The Sports and Recreation Law Association, the country’s leading association of sports law professors who teach outside of a law school setting, is ahead of the game as far its planning is concerned for its annual spring conference.
The organization confirmed that the keynote address for the conference, which will be held March 4-7, 2015 in Charlotte, N.C., will feature three general counsels from professional sports teams in in that state. In alphabetical order, the trio includes:
Joe Pierce, Vice President & General Counsel of Hornets Sports & Entertainment. Pierce, who joined the Hornets in October 2013, is responsible for providing legal counsel and advice to its various departments, in addition to handling the organization’s risk management functions, including insurance and litigation matters. He also oversees the negotiating, drafting and reviewing of the company’s legal agreements in areas throughout the scope of its business.
Richard Thigpen General Counsel Carolina Panthers. Thigpen, who joined the Panthers in July of 1997, is involved in all aspects of the business, including contract negotiations and drafting, governmental affairs, trademark issues and employment matters. He has served as a board member and chair of the Council for the Sports and Entertainment Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association, board member of the Sports Lawyers Association, and has been an adjunct professor at Charlotte School of Law.
Billy Traurig Sr. Vice President and General Counsel Carolina Hurricanes. Traurig is responsible for managing all legal matters for the Hurricanes and PNC Arena and serves as a legal consultant to the organization’s affiliated entities as well as the liaison between the organization and its outside counsel. He is actively involved in government relations and directs the Hurricanes’ lobbying efforts. Traurig serves as Chair of the Sports & Entertainment Law section of the North Carolina Bar Association. He is also a member of the Sports Lawyers Association and the Sports & Entertainment Law division of the American Bar Association. Those wishing to attend or sponsor the conference, which is being hosted by Winthrop University, should visit the following link for contact information: http://www.srlaconference.com/
