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Power Players

Power Players: Chairman’s Club

Proskauer

Joe Leccese
Bob Batterman
Brad Ruskin
Jon Oram

Joe Leccese (left), Brad Ruskin, Bob Batterman and Jon Oram.
Photo by: Patrick McCarthy

Pick up any edition of SportsBusiness Journal, and odds are good you’ll discover Proskauer’s sports law group behind the headlines. It’s largely because of the firm’s long history as a leader in sports law and its talented lineage of attorneys, from the vaunted George Gallantz to David Stern to Gary Bettman. Now led by Leccese, the firm’s chairman, Ruskin and Howard Ganz, the group represents every major sports league and a long list of teams, financiers and other associations in a diverse range of matters.
 
The practice advised the NBA in the Donald Sterling controversy and ensuing sale to Steve Ballmer, and has repped MLS in 14 expansions since 2004.

Batterman, a longtime partner, has been at the table in collective-bargaining talks since the earliest days.

Under litigation division head Ruskin, Proskauer has won antitrust decisions for the ATP, MLB and others.

Most recently, Oram, a partner, has been working to bring the Olympics back to the United States, advising the LA 2024 bid committee.

The firm has a deep bench and is constantly grooming talented lawyers, and Proskauer alums fill some of the top positions in sports, ensuring a steady pipeline of legal work.

In taking the lead from Ganz, Batterman and Michael Cardozo, the affable and charismatic Leccese has seemingly strengthened the firm’s hold on the space through his skill and strong relationships at the highest levels.



Covington & Burling

Doug Gibson
Gregg Levy
Bruce Wilson
Peter Zern

Bruce Wilson (left),
Peter Zern, Doug Gibson and Gregg Levy
Photo by: Joanne Lawton

Few deals get done in sports without input from vaunted D.C.-based firm Covington & Burling.

The firm is a significant player across all of sports but is best known as the top outside counsel to the NFL. One of the firm’s own, Paul Tagliabue, became commissioner in 1989, and a second partner, Levy, narrowly lost out in a 2006 bid to become Tagliabue’s successor.

Covington has represented the NFL on a range of issues, from labor to TV to licensing. An experienced litigator, Levy is a regular presence in courtrooms representing the league, including at the Supreme Court.

But the firm is not a one-trick pony, with the skilled duo of Gibson and Zern leading much of the work for clients ranging from the NHL and NBA to the U.S. Tennis Association and UFC. The firm also counsels on team sales, including the $2 billion purchase of the Los Angeles Clippers and the $1.4 billion sale of the Buffalo Bills.

Covington has played roles in stadium financing and the launch of sports networks, including WWE Network and 120 Sports. Under Gibson and Zern, the firm regularly consults on media and digital contracts.

The well-regarded Wilson has largely focused on the firm’s global practice. Meanwhile, Tagliabue remains active at the firm, providing consistent and sought-out counsel.



Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom

Jeffrey Mishkin
Shepard Goldfein
Karen Hoffman Lent
Anthony Dreyer


Shepard Goldfein (left), Jeffrey Mishkin, Karen Hoffman Lent and Anthony Dreyer
Photo by: Patrick McCarthy

Skadden boasts one of the industry’s deepest and best-known sports law practices, with a blue-chip client list that includes the NBA, MLB, NHL, NFL, NCAA and PGA Tour.

Mishkin knows the NBA especially well. He was chief legal officer for the league before joining Skadden in 2000. He now handles much of the firm’s NBA business and has been part of nearly every major NBA legal matter for years.

Goldfein is another well-known name in sports circles. He joined the firm in 1975 and has a particular focus on the NHL. Skadden has been outside counsel to the league in collective-bargaining issues, including during the seasonlong work stoppage in 2005 and in various team legal matters.

Hoffman Lent joined Skadden in 1999 and has represented the NCAA on student-athlete eligibility issues. She also was part of Skadden’s counsel to the NBA regarding litigation in connection with former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling.

Dreyer adds to the firm’s long reach into sports law. He joined the firm in 1997 and now represents the NCAA, MLB, NHL, NFL and the NBA in a joint lawsuit filed against New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie over the legalization of sports gambling. He also represented the PGA Tour in a class-action lawsuit filed against the tour by caddies who disputed the system requiring them to wear sponsor logos on tournament bibs.

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