Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP) has announced that Douglas Mishkin, formerly senior counsel at the National Football League, has joined the firm as a partner in its global Sports & Entertainment Group. He will be based in the firm’s New York office.
Mishkin brings with him “a unique skillset across transactional, regulatory and policy matters,” according to the firm. “Over the course of his six-year tenure at the NFL, he was responsible for structuring, drafting and negotiating contracts across a variety of NFL business units (including Football Operations, Consumer Products and Club Business Development) and overseeing the League’s commercial policies.”
When the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was overturned in May 2018, Mishkin became the lead attorney for the League’s gambling-related commercial activities, handling the NFL’s first-ever casino sponsorship, daily fantasy sports sponsorship, official sports betting data and live video distribution deals, slot machine license, Approved Sportsbook Operator agreements, and numerous sportsbook sponsorships (domestic and international).” In addition to handling the League’s gambling and sports betting commercial transactions, Mishkin also supported Government Affairs in their sports betting advocacy and legislative drafting initiatives, advised the NFL’s member clubs on structuring their sportsbook partnerships, and was instrumental in shaping the League’s post-PASPA gambling policies, according to the firm. As the League’s primary contact on all commercial policy matters, he also advised and counseled NFL clubs in connection with their partnerships across various emerging categories, including sports betting market access deals and blockchain digital asset sponsorships.
Prior to the NFL, Mishkin worked in Las Vegas as SVP, Legal and Business Affairs of Metric Gaming, an international sports betting technology, software and services company. In that role, he was responsible for the company’s legal and regulatory matters, including securing the company’s first gambling license, and handling a variety of licensing and investment transactions with global iGaming and sports betting operators. He started his career as a litigator in the New York office of Willkie Farr & Gallagher.
“We are thrilled to welcome Doug to the BCLP Sports & Entertainment Group,” said Ryan Davis, the group’s co-chair. “His unique and broad experience with the NFL and in advising all of its teams, along with his specialized legal experience in gaming, sports betting and other emerging categories, will provide tremendous value to our clients across the sports and entertainment industry. His insights and knowledge on these trending issues within the sports industry will play a key role in the continued growth of our global practice, and his experience will be particularly valuable to our significant group of existing professional sports team clients, which include 31 NHL teams, over 20 Premier League, La Liga, Championship and other international football clubs across seven countries and various MLB, MLS, NBA and NFL teams.”
