Sports Law

Serving The Legal Needs Of Those Involved In The Sports Industry Through Effective Counsel And Representation

The Calhoun Law Firm, PLC, provides sports industry clients with legal counsel and representation in transactional and dispute resolution matters.

Sports transactional legal matters are focused on forming arrangements amongst interested parties; formalizing those arrangements in contracts or agreements; and later executing per the terms established.  Arrangements may address commercial transactions such as the purchase or sale of goods or services, leasing of equipment and sports facilities, hiring and managing employees or independent contractors, managing intellectual property, and conducting E-commerce.

Sports dispute resolution matters are focused on resolving conflicts between two or more parties. Conflicts occur when a party violates the terms of a contract, or once a party’s wrongful acts result in injury to someone’s property or reputation.  Legal representation is provided during negotiations, mediation, arbitration, and litigation conducted to resolve the dispute.

Our sports clients count on us for legal counsel and representation in matters involving:

  • Formation and Structuring
  • Contracts
  • Commercial Transactions
  • Regulatory Compliance
  • Employment
  • Intellectual Property
  • E-commerce
  • Dispute Resolution and Litigation

Our Arizona Sports attorneys advise sports organizations and professional athletes, as well as managers, coaches, and sporting organizations in Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Scottsdale, Peoria, and Tempe on contractual, intellectual property, litigation, e-commerce, employment, regulatory compliance, business structuring, and crisis management matters.

Sports Enterprise Formation and Structuring Law

Launching or reorganizing a sports enterprise by yourself or with partners is an enormous undertaking.  The Calhoun Law Firm, PLC, assists clients identify, evaluate, and choose the right formation and structuring solution for their sports enterprise.  Our sports enterprise formation and structuring services include:

  • Determining and forming an appropriate business structure for your sports enterprise ensuring day-to-day management and control is structured for your needs and limited liability is preserved.
  • Developing and executing sports business purchase / sale strategies establishing the purchase price, assets exchanged, level of seller post sale consulting support to be provided, non-compete guidelines, non-solicitation guidelines, non-disclosure guidelines, transferability of existing leases and transferability of existing employment contracts.
  • Developing and executing succession strategies accounting for management transition, liabilities, ownership interests, voting rights for owners and stakeholders, and addressing asset protection opportunities and challenges.
  • Developing and executing dissolution strategies accounting for notifying creditors of the pending dissolution, finalizing asset distributions, and settling with parties with outstanding claims.

Sports Contract Law

We provide general contract law advice to sports industry clients and counsel them on sports industry unique contract matters.

Guidance is provided on contract considerations common to a variety of businesses including contract negotiation, contract drafting, contract review, and resolving contract disputes.   Additional details on these topics are provided in the practice area description of contracts.

Additionally, sports specific contract counseling is provided on matters that include:

  • Employment contract
  • Endorsement contract
  • Licensing and sponsorship agreements
  • Personal services contracts
  • Management Agreements
  • Athlete and Coach Agreements

Sports Commercial Transaction Law

We provide general commercial transaction law advice to sports industry clients and counsel them on sports industry unique commercial transaction matters.

Guidance is provided on commercial transaction considerations common to a variety of businesses including negotiating commercial agreements, formalizing commercial agreements, executing commercial transactions, and resolving commercial transaction disputes.  Additional details on these topics are provided in the practice area description of commercial transactions.

Additionally, sports specific commercial transaction counseling is provided on matters that include:

  • Merchandising
  • Event Insurance and Indemnity
  • Event Participant Waivers and Releases
  • NBA, NFL NHL, and MLB contract review

Sports Regulatory Compliance Law

Given the ever-increasing regulation of sports there is a need to ensure that practical, effective advice and representation is given both to sports organizations and professional athletes, as well as managers, coaches, and organizations.  We assist clients in understanding and conforming to the rules and regulations of their industry.  We advise on regulatory and governance issues including organization structures, drafting of constitutions, membership rights and obligations, club ownership, rules and regulations, stakeholder dynamics, and fair play regulations.  We participate in client development, implementation, and monitoring of procedures designed to ensure general rule compliance and ethical behavior.

When allegations of rule violations arise, we assist clients with crisis management.  Our support includes media representation, representation in public forums, and client representation in regulatory disputes before various forums including association governing body dispute resolution mechanisms, arbitration and mediation forums, and on and off field disciplinary panels, hearings, and appeals.

Sports Intellectual Property Law

We provide general intellectual property law advice to sports industry clients and counsel them on sports industry unique intellectual property matters.

Guidance is provided on intellectual property considerations common to a variety of businesses including acquiring trademarks, acquiring copyrights, protecting trade secrets, licensing intellectual property, purchasing intellectual property, and intellectual property dispute resolution.  Additional details on these topics are provided in the practice area description of intellectual property.

Additionally, sports specific intellectual property counseling is provided on matters that include:

  • Copyright Advice
  • Copyright Registration
  • Licensing, transfer and assignments
  • Collaboration and joint ownership agreements
  • International Copyright
  • Publicity Rights Licensing
  • Promotion Agreements allowing one party to use another’s trademark

Sports Employment Law

Compliance with employment-related federal, state and local statutes and regulations is an essential component of operating a league, team, venue, stadium, studio, or gym. We provide employment legal counsel covering a wide range of federal and state employee / independent contractor legal issues including:

  • Establishing guidelines for determining workforce employee / independent contractor classifications and creating Employment Contracts / Independent Contractor Agreements defining employment duration, benefits, compensation, and grounds for termination, and specific issues including who owns work products produced while on the clock.
  • Drafting Employee-Handbooks defining a company’s culture, setting on-job expectations for employees, and notifying employees of their rights under the law.  The handbook defines the company’s processes and procedures for hiring and separation, wages and overtime, promotions and performance reviews, medical and parental leave, required on-job behaviors and discipline, discrimination and harassment, trade secrets and confidentiality, and fringe benefits.
  • Developing and conducting training programs for both supervisory and non-supervisory employees focused on wage and work hour compliance, performance management, harassment prevention and remediation, substance abuse in the workplace, interviewing and hiring, and equal opportunity.

Sports E-commerce Law

If you have a business website, a business email account, or business social media accounts, you’re participating actively in E-commerce.  There are dangers involved in operating online, including cyber piracy, data protection, and copyright / trademark infringements.  We provide legal counsel to sports enterprises with an internet presence covering a wide range of internet considerations including compliance with state and federal online advertising regulations; compliance with state and federal online consumer privacy regulations; domain name selection-registration and maintenance; and website development arrangement.

Sports Dispute Resolution and Litigation Law

We provide general dispute resolution advice to sports industry clients and counsel them on sports industry unique dispute resolution matters.

Guidance is provided on dispute resolution considerations common to a variety of businesses including negotiations, mediation, arbitration, litigation, and appeals.  Additional details on these topics are provided in the practice area description of dispute resolution and litigation.

Additionally, sports specific dispute resolution counseling is provided on matters that include:

  • Royalty dispute
  • Copyright or trademark infringement
  • Unauthorized use of image
  • Sports contract enforcement

Sports Crisis Management

We provide general crisis management advice to sports industry clients and counsel them on sports industry unique crisis management matters.

Guidance is provided on crisis management considerations common to a variety of businesses including crisis recognition and characterization, crisis response system activation, and incident management.   Additional details on these topics are provided in the practice area description of crisis management.

Additionally, sports specific crisis management counseling is provided on matters that include:

  • Discreet resolution of agent problems,
  • Enabling abuse by prioritizing money instead of the well-being of athletes
  • Addressing conduct that does not fit in with core brand values
  • Addressing harassment issues
  • Inappropriate on-field behavior
  • Inappropriate of your organization

Contacting The Calhoun Law Firm, PLC

If our capabilities match your needs, we invite you to contact us today by one of these means:

  • Call us at 877-455-6344 to evaluate our capabilities to address your situation.
  • Submit an inquiry via our Contact Us Form to brief your situation and needs.
  • Schedule a 45-minute legal Consultation via our client portal to review your situation and approaches by which your objectives can be met.

Our Arizona Sports Attorneys are experts in handling the legal matters that Phoenix and Tucson area sports organizations and professional athletes, as well as managers, coaches, and sporting organizations address during the course of their daily business activities. Moreover, our Arizona Sports Lawyers assist sporting small businesses in the Phoenix and Tucson areas with contractual, intellectual property, litigation, e-commerce, employment, regulatory compliance, business structuring, and crisis management matters. Clients from Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Scottsdale, Peoria, and Tempe are regularly advised and represented by our firm.