Sports

Overview

Arent Fox’s sports practice is one of the most experienced in the United States. We serve as counsel to various professional teams, including the Washington Wizards, the Charlotte Bobcats and the New Jersey Nets NBA franchises as well as the Tampa Bay Rays MLB franchise, the Washington Capitals NHL franchise, the Washington Mystics WNBA franchise and the DC United MLS franchise. Arent Fox also has advised numerous purchasers and sellers of professional football, basketball, hockey and soccer teams.

Arenas and Stadiums

We have significant experience in the acquisition, development and operation of arenas and stadiums. For example:

• Barclays Center. Arent Fox served as counsel to Brooklyn Arena LLC and the NJ Nets in connection with the development of the new sports and entertainment facility to be known as the Barclays Center, including sponsorships, suite licensing, the food and beverage/concession agreement, and miscellaneous arena-related matters.
• Verizon Center. We served as counsel in the acquisition and development of the Verizon Center (formerly MCI Center), the downtown DC sports arena that is home to the Washington Wizards, the Washington Mystics, the Washington Capitals and the Georgetown Hoyas. In addition, we continue to advise on all facets of the Verizon Center’s operation, including suite licensing, food and beverage agreements, sponsorship and promotional agreements, signage agreements, leasing and advertising, concert promotion, entertainment and sports-related employment, and labor agreements and contracts.
• Time Warner Cable Arena. The firm served as counsel in the development and leasing of the Time Warner Cable Arena, located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the home of the Charlotte Bobcats. We continue to advise on the operations of the Time Warner Cable Arena.
• MLS stadium in Philadelphia. The firm represents the developer/ operator of a new state-of-the-art, 20,000-seat waterfront stadium and entertainment complex in Pennsylvania, which will be the home of the new Philadelphia MLS franchise.
• Other arenas, stadiums and sports facilities. Arent Fox was involved in the development and construction of several other professional sports facilities as well as numerous smaller stadiums, arenas and related projects for soccer teams, minor league baseball teams, minor league hockey teams, colleges and universities. They include:
  • Camden Yards (Baltimore Orioles)
  • Ravens Stadium (Baltimore Ravens)
  • Qualcomm Park (San Diego Padres)
  • Miller Park (Milwaukee Brewers)

Naming Rights and Sponsorships

Arent Fox has extensive experience in naming rights transactions and sponsorship transactions. Representative transactions include:

• Barclays Center. We represented Brooklyn Arena LLC and the NJ Nets in connection with the Barclays Center naming rights transaction, the largest arena naming rights and team sponsorship transaction in the history of sports and entertainment.
• Time Warner Cable Arena. The firm represented the Charlotte Bobcats in connection with the Time Warner Cable Center arena naming rights and the team sponsorship transaction.
• MCI Center/Verizon Center. We represented the Washington Wizards and DC Arena LP in connection with the initial MCI Center naming rights transaction, the renaming of the MCI Center to the Verizon Center, and with various sponsorship agreements, advertising agreements and promotional agreements.
• Alltech. Arent Fox represented Alltech in connection with the title sponsorship agreement for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian GamesTM, to be held in Lexington, Kentucky, the largest equestrian sporting event ever held in the United States.
• DC United. Arent Fox advises the DC United in connection with certain sponsorship transactions.
• PPL EnergyPlus. Arent Fox represented PPL EnergyPlus in the naming rights and sponsorship transaction pursuant to which PPL EnergyPlus became the primary sponsor of the new Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise Philadelphia Union and holder of the naming rights for the stadium located in Chester, Pennsylvania to be known as PPL Park opening during the 2010 MLS Season.

Team Financing and Arena and Stadium Financing

Our lawyers have extensive experience in financings relating to the acquisitions of professional sports teams and the development of arenas and stadiums as well as the refinancing of existing arenas, stadiums and teams through public and private means. We also have extensive experience in the negotiation of conventional and league-wide financings for professional sports teams. Several examples include financings and refinancings of the Verizon Center and the Washington Wizards and of the Charlotte Bobcats. Other related capabilities include personal seat licenses, public/private lease arrangements and bond financings.

Labor and Employment

Arent Fox negotiates players’ contracts, coaches’ contracts, key executive contracts and contracts for related sports personnel as well as provides counsel on salary caps, collective bargaining agreements and other labor issues. We also provide services related to grievances, arbitration and litigation. Our experience with labor and employment matters includes:

• Washington Wizards and Washington Mystics. Arent Fox represents the Washington Wizards and the Washington Mystics in the preparation and negotiation of various player, coaching and front-office executive contracts, player trades, interpretation of the collective bargaining agreements, salary cap analysis, and related NBA and WNBA matters. In addition, we represented the Washington Wizards in the employment-related transactions with Michael Jordan appointing him as president of basketball operations and subsequently transitioning him to serve as a player for the Washington Wizards.
• DC United. The firm represents the DC United in connection with player contracts and related matters.
• Charlotte Bobcats. We advise the Charlotte Bobcats on employment issues and prepared and negotiated all of the initial employment contracts with the management of the team, including the coach and general manager.

Acquisitions and Sales of Sports Franchises

Our lawyers have significant experience advising on the acquisition and sale of sports franchises. Representations include:

• Washington Sports & Entertainment Limited Partnership in connection with the sale of the Washington Capitals and a minority percentage of Washington Sports & Entertainment Limited Partnership
• Charlotte Bobcats in connection with its acquisition of the Charlotte Bobcats NBA franchise and the Charlotte Sting WNBA franchise
• Current owners of the Tampa Bay Rays in connection with their acquisition of a controlling interest in this MLB franchise

Sports Media and Technology

Arent Fox provides counsel on the negotiation, implementation and regulation of media arrangements involving the Internet and related media providers. We also advise on traditional communications arrangements with network and cable TV and radio broadcasts and licensing and syndication of broadband Internet programming. Our sports media and technology representations include:

• America Online in the negotiation of the marketing arrangement among America Online, the National Football League and CBS-Sportsline
• America Online in the negotiation of the marketing arrangement among American Online, NASCAR and Turner Sports
• Charlotte Bobcats in the negotiation of an exclusive media rights agreement with Fox Sports
• Washington Wizards in the negotiation of broadcast agreements for radio and television broadcasts
• Charlotte Bobcats in the development of a regional sports network and an entertainment company for non-basketball-related events