Sports law attorney Ronald Gaither has joined the Atlanta office of BakerHostetler as a partner in the Litigation Group and the Sports and Entertainment Industry team.
For the past 10 years, Gaither has served as outside litigation counsel for the Atlanta Braves. He comes to the firm from Schiff Hardin.
Gaither focuses his practice on assisting facility owners with matters related to stadium financing, naming rights agreements, labor and employment, internal investigations, intellectual property, litigation, licensing and sponsorship agreements, and real estate transactions. From organizing multimillion-dollar financing of new stadiums to handling delicate internal investigations of alleged player misconduct, he represents sports franchises through all facets of stadium operations and issues arising from day-to-day management of sports teams, according to the firm.
“Ron’s reputation for successfully handling complex matters for sports and entertainment organizations precedes him,” said Ray Whitman, chair of the Litigation Group. “He’s known as a go-to attorney for his wealth of experience in this industry. We’re excited to add someone with his depth of skills and knowledge to our team.”
Gregory D. Lee, leader of the Sports and Entertainment Industry team, added that Gaither “has a multidimensional understanding of the business model unique to professional sports owners. He understands the challenges, complexities and opportunities facing leagues, teams and team owners, and brings solid business strategies to help them meet their short- and long-term goals. We couldn’t be more excited Ron has chosen to join our team.”
Gaither, a graduate of Vanderbilt Law School (2001), characterized joining the firm as “the right fit for me personally.”
Gaither is a decorated soldier, having served in the United States Air Force in Desert Storm and Desert Shield. He currently serves on an advisory board dedicated to eliminating homelessness for veterans of war.
