Program

Wednesday, May 17

1:30 pm - 5:30 pm

Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Arbitrators & Mediators Seminar

This Wednesday CAS session is only open to CAS Arbitrators and Mediators and registration for this Seminar should be handled directly through CAS. Should CAS Seminar attendees wish to also attend the SLA Annual Conference, Melissa Pomerene, SLA Deputy Executive Director (mpomerene@drohanmgmt.com), can assist CAS members with SLA Conference registration.

Thursday, May 18 - CONFERENCE COMMENCEMENT

9:00 am - 6:15 pm

Registration

11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Networking Reception & New Members Reception
Sponsored by    

12:15 pm - 12:25 pm

SLA 2017 Annual Conference Welcome

Matt Mitten, SLA President
Professor of Law and Executive Director, National Sports Law Institute,
Marquette University Law School, Milwaukee, WI
Arbitrator, Court of Arbitration for Sport

12:25 pm - 12:30 pm

Opening Remarks

Jeffrey B. Gewirtz, 2017 Annual Conference Chair
Executive Vice President of Business Affairs and Chief Legal &
Administrative Officer, Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, Brooklyn, NY

W. Drew Hawkins
Managing Director, Head of Global Sports & Entertainment, Morgan
Stanley Wealth Management, Washington DC

12:30 pm - 2:00 pm

An Overview of Recent Legal Developments in Sports

Gabe Feldman
Paul and Abram B. Barron Professor of Law, Tulane Law School
Director, Tulane Sports Law Program
Associate Provost for NCAA Compliance, Tulane University
Mediator/Arbitrator, MAPS, New Orleans, LA

Matt Mitten, SLA President
Professor of Law and Director, National Sports Law Institute,
Marquette University Law School, Milwaukee, WI
Arbitrator, Court of Arbitration for Sport

2:00 pm - 3:15 pm

Global Sport Anti-Doping Update

Moderator
Maidie Oliveau
Counsel, Arent Fox LLP, Los Angeles, CA

Panelists
Travis T. Tygart
CEO, US Anti-Doping Agency, Colorado Springs, CO

Howard L. Jacobs
Law Offices of Howard L. Jacobs, Westlake Village, CA

Michael Lenard
Vice President, International Council of Arbitration for Sport, Los Angeles, CA

Richard H. McLaren, O.C.
Professor, Western University, Ontario, Canada

3:15 pm - 3:30 pm

Refreshment Break
Sponsored by    

3:30 pm - 5:00 pm

NCAA, Conferences, and Institutions: Roles and Responsibilities in Governance

Moderator
Donald Remy
NCAA, Indianapolis, IN

Panelists
Jonathan R. Alger
President, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA

Philip P. DiStefano
Chancellor, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO

Kevin Sweeney
Vice Chair, Corporate & Transactional Group, Polsinelli PC, Kansas City, MO

5:00 pm - 6:15 pm

New Models for Sports TV Distribution: Respect the Fine Print

Moderator
Bobby Hacker
Attorney at Law, Marina Del Rey, CA

Panelists
Richard L. Brand
Partner and Chair, Sports Practice Group, Arent Fox LLP,
San Francisco, CA (Managing Partner) & Washington, DC

Adam Brezine
Senior Legal Counsel - Twitter Live, Twitter, Inc., San Francisco, CA

Jennifer Flynn
Senior Vice President - Business, MLB Advanced Media, New York, NY

Brett T. Goodman
General Counsel, NBC Sports Group, Stamford, CT

6:15 pm - 7:15 pm

Opening Reception
Sponsored by    

Friday, May 19

7:30 am - 5:00 pm

Registration

7:30 am - 8:30 am

Continental Breakfast (all attendees)
Sponsored by    

7:30 am - 8:30 am

New Member Breakfast
Sponsored by    

7:30 am - 8:30 am

Outreach Captains' Continental Breakfast (by invite only)

8:30 am - 10:30 am

Turning and Turning in the Widening Gyre: The Ethical Conundrums of Sports Practice

Co-Moderators
Jodi S. Balsam
Associate Professor of Clinical Law, Brooklyn Law School, Brooklyn, NY

Robert A. DuPuy
Partner, Foley & Lardner LLP, New York, NY

Panelists
Keith P. Carroll
Member and Chair, Sports Law Group, Mintz Levin, Boston, MA

Mary K. Braza
Chair, Sports Industry Team, Foley & Lardner LLP, Chicago, IL

Jennifer Duberstein
Business Affairs Executive, CAA Sports, New York, NY

Jayma M. Meyer
Counsel, Simpson Thatcher & Bartlett LLP
Visiting Clinical Professor, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN

Naima Stevenson Starks
Deputy General Counsel, NCAA, Indianapolis, IN

10:30 am - 10:45 am

Refreshment Break
Sponsored by    

10:45 am - 12:00 pm

TMZ Posted What!? Sports Crisis Management in the Age of Social Media

Moderator
Debbie L. Spander
Senior Vice President, Broadcasting & Coaching, Wasserman
Group, Los Angeles, CA

Panelists
Joby Branion
CEO, Vanguard Sports Group, Los Angeles, CA

Gregg E. Clifton
Principal and Co-Leader, Collegiate & Professional Sports Practice
Group, Jackson Lewis P.C., Phoenix, AZ

David Cornwell
Consultant, NFL, New York, NY

Denise White
CEO, Entertainers & Athletes Group, El Segundo, CA

OR

GOOAAALLLL! Futbol and the World Legal Order

Moderator
Jeffrey G. Benz
JAMS and 4 New Square Barristers (CAS arbitrator and mediator), Los Angeles, CA

Panelists
Michele Bernasconi
Partner, Bär & Karrer (UEFA outside counsel), Zurich, Switzerland

Alvaro García-Alamán de la Calle
Counsel, Real Madrid Club de Fútbol, City of Madrid, Spain

Richard Motzkin
Executive Vice President, Wasserman, Los Angeles, CA

Anna Peniche
Legal Director, Liga MX, Mexico City, Mexico

12:15 pm - 1:30 pm

SLA Luncheon

Moderator
Matt Mitten, SLA President
Professor of Law and Executive Director, National Sports Law Institute,
Marquette University Law School, Milwaukee, WI
Arbitrator, Court of Arbitration for Sport

  • SLA 2017 Philanthropy Initiative
  • SLA 2017 Michael Weiner Sports Lawyers Association Award of Excellence
    Presented to:
    Scott Blackmun
    Chief Executive Officer
    United States Olympic Committee
  • SLA 2017 Fifth Annual Law Student Writing Competition Awards
    (first, second, and third place winners to be announced)
Sponsored by    

1:45 pm - 3:45 pm

NFLPA Certified Contract Advisor Session
(only for certified contract advisors)

Panelists
Tom DePaso
General Counsel, NFLPA, Washington, DC

Joe Briggs
Public Policy Counsel, NFLPA

Mark Levin
Director of Salary Cap and Agent Administration, NFLPA

Ned Ehrlich
Associate General Counsel, NFLPA

Athelia N. Doggette
Assistant Director of Salary Cap and Agent Administration, NFLPA

OR

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Update: Recent Developments in Procedure and Disputes Involving the Olympic Games, Soccer, Doping and Sport Governance

Panelists
Matthieu Reeb
Secretary General, Court of Arbitration for Sport, Lausanne, Switzerland

Michael Lenard
Vice President, International Council of Arbitration for Sport,
Los Angeles, CA

Brent Nowicki
Legal Counsel, Court of Arbitration for Sport, Lausanne, Switzerland

Jeffrey G. Benz
JAMS and 4 New Square Barristers (CAS arbitrator and mediator), Los Angeles, CA

Paul Greene
Partner, Global Sports Advocates, LLC, Portland, ME

Matt Mitten
Professor of Law and Executive Director, National Sports Law Institute, Marquette University Law School, Milwaukee, WI; CAS Arbitrator

Ross Wenzel
Partner, Kellerhais Carrard, Lausanne, Switzerland

1:45 pm - 2:45 pm

eSports Legal update

Moderator
Scott Rosner
Practice Professor, Legal Studies and Business Ethics Dept., The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

Panelists
Bryce Blum
Founder, ESG Law; Executive Vice President, Catalyst Sports & Media, Seattle, WA

Michael Brooks
Executive Director, National Association of Collegiate eSports, Kansas City, MO

Harris Peskin
Law Office of Harris Peskin, New York, NY

2:45 pm - 3:45 pm

Combat Sports: MMA and Boxing Legal & Regulatory Developments

Moderator
Kenneth L. Shropshire
David W. Hauck Professor, Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics, Professor of Africana Studies, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania; Director, Wharton Sports Business Initiative (WSBI), Philadelphia, PA

Panelists
Tim Bellamy
Associate General Counsel, UFC, Las Vegas, NV

Justin E. Klein
Partner, Robinson Brog P.C., New York, NY

Nicholas Lembo
Deputy Attorney General for New Jersey and Counsel to the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, Trenton, NJ

3:45 pm - 4:00 pm

Refreshment Break
Sponsored by        

4:00 pm - 4:55 pm

Breakout Sessions #1

SESSION A Team & Venue Acquisitions and Financings

Moderator
Poonam Patidar
Member, Mintz Levin, Boston, MA

Panelists
Chuck Baker
Partner and Co-Chair, Sports Industry Group, O'Melveny & Myers LLP, New York, NY

Randy Campbell
Executive Director, Morgan Stanley, New York, NY

Maureen A. Hanlon
Partner, Hogan Lovells US LLP, New York, NY

Kevin R. Schulz
Partner & Co-Chair, Sports Industry Team, Foley & Lardner, LLP, Milwaukee, WI

SESSION B Team Counsel Update

Moderator
Richard M. Thigpen
General Counsel, Carolina Panthers, Charlotte, NC

Panelists
Kari D. Cohen
Vice President & Assistant General Counsel, Brooklyn Nets and NY Islanders (Business Operations), Brooklyn, NY

Maya Mendoza-Exstrom
General Counsel, Seattle Sounders FC, Seattle WA

Megha Parekh
Senior Vice President & Chief Legal Officer, Jacksonville, FL

Billy Traurig
Senior Vice President & General Counsel, Carolina Hurricanes, Raleigh, NC

SESSION C Sports Law Considerations for University Counsel

Moderator
Peter Goplerud
Professor of Law, Florida Coastal School of Law (on leave), Jacksonville, FL

Panelists
Michael W. Ford
Senior University Counsel for Tax, Corporations & Athletics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

Daniel J. French
Senior Vice President & General Counsel, Syracuse University and Partner, Barclay Damon, LLP, Syracuse, NY

Scott E. Rice
University Legal Counsel, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign,IL

SESSION D Legal Aspects of Major Sports Venue Management

Panelists
John E. Keenan III
Senior Vice President & General Counsel, AEG, Los Angeles, CA

Michael Perlberg
Senior Vice President & General Counsel, Levy, Chicago, IL

Irwin P. Raij
Partner and Co-Chair, Sports Industry Group, O'Melveny & Myers LLP, New York, NY

SESSION E Athlete Activism – Legal Update

Moderator
Jessica Berman
Vice President - Special Projects & Corporate Social Responsibility, National Hockey League, New York, NY

Panelists
Wade Davis
Senior Advisor for Advocacy & Strategy, RISE (former NFL player)

Vince Gennaro
Director of the Companion Program in Sports Law and Sports Management, Columbia University, New York, NY

SESSION F FLSA/Wage and Hour Issues in US Sports

Panelists
Elise M. Bloom
Partner & Co-Chair: Class & Collective Action Practice Group and Labor Department, Proskauer Rose, New York, NY

Jonathan Stoler
Partner & Global Co-Practice Group Leader - Labor and Employment Practice, Sheppard Mullin, New York, NY

Justin M. Swartz Partner & Co-Chair of Class Action Practice Group, Outten & Golden LLP, New, NY

SESSION G Motorsports 2017: A Year of Change

Panelists
Stokely G. Caldwell, Jr
Partner, Robinson Bradshaw, Charlotte, NC

Karen B. Leetzow
Deputy General Counsel, NASCAR, Daytona Beach, FL

Stephen Starks
INDYCAR, Vice President of Promoter Relations, Indianapolis, IN

SESSION H Sports Industry Trademark & Brand Protection Update

Panelists
Eleanor M. Lackman
Partner, Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP, New York, NY

Christopher McCleary
General Counsel, United States Olympic Committee, Colorado Springs, CO

SESSION I Legal and Tax Implications of Fraudulent Conduct by Athlete Investment Advisors

Panelists
Jeremy M. Evans
Managing Attorney, California Sports Lawyer, San Diego, CA

Mitchell S. Halpern
Tax Principal, KLR, Boston, MA

Hugo Hilgendorff
Executive Director-National Risk, Morgan Stanley, New York, NY

SESSION J Sexual Misconduct in Sport

Moderator
Jayma M. Meyer
Counsel, Simpson Thatcher & Bartlett LLP
Visiting Clinical Professor, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN

Panelists
Malia Arrington
Chief Operating Officer, SafeSport, Denver, CO

John C. Clune
Member, Hutchinson, Black and Cook, LLC, Boulder, CO

Leslie M. Gomez
Vice Chair, Institutional Response Group, Cozen O'Connor, Philadelphia, PA

Gina Maisto Smith
Vice Chair, Institutional Response Group, Cozen O'Connor, Philadelphia, PA

SESSION K Gender Issues in Sport

Moderator
Naima Stevenson Starks
Deputy General Counsel, NCAA, Indianapolis, IN

Panelists
David G. Feher
Partner, Winston & Strawn LLP, New York, NY

Terri Jackson
Director of Operations, WNBPA, New York, NY

Laura Warren
Senior Associate General Counsel, DePaul University, Chicago, IL

SESSION L Current Legal Issues in Player Health

Moderator
Maureen Weston
Professor of Law, Pepperdine School of Law, Malibu, CA

Panelists
Christopher R. Deubert
Senior Law & Ethics Associate, Football Players Health Study at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

Paul V. Kelly
Principal, Jackson Lewis P.C., Boston, MA

SESSION M Sports Industry Immigration Update

Panelists
Evan Green
Partner, Green and Spiegel LLP, Toronto, Canada

Steven Ladik
Partner, Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP, Dallas, TX

Jon Velie
Lead Counsel, Velie Law Firm, Norman, OK

SESSION N DFS, Virtual Currencies, and Traditional Sports Betting-Regulatory Update

Panelists
Will Green
Senior Director of Research, American Gaming Association, Washington DC

Ryan Rodenberg
Associate Professor, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL

SESSION O Live Event Ticketing Litigation and Business Update

Panelists
Anthony J. Dreyer
Partner, Skadden Arps, New York, NY

Scott M. Pearson
Partner, Ballard Spahr LLP, Los Angeles, CA

5:00 pm - 5:55 pm

Breakout Session #2
(same topics and rooms as previous sessions)

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

SLA President's Reception
Sponsored by    

Saturday, May 20

8:00 am - 3:00 pm

Registration

7:30 am - 9:00 am

Continental Breakfast (all attendees)
Sponsored by    

7:30 am - 9:00 am

Women in SLA Continental Breakfast
Sponsored by    

7:30 am - 9:00 am

International Breakfast (pre-registration required)
Informal networking event for our international attendees and others wishing to participate.
Sponsored by    

9:00 am - 10:45 am

General Counsels' Forum

Moderator
Abraham D. Madkour
Executive Editor, SportsBusiness Journal/SportsBusiness Daily, Charlotte, NC

Panelists
Adolpho A. Birch III
Senior Vice President, Labor Policy and League Affairs, NFL

William Daly
Deputy Commissioner, NHL

Daniel Halem
Chief Legal Officer, MLB

Rick Buchanan
Executive Vice President and General Counsel, NBA

William Z. Ordower
Executive Vice President and General Counsel, MLS

10:45 am - 11:00 am

Refreshment Break
Sponsored by        

11:00 am - 12:45 pm

Executive Directors' Forum

Moderator
Abraham D. Madkour
Executive Editor, SportsBusiness Journal/SportsBusiness Daily, Charlotte, NC

Panelists
Tony Clark
Executive Director, MLBPA

Steven A. Fehr
Special Counsel, NHLPA

Bob Foose
Executive Director, MLS Players Union

Michele Roberts
Executive Director, NBPA

DeMaurice F. Smith
Executive Director, NFLPA

12:45 pm - 1:45 pm

Lunch (attendees on their own)

1:45 pm - 3:15 pm

Breaking into the Sports Law Industry

Moderator
Buffy Filippell
President, TeamWork Online, Cleveland, OH

Panelists
Christopher Harrington
Staff Counsel, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland, OH

Zachary Z. Kleiman
Counsel, Memphis Grizzlies, Memphis, TN

Maacah Scott
Staff Counsel, Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix, AZ

Ted Tywang
Director - Legal Affairs, Cleveland Browns, Berea, OH

The views expressed by speakers are not necessarily the views of the Sports Lawyers Association. Speakers, times, and topics are subject to change.

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