What: 2010 St. Thomas University School of Law Spring Symposium

Where: St. Thomas University School of Law (map)

When: Saturday, March 13, 2010 (8:30 a.m. – 5:15 p.m.)

Cost: Click here to pre-register.
Pre-Registration/On-Site
STU Law Students             $15 / $20
STU Students                     $15 / $20
Law Students (Non STU)   $20 / $30
General Admission             $20 / $30
Attorneys for CLE              $30 / $40

Spring Symposium Time Line Breakdown:

8:15 am – 8:45 am CHECK IN, REGISTRATION, BREAKFAST

8:45 am – 8:55 am PANEL I (Moot Court) / OPENING STATEMENTS

General introductions made by ESLS and Board Moderators

9:00 am – 10:00 am PANEL II (A) / NCAA Athletics: More than a Deal

Panelist: Anthony Hernandez (UM Athletics), Jamie Israel (UM Compliance), Monique Garcia (FIU Compliance)

A discussion of college sports including sponsorships, compliance, and other forgotten issues facing players, coaches, and attorneys

9: 00 am – 10:00 am PANEL II (B) /Homegrown and Stable?:  A Look at Web Based Content

Panelist: Sira Veciana-Muncio (Sony Pictures Entertainment), Dainira Falk (Discovery Communications), Ernesto Luciano (Yahoo! Latin America)

The internet has become a facet of everyday life but how sustainable is the content created for the Web?  What will the future hold regarding the shelf life of content and for deals structured around that content?

10:15 am – 11:15 am PANEL III (A) / Community Development through Sports

Panelist: Derek Jackson (The Marlins), Nancy Olson (Florida Marlins Community Foundation), Latoya Williams (Orange Bowl Committee)

Community development through sports includes working with the community, local school districts, and business organizations to provide a service which can cut across cultural divides. A look at the positive effects local sports teams can have in terms of creating jobs, bringing revenue, and promoting local vendors through partnerships.

10:15 am – 11:15 am PANEL III (B) / Hollywood or Hollywood, FL: Film Making Florida

Panelist: Melissa Exposito (Exposito Law), Ruth Paul (Screen Actors Guild), Fred Moyse (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes)

Feature films and television have used South Florida as a backdrop for years.  What does the market look like currently?  What can be done locally to grow the industry? Discussion includes viewpoints from local attorneys, government, union officials, and production companies

11:30 am – 12:30 pm PANEL IV (A) Sports and Social Networking

Panelist: Johnny Williams (ProMotion Sports & Entertainment, LLC), Leslie Bauknight Nixon (Super Bowl Host Committee), Darren Heitner (Dynasty Athlete Representation)

Social networking’s explosive growth can be felt in all sectors of sports. A discussion of the legal influence or implications of Facebook, Twitter, My Space and other social networking tools on the four major professional leagues.

11:30 am – 12:30 pm PANEL IV (B) All the World’s a Stage: a Look at Theaters

Panelist: Louis Tertocha (Adrienne Arsht Center), Steven Eisenberg (Lipscomb, Brady & Bobadilla), Jeff John (Revolution Live)

Examining the issues dealing with venues; union issues, performance rights, insurance issues and the viability of managing theaters here in South Florida

12:30 pm – 1:30 pm LUNCH

1:45 pm – 2:15 pm KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Marc Stollman (S2BN Entertainment)

2:30 pm – 3:30 pm PANEL V (A): The Future of the Sports Business

Panelist: Jason Weiss (Arnstein & Lehr LLP), Jaime Vining (Lott & Friedland)

Possible Panelist: Kim Kolback (Kimberly Kolback, Esq.)

A discussion on the developing trends in contract negotiations, licensing, and IP rights tied to sports.

2:30 pm – 3:30 pm PANEL V (B): 360 and Beyond: The Future of Negotiations in Music

Panelist: Richard Wolfe (Ehrenstein Charbonneau Calderin), Marc Stollman (S2BN Entertainment), David Bercuson (David Bercuson, P.A.)

Declining album sales and a changing industry has given rise to the “360 Deal” which encompass taking a financial stake from the artist on all revenue points.  Is this the future?  What are other ways to survive the downturn in music profits?

3:45 pm – 4:15 pm CLOSING PANEL: Looking for a Client who is Looking for You

Panelist: Stephen Carlisle (Stephen M. Carlisle, P.L.), Darren Heitner (Dynasty Athlete Representation), Leslie Bauknight Nixon (Super Bowl Host Committee)

When seeking talent what are some pitfalls for an attorney to avoid?  What should they look for?  What are some of the murky ethical areas when courting potential clients?

4:15 – 5:15 pm RECEPTION

What: DePaul University College of Law Sports Law Symposium: Sports and the Great Recession

When: Friday, February 12, 2010 (check-in = 8-9 a.m.)

Where: University Center at DePaul University (map)

Panels will explore how the recent economic downturn has affected sports leagues and teams, and how it will affect them going forward.

9:00 A.M. – 10:20 A.M. – Leagues and Venues Panel

• Moderator: Michael Jacobs, Distinguished Research Professor, DePaul University College of Law
• Natara Holloway – Director of Corporate Development, National Football League
• Jon LeCrone – Commissioner, Horizon League
• Brad Traviolia – Deputy Commissioner, CFO and COO, Big Ten Conference

10:30 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. – Teams Panel

• Moderator: Howard Rubin, Associate Professor/Associate Dean, DePaul University College of Law
• Gabrielle Dow – Vice President of Marketing, Baltimore Ravens
• Martin Greenberg – Member, Greenberg & Hoeschen, LLC
• Mike Lufrano – Senior V.P., Community Affairs/General Counsel, Chicago Cubs
• John Mack – Senior Associate Athletic Director, Northwestern University
• Marti Wronski – Vice President, General Counsel, Milwaukee Brewers

1:00 – 2:30 P.M. – Academic Panel

• Moderator: Bill Savage, Senior Lecturer, Northwestern University
• Michael McCann – Associate Professor, Vermont Law School/Legal Analyst, Sports Illustrated
• Matthew Parlow – Associate Professor, Marquette University Law School
• Geoffrey Rapp – Associate Professor, University of Toledo Law School

Cost (Registration Form):

• DePaul College of Law Students & Faculty: Free
• Other DePaul (Non-Law School) Students, Faculty, Staff: $15.00
• Non-DePaul Law School Students: $20.00
• DePaul College of Law Alumni: $30.00
• General Attendee (CLE Credit pending): $60.00

Yesterday, SportsBusiness Journal released its annual 50 most influential people in sports business list.  Baseball tied Football with locking up the most slots (8 for each), Jacques Rogge (President of the International Olympic Committee) was ranked #1, and six agent types/groups were listed.

#26 – George Pyne (President of IMG Sports & Entertainment)

#32 – Casey Wasserman (Chairman and CEO of Wasserman Media Group)

#37 – Michael Levine / Howard Nuchow (Co-Heads of CAA Sports)

#38 – Scott Boras (The Scott Boras Corp.)

#44 - Tom Condon / Ben Dogra (Co-Heads of CAA Football)

#47 – Rick Dudley / Phil de Picciotto (Presidents at Octagon)

Interesting fact: Casey Wasserman (@CaseyWasserman) is the only person listed above who has a Twitter account and somewhat regularly tweets.

Sports Business

• A job very well done by Red Bull [Red Bull's Project X = Sports Marketing Idea of the Year].
• Maybe not the world just yet, but starting off at the high school level is a good strategy [Can Under Armour, IMG Take the World By Storm?].
• St-Pierre t0 serve as the face of Under Armour’s Underwear [Under Armour signs UFC champ Georges St-Pierre to multi-year endorsement deal].
• I actually just yesterday had this discussion with somebody [End of the Day, Live Events Make Sports, Brands, King…].

Baseball

• A little baseball trademark law conversation [Wide world of ‘Series’].

Football

• No sense of urgency on the part of the owners [League rejects "lock-in" bargaining proposal].
• A two-paragraph statement that included no explanation – bothers me [Bryant loses final appeal].

Basketball

• BJ Armstrong answers a few questions while promoting the launch of Windows 7 [An Interview with BJ Armstrong].

Sports Business

• “Take the opportunity to meet as many people as you can.” [Sports leaders explain the key to success]
• A sign that lacrosse is growing in the U.S.? [MLL, NLL lacrosse star John Glynn signs with agent Matthew Norfolk]

Baseball

• Even if they don’t make it in baseball, they may make some good money off of the rights fees [Story Of Indian Pitchers Bought By Sony].
• All because of a misunderstanding [Sports Law Blog's Joe Rosen Signs Red Sox Reliever Hideki Okajima as Client].
• That Vernon Wells contract… [Bad Contract Swap Meet].
• A great read for players, parents, scouts, and advisors [Showcases Have Turned Baseball Into A Year-Round Sport].

Football

• Keep your mouth shut and your tweeting at bay [The Cost of Larry Johnson’s Gay Slur on Twitter: $213,000].
• The UFL vs. CFL portion is a good read [Sports Agent Corner: UFL vs CFL, “Runners”, and the Stay-or-Go Debate].

Also, one last note.  Buffalo Wild Wings is hosting a cool contest.  Register to win a roster spot to play in an exclusive football game at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, this spring.  You can register at any Buffalo Wild Wings location through November 8 (no purchase is required). The winners will be selected November 18 and will receive round-trip airfare and hotel accommodation for the February 13 game, among other prizes. The winners will be split into two teams and given celebrity coaches (ESPN’s Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg) and captains (Jerome “The Bus” Bettis and Marshall Faulk).

They also want me to share a coupon with you, which is good until November 1 (yeah, not much time to use it).  You can print this page (there is a button to do that on the top of this post), to use the coupon.

Bosh, who is known to be an avid user of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, and has operated his own YouTube channel since 2007, was looking to expand his web presence with his own site. He then learned that someone had beaten him to the punch and had already registered his name, chrisbosh.com. He settled for chris-bosh.com, but chose to pursue legal action to retrieve his domain.

Bosh’s legal counsel, Winston & Strawn LLP, was able to track down the owner of chrisbosh.com, Luis Zavala. Zavala’s company, Hoopology.com was displaying ads using Bosh’s name to generate revenue without Bosh’s knowledge or consent. Zavala also had registered over 800 domain names of NBA players as well as international, college and high school athletes, with the intention of selling them back to the athletes at a premium, a practice known as “cybersquatting.” It was determined that Zavala was in violation of the Federal Anti-Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act, and as a result of Zavala failing to show in court, Judge Florence-Marie Cooper awarded Bosh the rights to chrisbosh.com as well as $120,000 in damages. As a means to recover some of the damages, Bosh was also awarded all of the domain names registered to Zavala.

Bosh is offering to return all the domain names to their rightful owners, free of charge, through his web media firm: Max Deal Technologies. Max Deal is a web design, marketing and consulting company that “offers web design and technology consulting to clients who demand to stay current with the fast paced world of online communication.”

Ever the entrepreneur, Bosh stated, “I am thrilled that I am able to offer the return of these domain names to a host of other athletes and celebrities whose names were cybersquatted. I will offer the return of the domain names free of charge, but I’d also love the opportunity to show their owners how Max Deal can help.”

Not only does Chris Bosh retrieve your domain name from individuals looking to illegally profit from it, but he returns it to you free of charge and then offers you advice on what to do with your newly rescued domain. However, we have to assume that Max Deal’s advice will not be free of charge.

You can view a list of all 800+ domain names turned over to Chris Bosh here.

The entire Q&A segment may be read by clicking here.  Below is one question and answer provided free of charge.

3. In what ways can other sports marketing companies turn their blogs into business opportunities?

Many aspects of the sports industry are closed off to a large segment of the worldwide population.  And unsurprisingly, there are a lot of people hungry for more knowledge about what goes on behind the scenes in the business of sports.  People do not only reserve an interest about sports agents, sports law, and sports business, which are the three areas we cover the most at SportsAgentBlog.com.  Unfortunately, no matter how many Sports Management classes you take in school, you will leave unsatisfied and with a desire to learn more.

Sports marketing companies can benefit from adopting a model based on openness and transparency.  It will allow them greater access to potential innovative interns, spur additional relationships with members of other companies who come across the blog, strengthen the company’s image as a knowledgeable source within its niche, and bounce ideas off of its readers, who end up being the consumers of the produced marketing material.

One of the biggest weekends of the year in Gainesville, FL.  While Tennessee looked pretty weak against UCLA, the Gators should never take them for granted.  HHR looks at arguments for both teams.  Happy Rosh Hashanah to all my Jewish people!  Leigh Steinberg will be on the new Jewish Sports Hall of Fame of Northern California Wall of Fame.  How about my client, Pete Parise?  He has appeared in all 5 of the AAA Memphis Redbirds postseason games, racking up 4 saves in the process without giving up a single run.  I’m just a little excited about that.  Here are some stories I missed over the past week:

Baseball

• Another great piece by Doug Glanville.  He is turning out to be an excellent writer [Keeping It Real].

Football

• Tank Black tells his story for the first time [Tanked!].
• A football agent’s life, month by month [The agent cycle].
• Jake Delhomme isn’t losing his endorsement deals anytime soon [He can throw; can he pitch?].
• Put a client on a practice squad before sending him to the Browns? Harsh [Sources: Agents steering players away from Browns].
• The Patriots were the driving force behind the 5-year maximum length of rookie contracts drafted #17-32 overall [Patriots’ role in altered CBA ‘clarified’].

Entertainment

• He’s playing an agent on a show girls love [Interview with Robert Buckley, The New Ladies' Man on 'One Tree Hill'].

Sports Business

• From the geek at the sports network to the cool guy at the business network [Darren Rovell: CNBC’s Multi-Beat, Multi-Platform Game-Changer].

Sports Business

• ESPN should start taking notes [The SportsStream Comes To SBNation].
• Makes sense to stick with a brand you have been using your entire life [Phelps Re-Signs With Speedo Through 2013].
• Good tips on preserving and protecting your clients’ wealth [Play Ball! Estate Planning for Professional Athletes].

Football

• Is the LFL living up to its hype? [Lingerie Football Sizzles in Season Opener]
• Ever wonder why so many players get injured near the end of the preseason? [Injury Settlements for Waived Players]
• Peter Schaffer, definitely wearing his lawyer hat [Quinn arrested after confrontation].
• Anyone want the Flacco Family Feast? [Flacco's potential as pitchman grows with on-field success]

Baseball

• The internet has done wonders for fan access to information and players’ ability to communicate with fans and other players [A Whole New Game].

Basketball

• You don’t have to be against “education” to be against “one-and-done” [Would amateur reform and a return to Frosh ineligibility help?].

Hockey

• We will have to continue to wait and see whether the court believes paying creditors off is worth more than heeding the unanimous vote of NHL owners [Judge says Balsillie should reconsider deadline].

Baseball

• Regarding the Mets moving 75 prospects from Florida to the Dominican Republic [Mets Say Moving Prospects Is About Sense, Not Money].
• A great piece to show all of your baseball clients, no matter what level they are at [Psychological issues are no longer taboo].
• Why first round picks should think long and hard before deciding to reject a team’s final offer [Always A Gamble].

Football

• A quiet and easy agreement made without the use of an agent [Williams signs with Dolphins through '10].
• Philip Rivers signed a very nice looking contract [Under the Cap: 2004 QB Class Cashes In].

Sports Business

• For now, everybody is in a holding pattern [Sports Agent Donald Dell Says Sponsorship Will Recover in 2010].