alex Saratsis. He was formerly represented by Wasserman, which negotiated a five-year, $110 million maximum playing contract for him last year.

“Marc hired Octagon because we are a global, full-service agency,” Saratsis said. “Right now we are working on branding, marketing and personal PR strategies both in the United States and in Spain to develop sponsorships that align with his values and core beliefs.”

Gasol counts Nike, nonalcoholic beer San Miguel 0.0% and Caser Seguros, a Spain-based insurance company, as corporate partners. Octagon has an office in Barcelona, where Gasol was born, and agents there will assist Saratsis in finding deals for Gasol in Spain.

“Marc is a unique guy,” Saratsis said. “He isn’t interested in deals that are flashy. He wants to work with companies which have core values that align with his and are dedicated to making an impact in the community.”

A second-round pick in 2007, the 7-foot-1 center is a two-time All-Star and was defensive player of the year in 2013.

Gasol plans to compete for Spain in the Rio Olympics if his broken right foot, which was operated on in February, has healed, Saratsis said.

Marc Gasol is the younger brother of Chicago Bulls center Pau Gasol, who also left Wasserman, for CAA Sports, in January. Multiple NBA players left Wasserman after longtime agent Arn Tellem left that agency, where he was vice chairman, to become vice chairman of Palace Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Detroit Pistons.

> NFLPA ALERT: The NFL Players Association sent out an alert to all NFL agents advising them that financial adviser Jonathan Todd Schwartz, who worked with NFL players, was no longer registered with the NFLPA.
“His request for registration in 2016 has been denied,” the statement said.

Agents who had inquiries about Schwartz were asked to contact Tim Christine, NFLPA director of security and operations. Attached to the memo was a Los Angeles Times story, “Alanis Morissette sues her former business manager, saying he stole millions,” detailing two lawsuits filed against Schwartz in Los Angeles Superior Court in May.

Morissette is suing Schwartz and his firm, GSO Business Management, for breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, conversion and negligence, in a lawsuit that alleges “Schwartz had taken from her more than $4.7 million in cash.”

GSO, meanwhile, is suing Schwartz for breach of fiduciary duty and breach of contract, among other things, in a lawsuit that alleges the firm conducted an investigation into the missing $4.7 million. The Sherman Oaks, Calif.-based GSO caters to high-net-worth individuals, including musicians, entertainers and athletes, and is seeking a court order expelling Schwartz as a member of the company, according to the lawsuit.

“I can’t talk right now,” Schwartz said when reached on his cellphone. Asked whether he had an attorney, Schwartz said, “I have no comment” and hung up.

Morissette’s attorney and GSO’s attorney did not return phone calls.

In 2014, the Hollywood Reporter put Schwartz on its list of “Hollywood’s 25 Most Powerful Business Managers.”
In sports, Schwartz gained fame in June 2013 when he was credited with turning cornerback Antonio Cromartie’s finances around in a story written first by Newsday, then picked up by multiple media outlets, including CBSSports.com, Yahoo and NFL.com.

Sources said Schwartz served as a financial adviser to other athletes, but attempts to verify those names by press time were unsuccessful.

NFL agents must be certified by the NFLPA to negotiate contracts with clubs. Financial advisers can apply to be registered in a union program for advisers, but certification is not required.

> SAUERBRUNN SIGNS: Wasserman has signed U.S. women’s soccer team captain and defender Becky Sauerbrunn for representation. Spencer Wadsworth will be her lead agent.

Liz Mullen can be reached at lmullen@sportsbusinessjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @SBJLizMullen.

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