Steven Fehr
NHLPA
Steven Fehr is an attorney from Kansas City who currently serves as Special Counsel to the National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA). In that role he represented the NHLPA during the owner's lockout in 2012-13 and was one of the lead negotiators in the bargaining that led to a new collective bargaining agreement that was reached in January 2013. He continues to work with the NHLPA on a wide range of matters including contract administration, health and safety, and governmental affairs.

Mr. Fehr's work in sports dates back to 1980. Previously as longtime outside counsel to the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), matters he worked on included strikes, lockouts, several rounds of collective bargaining, the collusion cases of the late 1980s, the Mitchell Investigation in 2006-7 regarding the use of performance enhancing drugs, and the events that led to the passage of the Curt Flood Act of 1998.

Gabe Feldman
Tulane University Law School
Gabe Feldman is a law professor at Tulane Law School, the Director of the Tulane Sports Law Program and the Associate Provost for NCAA Compliance at Tulane University. He joined the Tulane Law School faculty in 2005 after nearly five years as an associate with the Washington, DC law firm of Williams & Connolly. Prior to that, he served as judicial clerk to the Honorable Susan H. Black of the US Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Jacksonville, Florida. He attended Duke University and the Duke University School of Law, where he received a Bachelor's degree in economics and psychology, a Masters degree in social psychology, and a Juris Doctor. Professor Feldman has extensive experience in the field of sports law. He represented a variety of sports entities while in the private practice of law and still serves as a consultant for a number of clients in the sports industry.

Professor Feldman has emerged as one of the leading voices in the country in the growing field of sports law. He is regularly quoted in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and other newspapers throughout the country, and he has made numerous appearances on national television and radio. Professor Feldman serves as the legal analyst for the NFL Network and is a contributor to Grantland.com. He currently serves as the editor of The Sports Lawyers Journal, a law journal devoted to the study of sports law, and The Sports Lawyer, a monthly on-line sports law newsletter, and is a regular contributor to the Sports Law Blog. He is the Director of Publications for the Sports Lawyers Association, the co-author of one of the leading sports law casebooks in the country, Sports Law: Cases and Materials, and has been published in a variety of journals and periodicals. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Athletes for Hope, a non-profit organization created to harness the power of sports to impact social change. He teaches Antitrust, Sports Law, Negotiation and Mediation, Intellectual Property and Contracts.

Professor Feldman received the Tulane President's Awards for Excellence in Professional and Graduate Teaching in 2013.

Buffy Filippel
TeamWork Online
Buffy Filippell has been a part of many firsts in her career. And many of those firsts, including the founding of TeamWork in 1987, the first recruiting company to focus on sports executive recruiting, have created a legacy that reaches across nearly every professional sport, multiple collegiate programs and the leading live event producers in the world.

Filippell is one of the most honored and respected leaders and women in the sports world — known by many as the "Godmother of Sport Management" — having not only created TeamWork Online, as a first-of-its-kind mobile talent recruiting system focused on connecting employer to candidates in the business of sports and live events, but also having been the first female agent at IMG and one of the very first recruiters to focus on sports while at Korn/Ferry.

Bob Foose
MLS Players Union
Bob Foose is the Executive Director of the Major League Soccer Players Union, a position he has held since the Union's formation in 2003. During his tenure, the Union has successfully negotiated three Collective Bargaining Agreements, in 2004, 2010 and 2015, each achieved without a work stoppage. It has nearly doubled in size and maintained 100% membership among the player pool in MLS.

These CBAs negotiated by the Union have: (i) established a grievance and arbitration process for players; (ii) implemented a retirement plan with a mandatory league contribution; (iii) more than quadrupled the average player salary; (iv) nearly tripled the minimum salary for senior roster players and more than quadrupled the minimum salary for reserve players; (v) substantially broadened player movement rights, as well as establishing restricted free agency, (vi) increased the group licensing payments due to players more than ten-fold; and (vii) protected players' rights under the workers compensation system.

Stephanie Galvin
Miami Marlins, LP
Stephanie Galvin is the Associate Counsel of the Miami Marlins. In her role as Associate Counsel, Stephanie advises and assists various departments in their daily operations by negotiating and drafting agreements, ensuring marketing and sales promotions are legally compliant, analyzing and developing solutions to minimize risk, managing worker's compensation claims, overseeing outside counsel, along with any other legal issues that may arise.

Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Stephanie first moved to the United States in to attend the Sports Law Program at Marquette University Law School in Milwaukee, WI. While at Marquette, Stephanie interned with the Milwaukee Brewers, Charlotte Hornets, National Sports Law Institute, National Labor Relations Board, Andresen & Associates, P.C., and the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. Upon graduation, Stephanie worked as an associate at Sharif Faust, Lawyers, Ltd. in San Diego, CA, where she worked on various cases from transactional and business formations to civil and criminal litigation. In the fall of 2015, Stephanie left private practice to join the Orlando Magic as a post-graduate legal intern, before landing her current position with the Marlins.

Jeffrey Gewirtz
Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment
Jeff Gewirtz is the Executive Vice President of Business Affairs and Chief Legal & Compliance Officer for Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment (BSE). Gewirtz joined the Brooklyn Nets and its affiliated arena operating company in May 2007 as Senior Vice President and General Counsel, and he was promoted to his current EVP and CLO position in 2010. He served as BSE's Chief Administrative Officer in 2016 and 2017 and he was named BSE's Chief Compliance Officer in September 2017.

Gewirtz is responsible for advising BSE's Board of Advisory Directors and executive management on key legal, business, and strategic matters for BSE's holdings, including the Brooklyn Nets, Barclays Center, the business operations of the New York Islanders, NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Webster Hall, the LIU Brooklyn Paramount Theatre, the NBA G League's Long Island Nets, and ENTITLE, a venue naming rights and sponsorship sales and advisory joint venture with Cooper Holdings, LLC. Through his management of the BSE Legal Department, Gewirtz has oversight for all corporate, commercial, transactional, media, litigation, compliance, and day-to-day legal and business affairs for the BSE companies and ventures. Gewirtz also serves as corporate secretary for the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center entities.

Gewirtz was a key member of the negotiating team for BSE's most significant commercial initiatives, such as the 2012 relocation of the New Jersey Nets to Brooklyn, development of the $1 billion Barclays Center, team and arena ownership transfer transactions in 2010 and 2016, re-development of NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, development of the Brooklyn Nets' state-of-the-art practice facility, the HSS Training Center, the launch of business operations for the New York Islanders in connection with the team's relocation to Barclays Center as of the 2015-16 NHL season, acquisition of the Webster Hall entertainment venue business, and BSE's media rights alliance with YES Network.

The current legal department led by Gewirtz was named one of the top 50 in-house legal departments in the United States under the GC Powerlist for 2015, published by The Legal 500 Series. In addition, Gewirtz was named 2014 Sports Counsel of the Year by the Association of Media & Entertainment Counsel, and in 2009 Gewirtz was selected to the prestigious "Forty Under 40" by Sports Business Journal as one of the 40 top sports executives under the age of 40 in the United States. Gewirtz sits on the Board of Directors of both the National Sports Law Institute and the Sports Lawyers Association, where he is a member of the Board's Executive Committee. He also is a past Sports Committee Chair of the American Bar Association's Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries and he previously served as pro bono General Counsel for the Eastern Section of the U.S. Tennis Association. In 2017 he was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Brooklyn Volunteers Lawyers Project.

Prior to BSE, Gewirtz served as the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) General Counsel and Chief Legal & Government Affairs Officer where he was responsible for all USOC legal matters, as well as the USOC's government relations activities with Congress and federal government agencies. Gewirtz has also held legal positions with The Coca-Cola Company's Corporate Legal Division as Global Marketing Counsel, IOC Television & Marketing Services SA as Director of Legal Affairs, the LPGA Tour as General Counsel, and the WTA. He began his legal career as a corporate associate at the New York City law firm of Dunnington, Bartholow & Miller LLP.

A native of Baldwin Harbour, New York, Gewirtz is a graduate of Tufts University, where he was a four-year member and Captain of the Tufts Varsity Tennis Team his senior year, as well as a member of its New England Championship team. In 2016 he was appointed to the Tufts Athletics Board of Advisors. Gewirtz received his law degree from Brooklyn Law School, where he was the recipient of a three-year merit scholarship and from which he is a two-time recipient of its Alumni Achievement Award in Sports Law.

Gewirtz lives in Manhattan with his wife, Brooke Raphael, who is a Director at Intercept Pharmaceuticals, and their son, Eton.

Brett Goodman
NBC Sports Group
Brett Goodman serves as General Counsel, NBC Sports Group. In this capacity, he manages a group of about 20 lawyers and other personnel responsible for all legal matters related to each of NBCUniversal's sports-related businesses, including NBC Sports, NBC Olympics, Golf Channel, NBCSN, NBC Sports Regional Networks, NBC Sports Radio, NBC Sports Gold, PlayMaker Media, and SportsEngine. Among other things, Goodman negotiates long-term rights and revenue-sharing deals with sports organizations. He has served as lead drafter of NBC's multiple winning Olympic rights bids, and he has led NBC's legal team in groundbreaking negotiations with the National Football League, including the creation of the first-ever "flexible scheduling" concept. In addition, Goodman has negotiated agreements with the National Hockey League, PGA Tour and other high-profile properties. Goodman first was employed by NBC after college, when he won an Emmy award as a researcher on the network's telecast of the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. Working with the network's broadcasters, producers and directors, Goodman compiled statistics and information and helped write for Bob Costas, Katie Couric, Dick Enberg, Jim Lampley and others. Goodman graduated from Princeton University in 1990 and is a 1995 graduate of Columbia University Law School.

Fatima Goss Graves
National Women's Law Center
Ms. Goss Graves has served in numerous roles at the National Women's Law Center for more than a decade and  has a distinguished track record working across a broad set of issues central to women's lives-including income security, health and reproductive rights, education access, and workplace justice. Ms. Goss Graves iscurrently overseeing the Center's administration of the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund, which connects those who experience sexual misconduct including assault, harassment, abuse and related retaliation in the workplace or in trying to advance their careers with legal and public relations assistance. Prior to becoming CEO and President, she served as the Center's Senior Vice President for Program, where she led the organization's broad program agenda. Prior to that, as the Center's Vice President for Education and Employment, she led the Center's anti-discrimination initiatives, including work to promote equal pay, and address harassment and violence at work and in school, with a particular focus on outcomes for women and girls of color.

She is widely recognized for her effectiveness in the complex public policy arena at both the state and federal levels, regularly testifies before Congress and federal agencies, and is a frequent speaker at conferences and other public education forums. Ms. Goss Graves appears often in print and on air as a legal expert on issues core to women's lives, including in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, AP, Chicago Tribune, LA Times, San Francisco Chronicle, CNN, MSNBC, PBS and NPR.

Paul Greene
Global Sports Advocates, LLC
Chambers USA, Super Lawyers and Who's Who Legal recognize Paul J. Greene as one of the world's leading sports lawyers. Paul handles sports law matters around the world and regularly appears before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne.

Paul has prevailed in many high-profile international matters on behalf of athletes. As one example, Paul successfully represented Darya Klishina in her appeal against the IAAF before the CAS Ad Hoc Panel in Rio that enabled her to compete as the only member of the Russian track & field team at the 2016 Olympic Games.

Other high profile international sports law cases where Paul recently prevailed on behalf of athletes include: US Anti-Doping Agency v. Ajee' Wilson where Paul successfully established that the source of the banned substance the athlete unintentionally ingested was contaminated meat resulting in a finding of No Fault and US Anti-Doping Agency v. Gil Roberts where Paul successfully established that the source of the banned substance the athlete unintentionally ingested was a contaminated kiss resulting in a finding of No Fault.

Paul has taught as a professor of sports law at Instituto Superior de Derecho y Economía (ISDE) in Madrid, Spain, St. John's University School of Law in New York City, Cardenal Herrera University in Valencia, Spain as part of the Rex Sport Academy's online master's program in international sports law and his alma mater, the University of Maine School of Law. Paul is a frequent voice at seminars and law schools on sports law issues and a contributor to LawinSport and World Sports Advocate, two of the world's leading sports law publications. Paul is a member of Rex Sport, a worldwide association of sport law practitioners along with the American Bar Association, Forum on Entertainment & Sports and the Sports Lawyers Association.

Christopher L. Griffin
Griffin Mediation
Chris Griffin received his undergraduate and law degrees, summa cum laude, from Florida State University, in 1976 and 1978, respectively, and currently is principal and owner of Griffin Mediation LLC in Tampa, Florida. Previously, Chris practiced commercial litigation at the law firms of Carlton Fields, Annis Mitchell, and Foley & Lardner, LLP.

Chris was a four-year football letterman at FSU, and also served as the Student Representative to the University's Athletics Committee. In 1974, Chris was named FSU's Student-Athlete of the Year.

Chris served as President of the Tampa Chapter of the National Football Foundation in 1991. He also was a member of the founding Board of Directors of the Outback Bowl, and served as Bowl Chairman in 1999.

Because of his sports and litigation background, Chris has had a long career of service to the NCAA. He was the public member of the NCAA Division I Infractions Appeals Committee ("IAC") from 2002-2011, and chaired that Committee from 2006-2011. During that time, Chris lead the IAC in its interpretation and application of the then newly-enacted abuse of discretion standard for universities' appeals of penalties imposed by the NCAA Division I Infractions Committee ("COI"). Upon completion of his maximum three terms on the IAC, Chris was appointed to serve as a public member, and Appeals Coordinator, of the COI. During Chris's tenure on the COI, he was involved in the Committee's review and analysis of the NCAA's new bylaws and regulations, which took effect over the past several years. Those new bylaws and regulations substantially changed many aspects of the NCAA infractions and enforcement processes, including the penalties to which institutions and coaches are now subject for violations of NCAA bylaws. On several occasions, Chris has spoken on these and related subjects, including at the 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2017 NCAA Regional Rules Seminars, Duke Law School, Florida State University Law School, and the 2013 Marquette University Law School Sports Law Symposium. Upon leaving the COI in August 2014, Chris has represented several NCAA student-athletes (including student-athletes at Power Five Conference institutions) in matters related to those student-athletes' competition eligibility.

In Tampa, Chris has participated in many community and pro bono activities, including service with the Hillsborough Constituency For Children, on the Board of Directors of Southern Legal Counsel (a public interest law firm), and as Chair of the Board of Directors of The Spring Of Tampa Bay (which operates the community's domestic violence shelter).

Bobby Hacker
Robert A. Hacker Attorney At Law
Bobby's firm, Robert A. Hacker Attorney at Law + Sports Media Consulting was launched in 2017 after 18 years as the Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs for FOX Sports.  In addition to working in traditional sports media where he represents above-the-line production talent and consults on program development, he has been focusing on esports, representing both event and production entities, as well as teams.

In his capacity as the VP of FOX Sports, he negotiated, drafted and reviewed agreements for the network sports business, which include rights agreements, such as the NFL, MLB and NASCAR, above-the-line production deals, such as talent, producer, and director agreements, as well as all production related contacts such as mobile production facilities. In addition, he provided like legal services for foxsports.com and its related companies, as well as working with FOX's Labor Relations group and the Labor and Employment group. For 3 years he also headed the FOX Sports Music department.

Prior to coming to FOX he was in private practice. He began with two small firms, eventually moving into his own firm in 1993. He transitioned from being a commercial litigator, to a real estate litigator, to a transactional real estate attorney, specializing in construction and leasing, to production counsel for cable television movies and series. He is a graduate of the University of California (1976) and San Fernando Valley College of Law (1979), and is admitted to practice in California and before all US District Courts in California and the Ninth Circuit.

In addition to the SLA board, where he serves on the conference (2010, 2012 and 2015 conference chair) and venue committees, he has served on various boards including AYSO Region 7, is presently on the board of the Santa Monica Rugby Club (2005 and 2006 Men's D-1 National Champions) as well as a former player and a coach for both the men's and women's teams.

In addition to his board role with the SLA, he has been a regular panelist and moderator at the annual conferences, as well as a speaker and lecturer at several other conferences (ABA Forum on Entertainment and Sports, TRAC, the Berkeley Law Sports Law Symposium, the Harvard Law School Sports Symposium) and law schools throughout the country.

Sarah Horvitz
Vice President, Deputy General Counsel for MLB Advanced Media, New York, NY

Stephanie A. Jarvis
SJarvis Consulting and Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law

Stephanie Jarvis currently serves as the Principal of SJarvis Consulting, a sports and events consulting firm. She is also a lecturer with the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law.

She served as Chief Operating Officer for the Phoenix Final Four Local Organizing Committee, which worked with the NCAA to execute the 2017 Men's Final Four in Phoenix. Prior to that, she served as senior vice president and Chief Operating Officer of the Arizona Organizing Committee, which worked with the College Football Playoff to execute the 2016 CFP National Championship in Glendale.

The former general counsel and chief compliance officer at Fiesta Bowl, Professor Jarvis also worked for Indianapolis-based Horizon League, where she served as associate commissioner and general counsel. She ran the Horizon League's compliance program to help member institutions understand and comply with NCAA regulations, and she oversaw numerous conference championships, along with working with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, television partners, the Horizon League Network and outside corporate sponsorship sales teams.  

Caleb Jay
Arizona Diamondbacks
Caleb E. Jay is the General Counsel for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He joined the organization in June 2007.

Jay spent eleven seasons with the Oakland Athletics, joining the team as a bat boy in 1995, and working his way up to Assistant General Counsel, a position he held from 2003-2005. From 2006-2007, he was an Associate with Carroll, Burdick & McDonough LLP, where he practiced real estate, business, and corporate law.

Jay is currently an adjunct professor at Arizona State University College of Law, where he teaches courses in its Sports Law & Business program. His prior teaching experience includes serving as an adjunct professor at Phoenix School of Law, where he taught Sports Law from 2009-2010, and at Dominican University, where he taught courses in its Sports Management program from 2004-2007. He was also a grader for the California State Bar Examination.

Jay is actively involved with several organizations. He is an Outreach Committee Regional Captain for the Sports Lawyers Association and serves as a Board Member for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona. He also provides pro bono legal services for homeless military veterans.

Jay earned a B.A. from Emory University, where he was the president of the school's club rugby team. He received his J.D. from the University of San Francisco School of Law. He also earned a M.A. in Sport Management from the University of San Francisco. Jay is licensed to practice law in Arizona, California, and Nevada.

Ashland Johnson
Human Rights Campaign
Ashland is a former Division I athlete, a sports equality advocate, and seasoned LGBTQ rights advocate. She currently leads the Human Rights Campaign's public education, research and sports inclusion efforts. She served as Athlete Ally's Policy Director where she worked with sports leagues and teams to promote LGBTQ inclusion on the field and under the law. Prior to joining the Athlete Ally team, Ashland served as Policy Counsel for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, worked at Lambda Legal, Georgia Equality, the Task Force, the National Women's Law Center, and the ACLU of Georgia. Ashland also sits on the Board of the Point Foundation. In 2016, she was named as one of the best LGBTQ lawyers under 40 by the National LGBTQ Bar Association. Ashland has also written and presented extensively on sports inclusion, and on the intersection of sports, race, and gender.

Ashland is a graduate of Furman University. She graduated with a J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law as a National Point Scholar and a Bill and Anne Shepherd Equal Rights Scholar.

Ron Klempner
National Basketball Players Association
Ron Klempner has worked as a lawyer at the National Basketball Players Association since 1993, currently serving as Senior Counsel, Collective Bargaining. Ron has championed the rights of NBA players through five rounds of collective bargaining, including through lockouts in 1995, 1998 and 2011, and negotiated on behalf of the WNBA players through every labor contract since the inception of the league. Ron administers the salary cap, revenue sharing and free agency system on behalf of the players, and represents NBA and WNBA players in contract and discipline grievances that arise under the CBA. Ron's responsibilities also include administration and interpretation of the NBPA Agent Regulations, including the player-agent arbitration system, and he leads the NBPA's efforts to educate and counsel players and agents on the terms of the CBA and the Agent Regs. Ron serves as a trustee on player benefit programs, and assists in the union's efforts to lobby in support of players' rights locally and nationally. He served as the NBPA's Acting Executive Director in 2013 and 2014.

Ron graduated from Binghamton University in 1984 and Hofstra Law School in 1987, and previously served as a law clerk to the Second Circuit United States Court of Appeals, and as a litigation associate at the firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges.

Thomas Knapp
CBS Sports Digital
Thomas currently serves as Vice President of Business Affairs & Legal for CBS Sports Digital. CBS Sports Digital operates CBSSports.com, CBS Sports HQ, CBS Sports Fantasy, 247Sports, MaxPreps, Scout and SportsLine. Thomas is an avid fantasy sports player and serves on the Board of Directors of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association. Thomas earned his J.D. from the Northeastern University School of Law in Boston, MA. He attended Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, CT and majored in Political Science. Thomas is licensed to practice law in Florida, New York and Massachusetts and is a member of the American Bar Association, the Sports Lawyers Association, the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, the Entertainment Arts & Sports Law Section of the Florida Bar and the Business Law Section of the Florida Bar.

Dionne Koller
University of Baltimore School of Law
Dionne Koller is Professor of Law and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the University of Baltimore School of Law where she teaches Civil Procedure I and II, Sports and the Law and directs the law school's Center for Sport and the Law. Prior to entering law teaching, Professor Koller was an attorney with Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, L.L.P. in Washington, D.C. Professor Koller has published numerous book chapters and scholarly articles in the area of Olympic and amateur sports and is a frequent media commentator on issues related to sports and the law. Professor Koller has served as chair and as a member of the Executive Board for the Sports Law Section of the Association of American Law Schools and is a member of the United States Anti-Doping Agency's Anti-Doping Review Board. Professor Koller is also on the editorial board for the International Sports Law Journal and serves on the advisory panel for the Aspen Institute's Project Play: Baltimore initiative. In 2017, Professor Koller was awarded the University of Baltimore's President's Faculty Award for outstanding achievement in teaching, scholarship, and community service. Professor Koller earned her J.D., with honors, from the George Washington University Law School and an M.A. in Philosophy and Social Policy from the George Washington University.

Ashwin Krishnan
Marlins
Ashwin Krishnan is Vice President and General Counsel for the Miami Marlins. As the club's lead in-house counsel, Ashwin oversees the legal services provided to each of the team's departments, including Baseball Operations, Ballpark Operations, Corporate Partnerships, Ticket Sales, Broadcasting and Communications, Marketing, Special Events, Human Resources, and the Marlins Foundation. Additionally, he manages all litigation related to the Marlins and Marlins Park, and he was involved with the development of Marlins Park which opened in April 2012. Ashwin received his J.D. from Harvard Law School, his M.Phil. from the University of Cambridge, and his A.B. from Harvard University. Ashwin is a member of the Florida Bar and the Dade County Bar Association. He was born and raised in San Diego, California.

Ilhyung Lee
University of Missouri School of Law
Ilhyung Lee is Edward W. Hinton Professor of Law and Senior Fellow, Center for the Study of Dispute Resolution, at the University of Missouri. He teaches, writes, and lectures in sports law, dispute resolution, and intellectual property. Professor Lee is included in the roster of neutrals for the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Mediators list), USA Track and Field, the International Centre for Dispute Resolution, and the World Intellectual Property Organization, among others. His private practice experience includes positions at Cravath, Swaine & Moore (New York) and Kim & Chang (Seoul). He previously served as a law clerk to Judge Joseph F. Weis, Jr., of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

Nona Lee
Arizona Diamondbacks
Nona Lee is in her 19th season with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2018, and serves as Senior Vice President & Chief Legal Officer, overseeing all legal issues for the organization. Before dedicating her time solely to the D-backs, she served as Associate General Counsel (2000-04) and VP and Associate General Counsel (2004-05) for the Phoenix Suns, D-backs, Phoenix Mercury, Arizona Rattlers, Chase Field, US Airways Center and Dodge Theater.

Lee assisted in the negotiations with FOX Sports Arizona on a 20-year extension that began in 2016, and is the largest financial transaction in franchise history.  She also assisted with negotiations for the building and use of Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, the Arizona Diamondbacks Spring Training home.

Prior to joining the sports industry, Lee had a brief stint as a corporate associate at Gallagher & Kennedy, specializing in corporate transactions and securities, after having worked as a litigator for Meyer Hendricks, specializing in commercial litigation, personal injury and medical malpractice, from 1995-99. Lee received her Juris Doctor in 1995 from the Oklahoma City University School of Law, where she graduated summa cum laude.

Lee is also active in the community and in the sports industry.  She is the founder of the Phoenix Women's Sports Association, an Arizona non-profit organization whose mission is to help girls and women find their power through sports. In addition, she has served on the board of the Women's Sports Foundation in New York, a non-profit organization founded by Billie Jean King that is dedicated to advancing the lives of girls and women through sports and physical activity and until late 2012, also served on the Board of the Phoenix Regional Sports Commission, the mission of which is to "enrich our community through sports," She has also served on the Pepperdine Athletic Board, as well as on the board of Florence Crittenton, a local non-profit designed to help at-risk girls overcome issues of abuse, neglect, teen pregnancy, teen parenting and behavioral and/or mental problems.

Lee currently serves as a member of the board of directors and as President of the Sports Lawyers Association, a non-profit, international, professional organization whose common goal is the understanding, advancement and ethical practice of sports law.  She is also a member of Women in Sports Law, and a member of the American Arbitration Association National Sports Advisory Committee.  She also serves as a member of the Board of Advisors of the National Sports Law Institute at Marquette University School of Law and on the Advisory Board of the Sports Law and Business Program at Arizona State University Law School.

Lee is a past recipient of the YWCA of Maricopa County's Sports Leader Award, was recognized by the Phoenix Business Journal as one of the Women in Business honorees and was also an Athena Award honoree. She has received the Joyce Holsey Award of Excellence from the Black Women Lawyer's Association and has been recognized as one of the Arizona Foothills Magazine's "Women Who Move the Valley." Since 2014, she has been recognized by Republic Media as one of the 50 Highest Ranking Women in Business in Arizona, by AzBusiness Magazine as one of the 50 Most Influential Women in Arizona, and has also received the Spotlight on Success Award from One Community for her commitment to diversity.  Most recently, Lee was recognized by the Arizona Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel as Attorney of the Year for private, medium-sized companies, by AZ Big Media as a 2017 Arizona Business Leader (In-House Counsel) and was the recipient of the 2017 Positively Powerful Women Award for Global Leadership.

Michael Lenard
Michael Lenard is a member and Vice President of the International Council of Arbitration for Sport, the governing board of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and has been President of CAS Ad-hoc Divisions at Olympic Games, Asian Games, the FIFA World Cup and other major events. An Olympic athlete (Team Handball) and among his other international and domestic medals, he is a seven time National Champion and in 1985 was named the Team Handball Male Athlete of the Year and the United States Olympic Committee's SportsMan of the Year for Team Handball. Mr. Lenard has held numerous senior positions in the USOC, starting in its Athletes' Advisory Committee (as a member and then its Vice Chair) and then as USOC Vice President. He also, inter alia, was Chair of the USOC Joint Marketing Committee, founded/oversaw its Athlete Performance Group, and was Chair of its Key Strategies Task Force. With respect to governance and ethics, he was a member of the Olympic Overview Commission to restructure the USOC, was liaison to an Independent Counsel's USOC ethics investigation, provided the lead testimony in Congressional Hearings into the USOC, was legal counsel to the USOC Ethics Committee, and testified on USOC governance reform to the Congressionally appointed Independent Review Commission and the USOC Governance and Ethics Task Force. He was a Member of the Board of Directors (and Audit and Ethics Committee) of the 1996 Olympic Games Organizing Committee.

Mr. Lenard has deep and wide experience in international corporate law and business. He is a Partner in the boutique law firm Wilson Williams and also Senior Adviser to private equity firms and a board member of their portfolio companies. Previously he was Senior Managing Director (later, also Chief Compliance Officer) in William E. Simon & Sons/Paladin Realty Partners, an international private equity firm, and prior to that a Partner in Latham & Watkins, an international law firm. He has served and serves on the boards of numerous domestic and international public and private companies.

He was graduated from the University of Southern California Law School with a Juris Doctor and was Order of the Coif and a member of the Law Review. He was graduated with Distinction from the University of Wisconsin with a Bachelor's in Business Administration (majoring in both Finance and Accounting) and was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi, Beta Gamma Sigma, Beta Alpha Psi and Phi Eta Sigma national scholastic honor societies.

Brandon Leopoldus
Brandon Leopoldus, Esq

David Lisko
Holland & Knight LLP
David J. Lisko is a Tampa litigation, business, and sports attorney, as well as a member of Holland & Knight's national Entertainment Law and Sports practice.

In his civil litigation practice, Mr. Lisko advises clients in cases involving breach of contract, fraud, unfair business practices, negligence, retaliation, misappropriation, shareholder disputes, and civil violations of state and federal laws and regulations. He also advises clients in matters of tortious interference, bankruptcy, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, labor and employment law, and internal policy and regulatory compliance. Mr. Lisko's criminal practice includes advising clients in white collar criminal prosecutions and investigations involving the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), as well as other state or federal agencies.

In Mr. Lisko's business practice, he serves as an outside general counsel and strategic business advisor to entrepreneurs and technology-based small businesses, professional athletes, entertainers, and high-net-worth individuals. Mr. Lisko drafts and negotiates operating agreements and other commercial contracts, as well as develops internal policies, strategic business plans, and operating manuals. In addition, Mr. Lisko helps clients with crisis management, strategic messaging, alternative solutions to litigation, negotiating settlement agreements, and preparing for potential litigation.

In Mr. Lisko's sports law practice, he serves as an agent to professional athletes, a general counsel to current and former professional athletes in litigation and corporate matters, and as an outside counsel to professional sports teams and sports companies. Mr. Lisko also drafts and negotiates sponsorship agreements with professional athletes on behalf of both athletes and companies, including Olympic sponsorship agreements. Mr. Lisko advises clients on compliance with sports laws and regulations, including but not limited to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules and regulations and the Olympic Charter. Mr. Lisko is a Certified Contract Advisor with the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA). He also is the president of the Sports Business and Leadership Association (SBLA), which is a nonprofit charitable organization made up of young professionals working in the sports business industry. The SBLA provides underprivileged children with the resources necessary to participate in various sports experiences.

Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Lisko concentrated his practice in the areas of sports law and white collar crime. His previous experience includes working for a white collar crime boutique defense law firm, clerking for a Florida circuit court judge, employment as a legal associate for a Fortune 400 company, serving as a law clerk to a professor and working directly under the general counsel of a National Hockey League (NHL) team.

Kate Lowenhar-Fisher
Dickinson Wright PLLC
Kate is a leading Nevada gaming attorney who counsels many of the world's premier gaming companies on regulatory issues in connection with mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring, reorganizations and financings, and compliance. She has extensive experience advising clients on issues related to Internet gaming, sports betting, pari-mutuel wagering, social gaming, fantasy sports, liquor licensing, sweepstakes, contests, and promotions. She regularly represents individuals and businesses before regulatory agencies, including the Nevada Gaming Control Board and the Nevada Gaming Commission. Because of her knowledge and her cutting-edge gaming practice, she has been sought after by major media outlets including Yahoo! Finance, ESPN and Bloomberg to comment on current gaming issues. She is ranked in Nevada by Chambers USA for Gaming & Licensing. She is listed as an AV® Preeminent™ Lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell and has been listed in Mountain States Super Lawyers and Nevada Business Magazine's "Legal Elite".

Kate is a member of the International Association of Gaming Advisors and the International Masters of Gaming Law. She received her B.A. in International Relations from Stanford University and her J.D. from Emory University School of Law. Prior to joining Dickinson Wright, Kate was a shareholder in the Gaming Group at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP. Kate is licensed to practice law in Nevada and California. She sits on the board of directors of Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada, Grant a Gift Autism Foundation, and Nevada PEP

Oliver Luck
NCAA
Oliver Luck is the NCAA's first executive vice president for regulatory affairs and oversees all NCAA regulatory functions — enforcement, academic and membership affairs, and the eligibility center.

He leads a team of individuals responsible for investigating potential violations involving member schools in order to uphold integrity and fair play among the NCAA membership. He is also involved in legislative interpretations, waiver requests, and academic and amateurism certification. In addition to his regulatory affairs responsibilities, he oversees football strategy, and corporate and media relationships at the NCAA.

Luck joined the NCAA in 2014 after a successful four-year run as the director of athletics at West Virginia University. He led West Virginia into the Big 12 Conference and presided over the best fundraising year in school history (2012). In 2005, Luck was appointed the first president of Major League Soccer's Houston Dynamo, helping the organization to a pair of MLS Cup titles in his first two years at the helm. He also served as the CEO of the Harris County Houston Sports Authority and as the President of NFL Europe.

The Rhodes Scholarship finalist and Cleveland native graduated Phi Beta Kappa from West Virginia in 1982, where he was a three-year starting quarterback on the football team. Luck was selected in the second round of the NFL draft by the Houston Oilers and spent five years with the organization. Luck earned a law degree from the University of Texas at Austin, graduating cum laude in 1987. He's a member of the West Virginia University Sports Hall of Fame and CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame. Luck serves on Positive Coaching Alliance's National Advisory Board.

Abraham Madkour
SportsBusiness Journal, Daily and Global
Abraham Madkour is Executive Editor of Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal, SportsBusiness Daily and SportsBusiness Daily Global.Mr. Madkour is responsible for determining the editorial content and shaping the editorial direction of the leading publications on the business of sports, while managing the entire editorial staff. In addition, he oversees all the editorial content for the various conferences produced by Street & Smith's Sports Business Group, including the prestigious World Congress of Sports and Forty Under 40 awards dinner. Mr. Madkour serves as the lead moderator and editorial spokesman for all of the company's events.Mr. Madkour joined SportsBusiness Daily as a Senior Staff Writer when the publication launched in August 1994. He was named Editor-in-Chief in September 1996 and became  Executive Editor of SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily in 2003.Prior to joining SportsBusiness Daily, Mr. Madkour was a Legislative Assistant for U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont. In addition to working with Senator Leahy, Mr. Madkour had stints working for the Washington Bullets and the Baltimore Orioles in 1993 and 1994.He lives in Charlotte, N.C., and is a graduate of the University of Vermont.

Shawn Marette
Arizona Diamondbacks
Senior Manager Player Development
Fourth season with the D-backs.
Focuses on day-to-day Minor League operations and works closely with Mike Bell and Josh Barfield, oversees 18 Player Development budgets, minor league player and staff payroll and manages Player Development travel. Also, handles the work visa petitions for the organization.
Spent 10 years with the Dodgers from 2004-14 ... was manager, baseball operations-Glendale from 2009-14 at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz ... oversaw day-to-day Minor League and complex operations, including travel for player development and administration of minor league activities based in Arizona.
General Manager of the Vero Beach Minor League team from 2007-08.
Began his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2004 as an intern in Vero Beach, Fla.
Graduated in 2004 from the University of Minnesota-Duluth with a degree in communications.
He and his wife, Saleh, have 2 sons, Nolan and Maxwell, and reside in Phoenix.

John McManus
MGM Resorts International
John M. McManus is Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for MGM Resorts International. In this role, Mr. McManus is responsible for oversight of the Company's legal affairs and its legal department. Mr. McManus works closely with members of senior management and the Company's Board of Directors. Mr. McManus joined MGM in 2001 and has served as counsel in various capacities at the parent company and its operating subsidiaries during his tenure. Before joining the Company, Mr. McManus held the position of Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for the Sahara Hotel & Casino and worked as an associate attorney with the Las Vegas law firm of Schreck, Jones, Bernhard, Woloson & Godfrey.

Tom McMillen
LEAD1 Association; Former U.S. Congressman
The Honorable Tom McMillen is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the LEAD1 Association, which represents the athletic directors and programs of the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Founded in 1986 as the Division 1A Athletic Director's Association, the LEAD1 Association currently has 129 members located in 41 states. While the mission of the LEAD1 Association remains the same in its dedication to the success of student-athletes, both in the classroom and on the playing field, for college and afterwards, the appointment of McMillen has ushered in a new era with the rebranding of the association with the name LEAD1 Association and the move of the headquarters to the Washington, D.C., area to be close to our nation's policymakers. Essential to the direction of the LEAD1 Association under McMillen's leadership is influencing how the rules of college sports are enacted and implemented, advocating for the future of college athletics, and providing various services to its members such as pooled purchasing arrangements to deliver better arrangements on goods and services.

McMillen, as a high school student, was the most highly recruited athlete of his era and the second high school student ever to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. While in high school, he was appointed to serve by then-President Richard Nixon on the President's Council on Physical Fitness, the youngest Presidential appointee ever. At the University of Maryland, McMillen was an All-American basketball player and still holds the school record for career scoring average. During his time at Maryland, McMillen was a member of the 1972 Olympic basketball team that refused to accept a silver medal after its controversial and disputed championship game with the Soviet Union. After graduating as valedictorian of his class at the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, McMillen was selected as a Rhodes Scholar (the first from the University of Maryland) and attended Oxford University where he received a Bachelor and Master of Arts in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics. He then played eleven years in the NBA with the Buffalo Braves, New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks, and Washington Bullets, finishing his career in 1986 as the first and only active professional athlete to run for Congress.

From 1987 to 1993, McMillen served three consecutive terms from the Fourth District of Maryland in the United States House of Representatives. During his first term in Congress, McMillen was honored with an appointment to the Board of Overseers of the United States Naval Academy. In Congress, McMillen served on the Energy & Commerce Committee; the Banking, Finance, and Urban Committee; and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. He was the cosponsor of the Student Right-to-Know Act, which required colleges and universities to disclose the graduation rates of its students and student-athletes. McMillen was also selected unanimously as president of the freshman class of the historic 100th United States Congress.

After leaving Congress, McMillen was appointed by then-President Bill Clinton as Co-Chair of the President's Council on Fitness and Sports. He also founded several publicly traded companies and has been a successful entrepreneur. He was a member of the Board of Regents of the University of Maryland System, the Founding Chairman of the National Foundation on Physical Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition, and the author of Out of Bounds, a book examining the influence of sports on ethics.

In May 1988, McMillen was inducted into the first Capital One Academic All-American Hall of Fame as a charter member. In 2002, the 50th anniversary of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), McMillen was chosen as one of the ACC's Top 50 players of all time. In 2010, McMillen was inducted into the University of Maryland Alumni Hall of Fame and in 2013, he was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame.

McMillen was also a founding member of the Knight Foundation's Commission on Intercollegiate Activities that investigated abuses in college sports. His op-eds and other articles have been published in periodicals such as The New York Times, The Atlantic Monthly, USA Today, and The Chronicle of Higher Education, among many others.

Mark Merolli
Under Armour
Mark Merolli serves as Managing Counsel-Connected Fitness & Digital at Under Armour and is responsible for the oversight and execution of the legal support function for Under Armour's Connected Fitness Business Unit. In this role, he actively partners with the business in the development and commercialization of the UA Connected Fitness Apps-MapMyFitness, Endomondo, MyFitnessPal, and UA Record-and provides wide ranging counsel and transactional support in connection with the Brand's key strategic digital initiatives and partnerships.

Mark previously served as MapMyFitness's sole counsel prior to its acquisition by Under Armour in 2013. As one of the company's first hires he assumed responsibility for the development and direction of legal activities across the company, including commercial and technology transactions, data privacy, intellectual property portfolio licensing and protection, commercialization of digital products, corporate governance, venture capital financing, employment and human resource matters, and the management of outside litigation.

Mark attained his B.A. in history from Boston College. He also earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from the St. Louis University School of Law. He currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts.

Jayma Meyer
Simpson Thatcher & Bartlett
Jayma is Counsel at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, and a Visiting Clinical Professor at Indiana University. Jayma advocates the power of sport to bring about social change. Her focus is on achieving gender equality, inclusion, safety and integrity in sports through education, activism and litigation.

Jayma received a B.S. from Indiana University in 1975, with high distinction, and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 1978. She began her legal career as an attorney in the Bureau of Competition, Federal Trade Commission, in Washington, D.C., and moved to private practice in 1981 when she joined Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in New York City. Jayma established Simpson Thacher's Los Angeles office in 1995 and returned to the New York office in the fall of 1998. She has focused her litigation practice on antitrust and Title IX. A Visiting Clinical Pmfessor at Indiana University, Jayma teaches sports law and public policy, consults on matters impacting student-athletes, and lectures and writes on Title IX, amateurism and ethical issues in sports.

Jayma is on the Boards of the Women's Sports Foundation and National Women's Law Center, a member of the Dean's Council, Indiana University (SPEA), and on several advocacy groups for nonprofit sports entities.

Jayma has been named multiple times a New York Super Lawyer in the categories of Antitrust and Top Women Lawyers, and received the Distinguished Alumni Award fmm Indiana University (SPEA) in 2014.

Jayma was a competitive swimmer holding national age group records and qualifying in the top 10 of the world in butterfly events in the early 1970s.

Amy Minniti
Comcast Spectacor
Amy joined Spectra by Comcast Spectacor in February of 2018. Spectra provides venue management, food services and hospitality, and corporate partnerships services to hundreds of sports and entertainment clients across the world. In her role as Deputy General Counsel, Amy is responsible for drafting and negotiating a wide range of contracts, and supporting and counseling its corporate, business development and operational teams. Amy joined Spectra after spending ten years with the Washington Nationals Baseball Club. In her role as Vice President, Deputy General Counsel of the Nationals, she was responsible for drafting and negotiating contracts, counseling executives on an array of legal issues, advising on league rule compliance, and managing claims and disputes. Prior joining the Nationals, she was an associate in the Philadelphia office of Reed Smith, LLP, where she practiced in the commercial litigation group. She began her career in sports when she spent two years working for the General Counsel of the Pittsburgh Pirates while in law school.

Amy served as a member of the steering committee of the Arts, Entertainment, Media & Sports Section of the District of Columbia Bar, where she served as co-chair of the sports law committee. She also enjoys teaching. She is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University in its Sports Industry Management graduate program where she has taught ethics and leadership courses and at The George Washington University School of Law where she teaches a sports contract drafting class. She is also serves on the executive leadership committee of the American Heart Association's "Lawyers Have Heart" annual running race.

Amy received her J.D. and a Masters of Public & International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh, and her B.A. from Colgate University.

Matthew Mitten
Marquette University Law School

Matt is a Professor of Law and the Executive Director of the National Sports Law Institute and the LL.M. in Sports Law program for foreign lawyers at Marquette University Law School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He served as the Law School's Associate Dean for Academic Affairs from July 2002 to June 2004. He currently teaches Amateur Sports Law, Professional Sports Law, Sports Sponsorship Legal and Business Issues Workshop, Antitrust Law, and Torts, and has also taught Comparative Sports Law, International Sports Law, Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility, and a Sports Law seminar during his 28-year teaching career.

He has authored Sports Law in the United States (Wolters Kluwer 2011, 2d. ed. 2014, 3d. ed. 2017) and co-authored a law school textbook, Sports Law and Regulation: Cases, Materials, and Problems (Aspen/Wolters Kluwer 2005, 2d. ed. 2009, 3d. ed. 2013, 4th ed., 2017), and Sports Law: Governance and Regulation (Wolters Kluwer 2013, 2d. ed. 2016). A leading sports law scholar, he has published articles in several of the nation's leading law reviews as well as in medical journals such as The New England Journal of Medicine, and is a member of the advisory board for The International Sports Law Journal.

He is an arbitrator for the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Lausanne, Switzerland) (serving on the ad hoc Division for the XXI Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia and the American Arbitration Association's commercial, consumer, doping and Olympic sports arbitration panels as well as the UFC and the Ladies Professional Golfers Association anti-doping panels. He has been appointed/served as the sole arbitrator, chair, or panel member in numerous sports, commercial, or consumer arbitrations. He is a member of the Sports Lawyers Association (SLA) Board of Directors (serving as SLA president from May 2015-May 2017) and the Advisory Board for the Sports & Society Initiative of The Ohio State University College of Arts and Sciences. He formerly chaired the American Association of Law Schools' Section on Law and Sports and the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports, and served on the inaugural Board of Directors of the Forum for the Scholarly Study of Intercollegiate Athletics at the invitation of former NCAA president Myles Brand.

Matt earned a B.A. in Economics from The Ohio State University and his JD, magna cum laude, from the University of Toledo College of Law. He is a member of the Order of the Coif and served as a Note & Comment Editor for the University of Toledo Law Review's editorial board. He practiced antitrust and intellectual property law as well as commercial litigation with Kilpatrick Townsend in Atlanta, Georgia, and previously taught at South Texas College of Law in Houston. He has served as a visiting professor at the University of Oregon School of Law and the University of Toledo College of Law and as well as a visiting lecturer in sports medicine at The University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine. He has taught United States Sports Law as a Senior Fellow at the University of Melbourne Law School in Australia (2006, 2008, 2010, and 2013) and is a member of its International Advisory Board for its Graduate Diploma in Sports Law program. He regularly lectures at Western Law School in Canada, and also has taught international and comparative sports law courses at the University of Barcelona in Spain and the University of Queensland in Australia.

He testified before a U.S. Congressional joint subcommittee regarding proposed federal regulation of ephedrine in August 2003 and the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics regarding alternative regulatory systems for college sports in May 2015. He has discussed a wide variety of sports law, business, and ethics topics at more than 175 conferences and seminars throughout the United States as well as in Australia, Canada, China, England, the Republic of Korea, and Turkey.

Chris Mosier
You Can Play/TransAthlete.com
Chris Mosier is a trailblazing athlete, coach, and the founder of TransAthlete.com. In 2015, he became the first openly trans man to make a Men's US National Team. Following the national championship race, he was instrumental in getting the International Olympic Committee policy on transgender athletes changed, and in June 2016 he became the first trans athlete to compete in a world championship race under the new rules, where he was the second fastest American man in his group. He has been called "the man who changed the Olympics" by the BBC and New York Magazine. Chris is a four-time member of Team USA, representing the United States in the sprint triathlon and the short course and long course duathlon, which is a run/bike/run event.

Chris is also a nationally recognized four-time Ironman triathlete, and inductee into the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame. He is sponsored by Nike and was featured in a Nike commercial which aired during the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Chris has been featured in publications including ESPN The Magazine, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone, Esquire, and more.

Chris was a silver medalist in triathlon at the 2014 Gay Games. He has been named to The Advocate Magazine's 40 Under 40, the Trans 100 list, the GOOD 100 list, and the Out 100 list.

Chris currently works as the Vice President of Program Development and Community Relations for You Can Play.

Marcos Motta
Bichara & Motta Advogados
Founding partner of Bichara e Motta Advogados, Marcos Motta holds a postgraduate diploma in Contemporary Business Law; a master degree (LL.M) in International Economic Law from the University of Warwick; a master honoris causa in International Sports Law from the ISDE in Spain.

Mr. Motta has been working in the soccer market since 1997, when he became the director and international representative for CR Flamengo. Since then, he has served as a legal counsel in over 400 cases before FIFA and the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), regarding several subjects, such as contracts, disciplinary, regulatory and doping disputes. Mr. Motta has also provided legal advise in some of the largest and most important transactions in football including the record breaking deal involving the player Neymar from F.C. Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain. In 2006 and 2017 he participated in the Brazilian government working group for the revision of the sports law legal framework. He was also part of the FIFA working group regarding third-party ownership (TPO).

He is a visiting lecturer in various master's degree programmes worldwide and is a member of REX Sports, member of the board of the European Football Agents Association (EFAA) and of the ExCo of the International Association for Football Lawyers (AIAF). Since 2014 "Chambers & Partners" and "Who's Who Legal" has been yearly nominating Marcos Motta as a "Thought Leader" in the sports and entertainment field worldwide.

C. Anthony Mulrain
Mintz Levin
Anthony's practice primarily focuses on commercial litigation and intellectual property with a focus on the sports, media and entertainment industry. His extensive experience includes advising and counseling professional athletes in the NBA, NFL and MLB, representing at least one number one overall draft pick in all three major sports. In his capacity as General Counsel to professional athletes and agencies, he has advised on matters related to, amongst other things, Player- Agent disputes before the NBPA and MLBPA, NCAA Regulatory Compliance, endorsement and sponsorship agreements, professional boxing promoter and licensing agreements and Title IX Sexual Assault Matters. Anthony has also been called upon to represent professional athletes in high profile domestic relations matters. His litigation practice is national in scope and has resulted in him handling matters in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina and Texas. Anthony is Co-chair of the firm's Sports Law Practice Group.

Anthony has represented a wide variety of enterprises, including studios, television and cable networks, in highly sensitive litigation and business transactions. He has also represented some of Hollywood's brightest stars in negotiating hundreds of motion picture and television actor, writer, producer and director agreements, stage production agreements, and broadcast licensing arrangements.

Prior to joining Mintz Levin, Anthony served as the founding and managing partner in the Atlanta office of a prominent national law firm. He was the chair of the firm's national sports, media & entertainment law practice and a member of the commercial litigation and intellectual property practice groups.

Cameron A. Myler
New York University Tisch Institute for Sport

Patricia C. Ohlendorf
The University of Austin at Texas
As the vice president for legal affairs, Patti Ohlendorf has executive responsibility for the university's legal affairs and serves as the chief legal officer/general counsel and chief ethics officer. Ohlendorf is a member of a number of standing university-wide committees, including the Internal Audit Committee, the Executive Compliance Committee, the Classified Research Committee, and a number of ad hoc committees. She also serves as Parliamentarian of the General Faculty and the Faculty Council.

Ohlendorf received her bachelor's degree from The University of Texas at Austin and her doctor of jurisprudence degree from The University of Texas School of Law. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas and a number of local, state, and national professional organizations, and is active as a board member or participant in a number of community organizations.

Ohlendorf is a member of the American Association of Universities General Counsel Committee, NCAA General Counsel Advisory Board and serves on the NCAA Infractions Appeals Committee.

Asaf Orr
NCLR
Asaf Orr joined NCLR in February 2012 as a Staff Attorney working on issues related to families and youth. In July 2015, he was named NCLR's Transgender Youth Project Staff Attorney. As part of that project, Asaf engages in litigation, public policy, and informal advocacy to safeguard the right of transgender and gender-expansive youth to be affirmed and supported for who they are.

For nearly ten years, he has represented transgender youth and their families in a wide range of legal matters including discrimination in schools, child custody disputes, child abuse and neglect, and access to affirming medical and mental health care. For example, Asaf was the lead attorney in Student v. Arcadia Unified School District, which resulted in an historic resolution agreement acknowledging that Title IX protects transgender kids from discrimination in school. That agreement also lead to the federal government approving a nondiscrimination policy that obligated the district to affirm and respect the gender identity of transgender students, including when accessing restrooms, locker rooms, and sex-separated activities or programs.

In the area of sports, Asaf has represented a number of transgender student-athletes and worked with state and recreational athletic associations to develop and implement transgender inclusive policies.

Asaf has also provided trainings across the country on the rights of transgender youth to parents, service providers, and other professionals. In addition, he has authored a number of resources on issues affecting transgender youth. Most recently, Asaf was a lead author of Schools in Transition: A Guide to Supporting Transgender Students in K-12 Schools, a publication that assists parents, school administrators, and other stakeholders to collaborate and create a school environment that affirms and supports transgender students.

After graduating magna cum laude from Rutgers School of Law in Newark in 2008, Asaf clerked for The Honorable Virginia A. Long on the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

Joe Pierce
Hornets Sports & Entertainment
Joe Pierce joined Hornets Sports & Entertainment as Vice President & General Counsel in 2013. In that role, he manages all legal affairs for the Charlotte Hornets and Spectrum Center arena. He is responsible for providing legal counsel and advice in areas including sponsorships, ticketing, media rights, finance, NBA governance, arena and event operations, litigation, labor and employment, intellectual property, basketball operations, risk management and governmental affairs.

Pierce joined the franchise from Bank of America, where he spent five years as Senior Vice President & Associate General Counsel for Global Marketing & Corporate Affairs. In this role, his responsibilities included acting as lead counsel in negotiating and drafting sponsorship and licensing agreements related to the company's sponsorship of sports properties such as the NFL, Major League Baseball, the PGA Tour and NASCAR. Prior to that, Pierce spent four years as Vice President of Business & Legal Affairs for Comcast Sports Group, where he negotiated and drafted television rights agreements, affiliate distribution agreements and on-air talent contracts.

Pierce began his career in sports with the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he served as Associate General Counsel from 2002-05, after spending four years as a corporate lawyer at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in Palo Alto, California.

Pierce serves on the Boards for North Carolina Travel & Tourism, the Charlotte Regional Partnership and the Charlotte Hornets Foundation.

Pierce is a graduate of Georgetown University, where he received a bachelor's in business administration and was captain of the track & field team. He earned dual Juris Doctor and MBA degrees from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and Wharton School of Business. Pierce and his wife, Kama, have three children, Marco, Julian and Jasmine.

Myles C. Pistorius
Miami Dolphins
Myles Pistorius enters his third season with the Miami Dolphins as senior vice president and general counsel. In his role, Pistorius is responsible for oversight of all legal matters related to the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium.

Pistorius joined the Dolphins after 15 years at the National Basketball Association where he last served as senior vice president of business affairs & content. Prior to that, Pistorius was senior vice president of legal & business affairs at the NBA.

Pistorius started his legal career as a corporate associate with the law firm of Simpson Thatcher & Bartlett in New York City. He received his juris doctorate from Columbia Law School, and a bachelor's of arts degree with honors in political science from Rutgers University.

Pistorius resides in Parkland with his wife, Robin, and their three children.

Stacey Preston
NCAA
As director of strategic initiatives for the NCAA, Stacey Preston is responsible for a broad range of communication initiatives that include branding, market research, strategic communication planning and selected live events. She is a member of the communications group leadership team and serves as co-chair of the 2019 NCAA Convention planning team. Previously, she was an associate director and assistant director for the NCAA.

Before joining the NCAA staff in 2004, Stacey served as special assistant to the executive director of athletics at California State University, Long Beach, during the 2003-04 academic year.

A member of the California State Bar, she was an attorney with Pillsbury Winthrop LLP in Los Angeles before undertaking her role at Long Beach State. Her practice centered on complex commercial real estate transactions and business litigation.

Her move from law to athletics administration was recounted in "Fields, Courts and Leaping High," published in It's Harder in Heels: Essays by Women Lawyers Achieving Work-Life Balance (edited by Jacquelyn Hersh Slotkin and Samantha Slotkin Goodman, Vandeplas Publishing 2007).

She received her Bachelor of Arts in English, cum laude, from University of California, Los Angeles and her Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.

Mattieu Reeb
University of Oregon
Matthieu Reeb from Neuchâtel/Switzerland, is an attorney at law, born in 1969, married with 3 children. He obtained his law degree in 1992 (Neuchâtel). The same year he studied international private law at the University of Heidelberg/Germany. One year later, he returned to Neuchâtel where he worked for a law firm specialized in arbitration. He passed his bar exam successfully in 1995.

Matthieu Reeb joined the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in September 1995 where he exercised the function of Counsel to CAS. He was appointed as CAS Secretary General in 2000. In this position, he is responsible for the management of the Court, the public relations, the monitoring of the arbitration and mediation procedures and for the organization of the CAS ad hoc Divisions (established during the Olympic Games and other major sports events).

In 1998, Matthieu Reeb edited the first "Digest of CAS Awards" (Staempfli Editions), which in 1999 won the René Cassin Prize, awarded by the Académie française des Sciences Morales et Politiques. He edited additional CAS Digests in 2001 and in 2004 (Kluwer Law Editions) and in 2015 the Commentary of the Code of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, with D. Mavromati (Wolters Kluwer Editions). He is also the author of several articles related to the CAS and its case law.

Until 1995, Matthieu Reeb practised athletics and rugby at national level.

Kevin Reed
University of Oregon
Kevin S. Reed is the Vice President and General Counsel for the University of Oregon, a position he has held since 2015. He is responsible for the management of the legal affairs of the university, including the provision of legal guidance to all university units, schools, and colleges. His work involves drafting and counseling on a wide array of issues facing a large public research university, ranging from government ethics, procurement policy, research compliance, athletics compliance, IP protection, employment and labor issues, Title IX, free speech, academic freedom, governance, and promotion of diversity. Additionally, Kevin oversees the Office of Public Records and the University's Purchasing and Contracting Services departments.

Kevin previously served as Vice Chancellor, Legal Affairs at UCLA, where he oversaw UCLA's provision of campus-wide legal assistance and ombuds services, the prevention of sexual harassment and compliance with Title IX.

Prior to joining UCLA, Kevin was General Counsel of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the nation's second largest school district. In nearly five years there, he directed LAUSD legal affairs, conducted litigation for the district and oversaw the work of 40 outside law firms and 40 in-house attorneys.  He also oversaw the District's Ethics Office, Educational Equity Compliance Office, and directed collective bargaining with the District's 11 employee units.

A civil rights lawyer by training, from 1996 through 2004, Kevin was a partner at Strumwasser & Woocher LLP, a Santa Monica law firm and prior to that he spent six years as the managing attorney for the western regional office of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., in Los Angeles.

Kevin received his J.D. degree, cum laude, from Harvard Law School and his B.A., with distinction, from the University of Virginia.

Sam Renaut
Arizona State University
Sam Renaut is the Assistant Director of ASU Law's Sports Law & Business program. He is at the forefront of developing and growing the program, including curriculum building, professional development for students and faculty, career services and job pipeline programs, strategic partnerships, admissions, special projects, and more.

Professor Renaut officially joined the program in 2015, and he was one of the driving forces behind its creation as a student of the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law from 2008-2011. He works with students as a career advisor, helping to develop and implement independent studies and internships in the sports industry. He further develops the ASU Online MLS in Sports Law degree program, and teaches courses including Sports Career Planning and Business Communications, Intro to Sports Law, and Advanced Topics in Sports Law.

Professor Renaut has spoken to students and organizations across the United States on the merits of entering the sports industry, the legal and business ramifications of sports decision making, and the complex world of athlete representation.

Prior to taking over as a program director, Professor Renaut served as an NFL Agent, representing NFL players in their careers on and off the field, as well as NFL and collegiate football coaches. He also represented media and TV personalities in their contract negotiations. As an ASU Law student, he was the founding editor-in-chief of the Sports Law and Entertainment Journal. Before law school, Professor Renaut worked in collegiate athletics in SID at Virginia Tech, wrote about sports for a newspaper and helped launch several sports blogs in the early 2000's, and served as an account manager for DVSport, Inc., a sports game day video solutions company.

Allison Rich
Princeton University
Allison Rich, a member of the Sports Lawyers Association Board of Directors, has over 20 years of experience as an intercollegiate athletics administrator. She has significant leadership and decision-making experience having served at the NCAA national office and at both large state and small private FBS, FCS and Division I institutions, in all areas of college athletics. Rich is currently the Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Senior Woman Administrator (SWA) at her alma mater, Princeton University. She also speaks regularly on college athletics and related legal and sports law issues and teaches various law classes.

Rich previously served as an Athletics Consultant with JMI Sports LLC, providing evaluation, planning, review, audit, strategic analysis and guidance to university athletic departments and intercollegiate conferences to help them meet their diverse and complex needs. She continues to provide college athletics consulting and speaking services independently.

Prior to working as a consultant, Rich was the Senior Associate Director of Athletics for External Affairs/SWA at Florida State University where she was responsible for all external functions of the department. During her tenure at FSU, the institution experienced unprecedented growth and success in marketing, promotions, sponsorships and ticket sales, created a comprehensive social media presence, and developed both an outbound ticket sales staff and an advance group sales program.

Rich served as Deputy Director of Athletics/SWA at California State University, Fullerton, and held senior administrative positions at the University of the Pacific and the NCAA National Office. She earned her bachelor's degree at Princeton University, her Juris Doctorate at Chicago-Kent College of Law, and her Doctorate in Educational Administration at the University of the Pacific. She is a Sports Management Institute Executive Program graduate. Licensed to practice in the State of Illinois and a qualified arbitrator in the State of Florida, Rich is also a member of NACDA, NACWAA, and the American, Illinois and Chicago Bar Associations and is currently serving as a member of the NCAA Infractions Appeals Committee.

Gary R. Roberts
Bradley University
Gary R. Roberts graduated from Bradley University in 1970 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and minors in history and speech. He received his J.D. in 1975 from Stanford University. He is considered one of the foremost sports law experts and scholars in the country. He is Dean Emeritus and was the Gerald L. Bepko Professor of Law of the McKinney School of Law at Indiana University in Indianapolis, where he served as Dean from 2007–13. Prior to that, he spent 24 years at Tulane University Law School serving as Vice Dean, Deputy Dean, and the Sumter Davis Marks Professor of Business Law. He was also the Founder and Director of the first sports law program in the United States while at Tulane. After graduating from Stanford Law School, he clerked for Judge Ben Duniway of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco for a year before going into private practice with the law firm of Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C.

Roberts has continued to practice law part-time throughout his academic career with a focus on antitrust and sports law. He has been a frequent commentator on broadcast and in print media on sports-related legal and business issues. He was the on-air legal analyst for the NFL network and a lead analyst for other national media outlets during the National Football League lockout in 2011. He has testified before congressional committees on nine occasions on sports matters.

While a student at Bradley, he was an active member of the debate team, one of the four members of the five-time undefeated College Bowl Team, and he was actively involved in student government, being president of his sophomore class, student-body treasurer during his junior year, and a member of the student supreme court his senior year.

Roberts' wife, Donna Carr Roberts, is a former corporate marketing executive and an award-winning artist specializing in oils and watercolors. He has one adult son who lives in New York. He enjoys golf, traveling and doing arbitration work in sports disputes. He is a passionate animal lover and has worked actively on the board of directors for the Indianapolis Humane Society for the past several years.

Ryan Rodenberg
Florida State University
Ryan Rodenberg is an Associate Professor at Florida State University. His research focuses primarily on sports law analytics. His research has been published in law reviews and quantitative journals. He also writes for ESPN, The Atlantic, and other mainstream outlets. Prior to entering academia, he served as Associate General Counsel at the sports marketing firm, Octagon, in its Washington, D.C. headquarters from 2003 to 2007. He also worked at the ATP World Tour and Nike. Rodenberg earned his J.D. from the University of Washington in 2000 and his Ph.D. from Indiana University in 2009.

Daniel Rube
National Basketball Association
Dan Rube joined the National Basketball Association in 1995 and currently serves as the league's Executive Vice President and Deputy General Counsel.

Dan's principal responsibilities include: collective bargaining with the National Basketball Players Association; CBA-system oversight, including with respect to the salary cap and related financial matters; enforcement of CBA-related rules; and the formulation of league revenue- sharing policies. Among other things, Dan also works on various competition-related matters, manages the NBA's agreement with FIBA, basketball's world governing body, and oversees the structuring and implementation of player-related benefit and insurance programs.

Prior to joining the NBA, Dan clerked for the Hon. Robert E. Cowen of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and worked in the litigation departments of the New York law firm of Paul, Weiss and the Philadelphia law firm of Ballard, Spahr. Dan is a graduate of Amherst College and Harvard Law School.

Garrison and the Philadelphia law firm of Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll. Rube received his B.A. from Amherst College in 1988 and his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1991.

Tom Russell
Genius Sports Group
Tom Russell is the General Counsel of Genius Sports Group with overall responsibility for the Group's legal function. He has extensive experience in sports and gambling law, having previously worked at global law firm DLA Piper where his clients included U.S. and European sports leagues as well as global sports betting operators.

Having joined Genius Sports Group in 2014, Tom has established himself as an expert voice on sports betting regulation, sports integrity and the commercialisation of official sports data. He is a regular contributor to a number of leading sports industry publications and has recently appeared on the Bloomberg Technology channel and before the New York Senate Standing Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering to discuss the dangers posed by illegal betting markets and the importance of integrity in sport.

Rand Sacks
The Sacks Group, PLLC
Rand Sacks founded The Sacks Group, PLLC in 2007. Mr. Sacks brings over twenty years of experience in his representation of athletes, broadcasters, coaches, celebrities, agents, as well as sports/entertainment events and properties. On a daily basis, Mr. Sacks drafts and negotiates numerous types of sports and entertainment contracts. These include professional sports team contracts for coaches and athletes, college coaching contracts, marketing and endorsement agreements, stadium/naming rights, team/event sponsorships, and TV/movie production and talent agreements.

Current clients include Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, Kyrie Irving, John Thompson III, Steve Young, David Ortiz, George Springer, Justin Turner, Greg Olsen, Emanuel Sanders, Jim Furyk, John Besh, Mike Isabella, Klutch Sports Group, The Legacy Agency, and Lagardere Unlimited.

Martin Schimke
Bird & Bird
Martin Schimke joined Bird & Bird in July 2004. He is an Of Counsel and a member of the firm's Sports Group and is a recognised expert in this area. In addition he has a certified specialisation in labour law.

The JUVE Handbook of German Commercial Law Firms identifies Martin as one of the "leading names" and one of the "most recommended lawyers" in the field of sports law. In 2009, he has been named as one of the World's Top 20 Most Influential Lawyers in the sports industry by magazine "SportBusiness International".

Martin is a former member of the German national basketball team and began his career advising athletes, sports associations and unions in amateur and professional sport at both national and international levels. He was a member of the Legal Committee and the Anti-Doping-Commission of the German Basketball Federation (DBB) as well as a member of the Arbitration Body of the German Professional Ice Hockey League (DEL).

Martin is the author of the practice handbook "Sportrecht" (Sports law). He has also published numerous articles on the legal issues surrounding sport. Currently, Martin is a lecturer in sports law, sports management and labour law at the University of Bochum and the "Hochschule Fresenius", Cologne.

Since 1999, Martin has been a member of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) / Tribunal Arbitral du Sport (TAS) in Lausanne. He was a member of the CAS Ad hoc Divisions at the Olympic Games 2012 in London and 2018 in PyoengChang.

For many years, he was the Chairman of the "Sports Law Commission of the Union Internationale des Avocats" (UIA), and a member of its Board of Directors. Finally, he is a member of the advisory board of the "Deutsche Vereinigung für Sportrecht" (DVSR) and the executive committee of the working group "Sportrecht" of the "Deutschen Anwaltverein" (DAV).

Ari Segal
Immortals
Ari Segal - President & Chief Operating Officer of Immortals, a global e-sports organization. Segal is responsible for all of Immortals' business operations, both at the holding company level and across all current and future titles in which the organization competes, including its new Los Angeles-based team in Activision Blizzard's Overwatch League.

Prior to joining Immortals, Segal served as Chief Operating Officer for the Arizona Coyotes (NHL). He was also Special Assistant to the CEO of the Anaheim Ducks (NHL) and led the launch of the San Diego Gulls, the Ducks' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, where he served as the Gulls' first President of Business Operations. Segal worked previously at McKinsey & Company in the firm's Global Sports & Gaming practice and on Wall Street at Lehman Brothers and CCMP Capital Advisors.

Bobby Sharma
President, Blue Devil Holdings LLC; Managing Partner, Electronic Sports Group
Bobby Sharma is President of Blue Devil Holdings, LLC, an international sports, media &entertainment investment and advisory company based in New York City. Focused onstrategic delivery of capital and expertise to high-growth assets, current BDH venturesinclude the development, partnership, and M&A of globally scalable properties, brands, andtechnologies across the U.S., Latin America, Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. Sharma isalso Managing Partner of Electronic Sports Group, an industry-leading esports advisory firm,and a founding member of NextGen Venture Partners, a network of young, accomplished angel investors that utilizes expertise, skills, and connections to help nurture and growportfolio companies.

From 2011 through 2015, Sharma was SVP, Global Head of Basketball & Strategic Initiatives at IMG, the premier international sports, fashion, and media company founded in 1960, with 3,500 employees operating in more than 30 countries. He led the growth of many IMG business interests around the world, including the creation, development, and management of basketball, soccer, and cricket properties — from grassroots programs and academies, to national teams and professional leagues.

Before joining IMG, Sharma served as VP & General Counsel of the NBA Development League for nearly a decade, helping lead the establishment of the National Basketball Association's first minor league. He had management responsibility for all league and team businesses, operations, and legal matters, including: franchises (administration, governance & expansion); sales (sponsorship, tickets & naming rights); media (broadcast, digital & social);marketing; licensing & merchandising; arenas; event operations; employment (front office, players, coaches & referees); anti-doping; and security. Sharma also led the creation of the NBA's first international league consulting business unit.

Sharma previously served on the presidential campaign staff of former U.S. Senator and Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Bradley, and practiced law in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and in New York City with Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP. He is a graduate of Duke University, Duke Law School, and the Harvard Business School executive program on the Business of Entertainment, Media & Sports.

Sara Slane
AGA
Sara Slane is the senior vice president of public affairs at the American Gaming Association (AGA). In this role, she oversees the AGA communications, government relations, ally development, research and campaign-style public affairs initiatives.

Slane has nearly 10 years of experience within the gaming industry, having previously spent the last eight years rising the ranks at MGM Resorts International.

She was featured on Global Gaming Business Magazine's "25 People to Watch" list in 2015.

Prior to joining the AGA, Slane was a vice president and spearheaded the lobbying effort and largest gaming referendum in the country that led to the successful awarding of licensure to MGM National Harbor. She won "Ballot Initiative Campaign of the Year" for her work in 2013 from the American Association of Political Consultants.

In addition, Slane has also worked at various trade associations in Washington, D.C., and as the director of finance for the successful campaign to elect Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto.

Slane is a graduate of Ohio University. She resides in Baltimore, Maryland with her two sons.

DeMaurice F. Smith
NFLPA
DeMaurice Fitzgerald Smith is the Executive Director of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA).

On August 4, 2011, Smith signed a 10-year Collective Bargaining Agreement with NFL management, leading the Players through the owners' 132-day lockout. The new CBA codifies new health and safety protocols for Players, achieved longer off-seasons, significantly reduces the amount of contact during practices, provides for unannounced inspections of training camps, creates the first compliance and accountability structure for NFL medical personnel, and provides the Players' with their highest share of TV contract revenues in history.

Prior to his post at the NFLPA, Smith served as a Partner in the law firms of Latham & Watkins, LLP and Patton Boggs, LLP, in Washington, D.C. where he represented corporations, boards of directors and senior executives in civil and criminal matters. Smith was an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Columbia and was Counsel to then-Deputy Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr.

Mr. Smith is a 1989 graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law and a 1985 graduate of Cedarville University.

Brian Socolow
Loeb & Loeb LLP
Brian R. Socolow is a partner in the New York office of Loeb & Loeb LLP. He focuses on the representation of players, teams, event owners, media companies, equipment manufacturers and others in the sports industry. Mr. Socolow has successfully represented sports companies in a wide range of transactional matters, including media negotiations and distribution agreements, sponsorships and endorsement agreements, trademark licenses, the purchase and sale of sports properties and operational matters for events, such as venue agreements and insurance matters. He has extensive experience litigating sports-related matters including a number of copyright and trademark matters, contractual disputes and technology matters.

Mr. Socolow has successfully developed a niche helping emerging sports negotiate media deals, license deals and other agreements enabling them to grow their sport and develop their brand. In addition to his sports practice, Mr. Socolow has extensive experience representing clients in a wide range of intellectual property, entertainment and complex commercial disputes in state and federal courts throughout the country.

Mr. Socolow received his J.D. from University of Virginia School of Law and his B.A., magna cum laude, from Yale University. He is admitted to practice in New York, Florida and Connecticut.

Naima Stevenson Starks
NCAA
Naima is the Managing Director of Academic & Membership Affairs / Deputy General Counsel for the NCAA and has been with the NCAA since May of 2006. Her responsibilities include management of litigation activities and providing counsel to various areas of the National Office and NCAA governance committees.

Prior to joining the NCAA, Naima was a Corporate and Securities Associate with the law firm of Arnold & Porter in Washington DC. While at Arnold & Porter, Naima advised a variety of corporations on the ever changing landscape in Securities regulations, assisted clients with raising equity in private equity transactions, and advised clients in various merger and acquisition transactions.

An experienced speaker and panelist, Naima has served as a panelist for the Sports Lawyers Association, National Association of College and University Attorneys, the Indiana Bar Association, and many colleges and universities.

Originally from Brooklyn New York, Naima is a graduate of the University of Maryland College Park, and received her law degree from Harvard Law School. Naima and her husband, Stephen Starks, are the proud parents of Aubrey Clinton and Ellery Grace Starks.

Nyea Sturman
Orlando Magic
Nyea Sturman is in her 13th season with the Orlando Magic and was named general counsel in April of 2014. Prior to this role, she spent almost two years as the assistant director of legal services and seven years in the Magic's corporate partnerships department, most recently as the partnership business manager, focusing on strategic planning, budgeting, market research, contract negotiation, and sweepstakes compliance. In her current role as general counsel, Sturman is responsible for overseeing the legal services department and providing counsel to the Orlando Magic (NBA), Lakeland Magic (NBA G League), Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL), and Magic Gaming (NBA 2K League).

Sturman graduated from Cornell University (B.S., Industrial and Labor Relations), the University of Oregon (M.B.A., Sports Business) and Marquette University Law School (J.D., Certificate in Sports Law), during which time she completed internships with the National Football League, Milwaukee Bucks and the Pettit National Ice Center. During her time at Marquette University Law School, Sturman also served as the executive editor of the Marquette Sports Law Review and the president of the Sports Law Society. She is admitted to practice in Florida, New York, and Wisconsin, and is a member of the Sports Lawyers Association (SLA), the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) and serves on the Advisory Board for the National Sports Law Institute and the Board of Directors for The Gift of Swimming and the Sports Business and Leadership Association.

Mike Tannenbaum
Miami Dolphins
Growing up in the Boston suburb of Needham, Mass., heavily entrenched with a love affair of all things Boston Celtics during their dominant era under the leadership of Red Auerbach, Mike Tannenbaum saw the impact a sports dynasty could make. At an early age, he marveled as Auerbach became a pioneer of modern basketball, emphasizing team play rather than individual performance. In college at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Tannenbaum again delved deep into the blueprint Bill Walsh had constructed as the San Francisco 49ers dominated the NFL during the 1980s. It was during his time at Tulane University Law School Tannenbaum solidified his drive to build one organization, a goal that drives him on a daily basis in his role as Miami Dolphins Executive Vice President, Football Operations.

"I want to build an organization with people who are selfless, who are willing to sacrifice part of what is in their own best interest for the greater good of the organization. There is nothing like winning," Tannenbaum said.

Tannenbaum began his career in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints in 1994 before accepting the position of player personnel assistant with the Cleveland Browns in 1995. He returned to the Saints for the 1996 season as a player personnel assistant prior to joining the New York Jets in 1997. Tannenbaum spent 16 seasons (1997-2012) in various roles for the Jets, including his final seven years (2006-12) as the team's executive vice president and general manager. During his time as general manager, the Jets advanced to the playoffs three times, won four playoff games and made two AFC Championship game appearances. Tannenbaum then went back to his roots as a sports lawyer, serving in 2013-14 as Priority Sports & Entertainment principal. There he honed relationships in the sports industry, setting a new caliber and showcasing his acumen for scouting talent in appointments of key clients David Blatt and Steve Kerr as Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors head coaches ahead of the 2014-15 season.

It was in New York that his path crossed with Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, where he was tapped to consult for the team in August 2014, followed by his appointment as executive vice president, football operations on Jan. 6, 2015.

In his role, Tannenbaum oversees and coordinates the effort of football operations and administration. He is most proud of his work and collaboration with General Manager Chris Grier and Head Coach Adam Gase, as well as other senior executives in implementing the philosophy of a championship caliber football team.

Tannenbaum has overhauled the Dolphins football operations. During the 2016 offseason, he helped orchestrate a trade of Miami's first-round draft pick (eighth overall) to Philadelphia, where the Dolphins moved back five selections and acquired linebacker Kiko Alonso and cornerback Byron Maxwell. The Dolphins used their first-round choice (13th overall) acquired in the trade to draft guard/tackle Laremy Tunsil. He also helped ink defensive end Cameron Wake to a contract extension. In his first full offseason with the Dolphins in 2015, Tannenbaum helped land one of the top unrestricted free agents in four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, while also signing another player with a Pro Bowl on his resume in tight end Jordan Cameron, to go along with trading for wide receiver Kenny Stills. He also was instrumental in signing Pro Bowl center Mike Pouncey and quarterback Ryan Tannehill to contract extensions.

True to his mentors, Tannenbaum has instituted revolutionary landmarks in line with Ross' drive for innovative, first-class business practices. These include the creation and implementation of a sport performance department, a roster overhaul for sustainability and proactive player wellness programs.

"I'm really proud of the fact that Stephen Ross gives us incredible resources. I think our player wellness and player care is second to none in the league in terms of our players feel like the environment here — from the food they eat to the practice fields — is best in class. And they're given every opportunity to prove and maximize their talents."

Outside of work, Mike and his wife, Michelle, remain true to their core values that education and knowledge will always pave a successful path. In keeping with these beliefs, they have instituted scholarship programs with his alma mater UMass and a New Jersey YMCA to afford young professionals the opportunity to pursue their passion without the burden of living expenses.

He uses his role with the Dolphins to guide future leaders, participating in numerous speeches within the industry. He is well vested at UMass, on hand several times throughout his evolving career to give advice and lend support to aspiring young professionals. Additionally, he sits on an advisory council at Tulane, tasked with creating opportunities for students in an evolving landscape, including virtual internships to enhance students' experience while embracing globalization.

Mike Tannenbaum brings his expertise, drive, vision and leadership to the Miami Dolphins with one goal: to create a winning organization that consistently competes for championships. "There's nothing like football; I think it's a microcosm of life. People have such disparate backgrounds yet we're all here because the one commonality we all have in this organization is we're intoxicated by winning."

Obadele Thompson
International Arbitration and Litigation
Obadele "Oba" Thompson is a former Olympic 100m medalist and three-time Olympian, who now practices international arbitration and litigation. He is also a published author and speaker. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obadele_Thompson

Daniel F. Van Woerkom
Dan is a registered NFL agent and licensed attorney with over 18 years of experience negotiating contracts and providing counsel to professional football players, college and NFL coaches, and others in the football industry. Dan serves as general counsel for Sun West Sports, one of the oldest sports agencies in the country, and practices law through his firm VW Legal Counsel located in Highland, Utah.

Dan also teaches Sports Law as an Adjunct Professor at J. Reuben Clark Law School (BYU) in Provo, Utah where he graduated in 1999, and where as an undergraduate he played offensive line for the BYU Cougars under legendary Head Coach LaVell Edwards and Offensive Line Coach Roger French.

Jon Velie
Velie Law Firm
Jon Velie has practiced law for twenty-one years and is internationally renowned in Immigration Law, Corporate Law and Litigation.

Jon has represented a World Series MVP, Super Bowl participant, 3 Wimbledon Champions, an NHL All-Star, a first round NBA draft-pick, many Olympic Gold Medallists an, Oscar Winner, and numerous World Champions and National Champions in a wide spectrum of sports and entertainment. In addition to helping many individuals, Jon has assisted major corporations, such as Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Lions, Edmonton Oilers, USA Rugby, Oklahoma University, HID Global, WTA Tour, Aspen Ski Company, Telluride Ski and Golf, Tyson Foods, Lucent's Bell Laboratories and many others. Jon secured the first "greencard" for a professional rugby player.

Jon has testified in court as an expert in immigration law and has authored expert letters and testified on immigration issues.

Jon has spoken at immigration seminars for the US Open (Tennis), Girl 2.0 Expo in Shanghai, China 2010, Sports Law Association Annual Conference, Aspen Ski Company, Telluride Ski Company and Lucent's Bell Laboratories.

Jon is the President of Velie Law Firm, winner of the 2014 International Business Award (The Gold Stevie) for Company of the Year-Legal, the 2014 American Business Award (Bronze Stevie) for Company of the Year-Legal and Accounting and the 2012 Business Excellence Award, Best Overall Small Business in the Americas.

Jon launched www.OnlineVisas.com, and awarded the American Bar Association's Louis M. Brown Legal Access to Justice Award and was declared an innovator in the legal industry. Jon is editor of www.ImmigrationMagazine.com.

Jon has briefed three cases to the US Supreme Court, has been featured in numerous publications including the New York Times, LA Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Le Monde, and London Times and featured on a segment of CBS 60 Minutes II.  Jon has been a regular guest speaker on US Immigration law on Dublin Ireland's afternoon radio show and spoken at US Congressional and agency panels.

Jon received his JD from the University of Oklahoma and BA from the University of California at Berkeley.  He was also a three time collegiate All-American and National Champion in rugby and was inducted into the Oklahoma Rugby Hall of Fame and is the Director of Oklahoma University Rugby. Jon operates the Velie Law Firm and works and lives in Norman, Oklahoma with his four children, Gabriella, John, Chloe and Samantha.

Norman Wain
USA Track & Field
General Counsel, Chief of Business Affairs Norman Wain arrived at USA Track & Field in July of 2010. Wain oversees the USATF legal department (negotiating all contracts, managing corporate governance, handling anti-doping matters, overseeing litigation and intellectual property, managing the Agent program, etc). The legal department works with USATF staff and Board of Directors, the Law and Legislation Committee, the Ethics Committee and various other committees and constituencies to advance the goals and initiatives of the organization and protect its general legal interests.

Before arriving at USATF, Wain worked as the Vice President - Corporate Legal Affairs at The Finish Line, Inc., a publicly traded, billion dollar, mall-based specialty retailer operating nearly 700 stores in 47 states across the country and online. Prior to Finish Line, he spent time in the business and legal affairs department at Writers & Artists Agency, Inc., a Los Angeles talent agency (subsequently acquired by Paradigm), and held stints at Fox Sports World and BigShot Films International. He also worked in private practice as a litigator in Santa Monica, Calif.

Wain has been an expert presenter at many national and international conferences and symposiums and serves on the board of directors of the Sports Lawyers Association and Law In Sport (a UK-based international sports law publication). He recently served two terms on the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) national board of directors. ACC is an international professional organization for in-house attorneys with 30,000+ members employed by over 10,000 organizations in more than 75 countries. Wain co-founded and served as the inaugural chair for the newly-formed ACC Sports & Entertainment Committee.

He also works as an adjunct professor teaching sports law at Indiana University, and he has been published on various sports law and corporate law topics. Wain graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of California-Berkeley in 1992 and received his J.D. degree from the Pepperdine University School of Law in 1996.

Robert Wallace, Jr.
Thompson Coburn LLP
As chairman of the Firm's Sports Law Group, Bob represents teams, prospective buyers of sports teams, companies interested in sports marketing and civic and government entities facing team relocation or facility issues.

He also assists players, coaches and executives with contract negotiations and separation agreements, and serves as an NFL-approved hearing officer for violations of the league's drug and conduct policies.

Bob has cultivated more than 30 years of experience in both the St. Louis business community and the national sports arena through his past executive and legal work for the Philadelphia Eagles and the St. Louis Football Cardinals.

He spent 16 years with the Rams, serving as the team's executive vice president and general counsel. During his 30-year career in professional football, Bob was one of the highest-ranking African-American club executives in the National Football League. He led the Rams' operations and business departments during two Super Bowl appearances, managed the team's $200 million budget and served as lead negotiator in the renaming of the Rams' stadium to the Edward Jones Dome.

Bob has taught sports law as an adjunct professor at both Washington University School of Law and Saint Louis University School of Law. He also wrote a weekly magazine column, "Business Philosophy," and has authored several other articles on sports law topics.

Laura Warren
DePaul University
Laura is the primary legal advisor to DePaul University's Athletics Department and provides advice and counsel on a host of athletics and risk management issues. Laura has advised on apparel, equipment, sponsorship and vendor contracts; athletic camp operations; broadcasting rights; media relations; conference realignment; coaching and employment matters; athletic facility operations; NCAA compliance and litigation; sports medicine; data privacy and security; and Title IX. Laura also serves as the Co-Chair of the American Bar Association's Sports Division and a board member for Girls in the Game, a non-profit association that educates underserved girls on sports, nutrition, and leadership. Prior to joining DePaul, Laura worked as a commercial litigation associate for the law firm of Sidley Austin LLP and served as a judicial clerk for United States District Court Judge Lee H. Rosenthal in Houston, Texas. Laura graduated with honors from the University of Chicago Law School.

Ross Wenzel
Kellerhals Carrard
Ross is a Partner in the sports law group of Kellerhals Carrard (Switzerland). His practice is exclusively dedicated to sports law, with a focus on doping and football-related disputes. He regularly represents clients before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and sports disciplinary bodies. Within a doping context, he has successfully represented WADA, the IOC, International Federations (including the IAAF, FINA and IWF) and National Anti-Doping Organisations in over 100 disputes. He also advises a number of sports organisations with respect to their commercial programmes and governance issues.

Maureen Weston
Pepperdine University School of Law
Professor of Law at Pepperdine University School of Law, Academic Co-Director of the University's Institute for Entertainment Media & Culture, and Director of the Entertainment, Media & Sports Law Project. Professor Weston teaches courses on arbitration, negotiation, international dispute resolution, legal ethics, and sports law. She serves as Faculty Advisor to the Sports & Entertainment Law Society and Dispute Resolution Journal, and coaches several student teams in International Mediation and Sports & Entertainment Law advocacy competitions. Weston has taught at the University of Oklahoma, University of Colorado, and in Oxford, England. Prior to teaching, Weston practiced law with Holme Roberts & Owen, and Faegre & Benson in Colorado. Weston received her law degree from the University of Colorado and B.A. in Economics & Political Science at University of Denver.

Weston is actively involved in programs furthering opportunities for students to gain experience in dispute resolution. Her committee service includes the ABA, Law School Division, Arbitration Competition, AALS Sports Law Executive Committee, and former chair for the ABA Dispute Resolution Education Committee and Mediation Competition. Board memberships include University of Colorado School of Law Alumni Board, CU Center for Sports Governance, National Sports Law Institute at Marquette School of Law, and Editorial Board of LawInSport. Weston is co-author of casebooks on sports law, arbitration, ADR, and has written numerous articles in the areas of Olympic and international sports arbitration, disability law, sports law, and dispute resolution.

Glenn Wong
Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Conner College of Law/ MAAC
Glenn M. Wong is the Executive Director of the Sports Law & Business Program at Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University (ASU). Professor Wong joined ASU Law in October 2015 as Distinguished Professor of Practice - Sports Law.

Wong has been on the Board of Directors of the Sports La wyers Association (SLA) since 1998 and has also been President of the organization. He is currently a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Board of Trustees. He was formerly a committee member with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) on its Diversity and Inclusion Committee (2015-16), Audit Committee (2013-14), and Constitution and Rules Committee (2009-12). Wong also served on the Board of Directors of the Phoenix Local Organizing Committee (2017 NCAA Final Four).

Wong is an arbitrator for the National Football League and the National Football League Players Association, the Court of Arbitration for Sports, and the American Arbitration Association. He works with Major League Baseball clubs on salary arbitration matters. He has also worked with other sports entities, including Sports Illustrated, Reebok, the National Collegiate Athlete Association, the United States Olympic Committee, U.S. Triathlon, U.S. Biathlon, and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

Wong was a faculty member at the University of Massachusetts from 1979-2015, and is now a Professor Emeritus. He was Department Head (1986-1997) of the nation's second oldest and most academically diverse Sport Management program. Wong was honored with awards at UMass for his exemplary service, including two Chancellor's Medals. He received the University's Distinguished Teaching Award in 2003, and also the Distinguished Teaching Award at the Isenberg School of Management (2013). Wong served as Interim Director of Athletics and then Acting Dean of the School of Physical Education at UMass in 1992-93. He was the UMass Faculty Athletics Representative to the National Collegiate Athletic Association from 1993-2013.

Wong was a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University Law School in the spring of 2014, and visiting faculty member in 2015, where he taught Sports Law. He is one of the original faculty members of the Sports Management Institute (1990-present).

Wong has authored several books and over 100 sport law articles and books, including the first sports law casebook. He is the author of Essentials of Sports Law, 4th Edition (2010) and The Comprehensive Guide to Careers in Sports, 2nd Edition (2012). His articles have appeared in various law review journals and other industry publications, including the Sports Business Journal, USA Today, the New York Times, and Law in Sport. Wong's most recent publication, General Counsels in Sports: An Analysis of the Responsibilities, Demographics, and Qualifications (2017), was published in the Arizona State University Sports and Entertainment Law Journal.

Wong is a frequent speaker, panelist, and moderator at professional organization meetings, sports law and business conferences, and law schools. He has spoken or moderated at, among others, the National Association of Collegiate Athletics Directors Convention, the Sports Lawyers Association Conference, the Stanford Graduate School of Business' Sports Innovation Conference, Stanford Law School's Law and Policy Review Symposium, Harvard Law School's Sports Law Symposium, and the Sports Business Journal's Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.

Wong received Bachelors of Arts degree in Economics and Sociology at Brandeis University, where he co-captained the basketball team, and a Juris Doctorate degree from Boston College Law School. He has received a distinguished alumnus award from Brandeis University, and is a member of the Massachusetts Bar.