There are dozens of firms around the country, who have been practicing sports law for decades, maintaining their existing client relationships and then cultivating new ones.
And then there’s DLA Piper. Unlike the other firms, DLA Piper built its reputation for excellence in the field with a slightly different recipe.
Possessor of a strong entertainment law practice, DLA Piper brought in key pieces, namely Co-Chair of Global Sports, Media and Entertainment Group Peter C. White and Partner Frank W. Ryan, last year to lay a foundation for its sports, media and entertainment law group. But the real impetus for the growth in DLA Piper’s sports, media and entertainment law practice may have been the advances in technology and a myriad of accompanying legal challenges as a result of the overlap between these sectors.
Today, those clients, which include sports leagues, bodies and teams, media, Internet and entertainment companies, organizers of Olympic and world events, corporate sponsors, advertisers, financiers, developers, investors and other commercial parties, rely heavily on the firm for advice on variety of matters:
— broadcast and media rights sales;
— IP protection and licensing;
— mergers and acquisitions;
— disputes and controversies;
— development of and compliance with international and domestic regulations relating to sports competition;
— development and financing of stadiums and arenas; and
— other finance and transactional matters.
Recognizing this, Sports Litigation Alert recently sat down with White and Ryan to discuss the firm’s practice and its future plans for growth.
Frank, as I understand it, you are the top litigation guy in the sports law practice. Tell me specifically a little bit about your practice?
Frank Ryan: Most of my litigation practice is sports-based – ranging from intellectual property and media-related issues to fair-use issues, trademark, copyright and sports-related contract issues. It is all very broad from a litigation perspective.
How has the Internet affected the practice?
Ryan: A fair number of the matters we have are Internet-related – from live sport streaming issues to global infringements of intellectual property rights. The Internet has had a MAJOR impact on our practice and more importantly on our clients’ business.
Peter, tell me about the sports law practice at DLA Piper? What are some of the area within sports law that the firm provides expertise?
Peter White: We are in a position to connect interested parties both inside and outside the industry.This kind of global information flow is what makes DLA Piper. In the UK, we have Europe’s #1 sports and media firm and we represent the Barclays Premier League. We handle all media broadcast deals and commercial rights globally. It has created a great platform that has spread throughout Europe and elsewhere.
We created this truly integrated global group, the likes of which doesn’t exist elsewhere, that benefits from a global platform with focus on the sports legal sector – although there are a tremendous amount of synergies between sports law and entertainment. We are hired for our collective industry knowledge and our knack for bringing people together, capitalizing on our collaborative expertise all around the world.
We are covering all of the sub-centers within these industry sectors from finance to litigation – including media rights, IP protection, sponsorships, etc. We’re playing in traffic, and we’re seizing on opportunities, and it really has taken a hold.
Frank, with such a broad swath of clients, how do you handle potential conflicts when approached by prospective clients?
Ryan: Good communication. It is still not without its challenges. But as long as you stay on your toes and communicate with each other, you’re fine.
Peter, tell us about the role of white papers within the practice?
White: We feel like we are thought leaders in some areas of sports law, whether we transmit that one-on-one to the client or as a white paper. I think every situation is unique. We think our knowledge has a value. Whether we deliver analysis to a client or send out a white paper to a group for marketing purposes, we just try to be smart about it. Suffice it to say, Frank and I are very conscious about the evolution of media and sports and entertainment – how things are changing rapidly and how those changes are fostering new business models.
What are the long-term goals of the practice?
White: We would like to grow our collegiate practice. There’s a fair amount of money coming through college sports world these days, and it truly is a business.
We’re also focused on the emerging markets such as Brazil, India, Mexico, China, and Russia. We would like to continue to grow our media expertise within the U.S.
If you look at India and Brazil, you can foresee a lot of market growth in the future. In China and India, as well, the demographics are quite staggering. The middle class has a disposable income, and we are keeping our eyes open to their influence.
Overall, we are focused on all new forms of media, and always trying to capitalize on new opportunities, far in advance of when they come to fruition.
Why should prospective clients consider you? What separates your firm from others?
White: Our strengths are that we’re creative, solution-oriented, and we don’t take ourselves too seriously. Lawyers are somewhat fungible. But we are striving to be knowledgeable in every aspect of the industry, and think like business-people. In fact, the firm has a fairly entrepreneurial trait in its DNA.
As the largest law firm in the world, we also have the advantage of offices nearly every major market, and the attorneys that live in these markets are not only strongly acquainted with regional culture and local political structures and business scenes, but they are solid practitioners. Such seamless global collaboration – across the 71 locations in which we are based – enables us to be more nimble and responsive to sports industry clients across the globe.
