By Ellen Rugeley
After a contentious stadium-approval process, the Minnesota Vikings have retained the Minneapolis-based law firm of Briggs and Morgan to represent the franchise during the stadium design and construction process.
While Briggs and Morgan is the city’s fourth-largest law firm with more than 185 attorneys, it is the work of attorneys in the firm’s Sports Industry Practice Group, who caught the eye of the Vikings.
That group has worked with the NFL, NHL and MLB, addressing a variety of matters related to sponsorship agreements, intellectual property protection and enforcement, employment and benefits, and broadcast agreements. They have also represented professional sports facility operators, owners and teams, and have experience in the development and operation of professional sports facilities. The firm has represented a central member in the development of every professional sports stadium in Minnesota over the last 30 years, including the Metrodome, Target Center, Xcel Energy Center and Target Field.
The team leaders are as follows: Brian Wenger, Michael Grimes, Steven Ryan and Paul Tietz. They will provide legal support to the Vikings alongside Joseph Leccese, sports law expert and chairman of New York-based Proskauer Rose; Jim Cema, the team’s senior project manager; Vikings Vice President of Legal Affairs Kevin Warren and the rest of the club’s stadium development team.
Brian Wenger, Chair of Briggs and Morgan and Co-Chair of the firm’s Sports Industry Practice Group, has represented many professional sports teams throughout his more than 20 years of practice. He has served as the lead counsel for the Pohlad family, owners of the Minnesota Twins, for the last 15 years, and as lead counsel for the Naegele family, former owners of the Minnesota Wild. He also led the negotiating and legal team for the sale of the Wild to Craig Leipold and his investors, and has continued to provide legal counsel to the Wild after the sale. Wenger also advises the Tampa Bay Lightning on ownership structure, financing and related approvals from the NHL. Wenger’s advice is also solicited by other professional teams and owners.
Michael Grimes, who serves as Co-Chair of the Sports Industry Practice Group and M&A Practice Group Chair, has served as outside general counsel to the Twins since 1991. During this time he has been involved in the development sponsorship for all revenue source and ancillary contracts for Target Field. He also provides ongoing representation for the 2012-2014 $80 million development and construction renovation of Hammond Stadium- the Minnesota Twins’ Spring Training Facility in Fort Meyers, Florida- and its ancillary facilities.
Steven Ryan, Commercial Department Chair, served as lead counsel to the Twins, LLC and Twins Ballpark, LLC in connection with the issuance of an aggregate $210 million in project revenue bonds used to finance the development and construction of the 40,000-seat Target Field which opened in 2010.
Paul Tietz, Public Finance Practice Group Chair, has been representing clients in connection with sports facilities since 1995. He represented the Ogden Corporation, the lessee and manager of the Target Center – home of the Minnesota Timberwolves — in 1995 in connection with the acquisition of the Target Center by the City of Minneapolis. Since then, he has represented other various lessee/mangers of the Target Center, including SFX Entertainment, Clear Channel, Midwest Entertainment Group and AEG Entertainment.
Briggs and Morgan is ranked among The NLJ 250 as one of the nation’s largest firms. The firm is also a founding member – and exclusive member firm for Minnesota – of Lex Mundi, the world’s leading association of independent law firms with 160 premier firms in more than 120 countries with more than 21,000 lawyers.
