Steve Smith, Managing Partner of BCLP’s Colorado Springs Office and Co-Chair of the firm’s Sports and Entertainment Practice Group, has been appointed co-chair of the Media Law Resource Center’s (MLRC) newly created Sports Committee. The MLRC is a New York-based membership association for content providers and distributors and their lawyers. The new MLRC Sports Committee will focus on the intersection between sports, media and the First Amendment.
Smith’s practice focuses on sports law, including naming rights, sponsorships, licensing agreements, stadium operations, television and media contracts, and representing leagues and National Governing Bodies. He has been recognized as a “Leader in His Field” for Sports Law by Chambers USA 2011.
Specifically, Smith has advised, and negotiated on behalf of, both corporate sponsors and sports properties on all aspects of naming rights agreements. The total value of those agreements is approximately $2.7 billion. Representative deals include SoFi Stadium, Las Vegas Stadium, Progressive Field (Cleveland), Oracle Arena (Oakland), Gesa Field (Washington State University), Ameriquest Field (Arlington, TX), Qwest Field (Seattle), the 02 (London), Honda Center (Anaheim), Bank of America Stadium (Carolina), Qwest Arena (Boise) and TD Ameritrade Park (Omaha).
In addition, he has completed sponsorship and licensing agreements valued in excess of $4 billion. Smith has advised VISA, USG, and Progressive Insurance on general sponsorship matters. He also represented Ameriquest in its sponsorship of the Super Bowl Halftime Show, several major league baseball teams and the California Speedway. Smith has also been heavily involved in sponsorships with National Governing Bodies, including USA Swimming’s sponsorships with AT&T, BMW and Marriott, as well as U.S. Speedskating’s deals with Verizon and The Colbert Nation.
A central part of Smith’s practice includes advising clients on contracts involving stadium operations, such as ticketing, concessions, pouring rights, advertising, and television.
He currently represents a number of leagues, such as the Pacific Coast League of Professional Baseball Clubs and the Florida State League of Professional Baseball Clubs, as well as International Federations and National Governing Bodies in the Olympic movement. Smith regularly advises clients on athlete eligibility matters, agreements for use of athlete images, team selection, sponsorships and licensing agreements, event agreements, television and other media deals, protection of intellectual property, and general issues of corporate law.
