This was written today as part of Darren Rovell’s post on his ESPN Sports Business blog:

IMG announced on Tuesday that it received a temporary restraining order against former employee Bill Henkel. The company says Henkel violated his employment contract by soliciting clients to leave the agency to come with his new sports marketing business. Among the court documents filed in Cuyahoga County (Ohio), IMG says it has an affidavit from IMG client LaDainian Tomlinson that supports the firm’s claims that Henkel was working for the San Diego Chargers running back on the side. Henkel marketed IMG clients from 1988 until he left in November 2005. Henkel’s employment contract stipulated he could not contact IMG clients for two years.

We just happened to spotlight Agent David Dunn yesterday and coincidentally, both Mr. Dunn and Bill Henkel are being accused for making the same stupid move. This should further prove that it is just not worth it to try to steal clients away from other agencies (especially past employers/partners!!!). If you cannot succeed on your own and convince unique players to sign with you, then it is either in your interest to stay with the company that you have been successful with, or find a new profession.

This article at CBS Sportsline delves a little further into this issue with Bill Henkel.

[tags]bill henkel, img, espn, tomlinson, sports agent[/tags]