The Sports Lawyers Association (SLA) will be hosting its 36th Annual Conference in Phoenix from May 20 to 22, 2010, at the J.W. Marriott Desert Ridge. Co-sponsored by Tulane Law School and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld L.L.P., the three-day conference will address current and diverse legal topics in sports law, and will feature panels, individual presentations, breakout sessions, and social events with some of the sports law field’s most elite players. Moderators and panelists scheduled to participate include general counsel for major league teams, law school deans and professors, and sports attorneys.
The conference is geared toward professionals of all roles in the sports industry. Expected attendees include attorneys, agents, professional sports teams and leagues, players associations, stadium personnel, students and professors of sports law, and educators. Discounted rates are available for law students and law educators.
After the opening remarks, set to be delivered by 2010 Annual Conference Chair Robert Hacker (vice president of Business and Legal Affairs at Fox Sports in Los Angeles), the first day of the conference will feature an overview of recent legal developments in sports. This will be followed by panel discussions on topics such as Managing Legal Risks, Strategies, and Opportunities for Your Athlete, Brand, and IP in Social Media, as well as client counseling in crisis situations.
Day two of the conference kicks off with several panel discussions, followed by a luncheon featuring this year’s speaker Jerry Colangelo, Chairman of the Phoenix Suns.
Panel topics include: Ethics: When is a “Sports Lawyer” Not a Lawyer?; Facilities 101: The Negotiation of Stadium and Arena Leases, Naming Rights and Concessionaire Agreements, and the Fundamentals of Facility Financing; NFLPA Certified Contract Advisor Session; Motorsports Law 2010, and; Flying Solo? Regulation for Individual Athlete Sports. After the luncheon, there are a variety of breakout sessions available in the afternoon. The afternoon’s breakout sessions include topics covering the Vancouver Olympics, the American Needle case, immigration, global sports, budget cutbacks, and coaching contracts.
The third and final day of the conference begins with invited speakers from the NFLPA, NBPA, NHLPA, and MLBPA, followed by the General Counsel’s Forum. The conference wraps up with the panel: Breaking Into the Sports Law Industry. Those who wish to attend only this final panel may register for it separately from the conference.
The SLA has over 1,100 current members and is a nonprofit, international, professional organization dedicated to “the understanding, advancement and ethical practice of sports law.”
To register and for more information on the 36th Annual Conference, please visit http://www.sportslaw.org/conferences/2010_conf_preliminary_brochure.pdf.
