Insights on Sports

ArentFox Schiff is pleased to announce that Richard L. Brand, leader of the firm’s Sports Industry Group and managing partner of the San Francisco office, has been named Sports Partner of the Year at the 2026 IFLR Americas Awards.

ArentFox Schiff is pleased to announce that it has represented multiple NBA franchises in a series of significant media rights and distribution agreements that are reshaping how fans access live professional basketball content across traditional television, and digital platforms.

ArentFox Schiff is pleased to announce that San Francisco Managing Partner and Sports Industry Group Leader Richard Brand has been named among Daily Journal’s Top 100 Lawyers for the fifth consecutive year and sixth time overall, recognizing his continued excellence in sports law and leadership on some of the industry’s most significant sports, real estate, and corporate transactions.

ArentFox Schiff is pleased to announce that Richard L. Brand and the firm’s Sports Industry Group have been shortlisted for two honors at the 2026 IFLR Americas Awards.

ArentFox Schiff is representing Arte Moreno and the Moreno family in connection with the pending sale of the Los Angeles Angels Baseball Club.

ArentFox Schiff partners Richard Brand and Zak Welsh have been named to The Hollywood Reporter’s 2026 “Top Sports Lawyers” list, which recognizes select attorneys for their work on some of the most significant matters in the sports industry.

ArentFox Schiff is pleased to announce that 125 attorneys have been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America 2027, with two attorneys highlighted as “Lawyers of the Year” and 36 attorneys listed as “Ones to Watch.”

ArentFox Schiff Sports Industry Co-Leader Richard Brand was featured by Law360 Real Estate Authority in its special report examining the interplay between sports and real estate development.

ArentFox Schiff Associate Becky Darin Goldberg will speak at the 2026 FSGA Summer Conference in Philadelphia on July 9, 2026.

ArentFox Schiff served as outside counsel to New York City FC and CFG Stadium Group, LLC, the owner and operator of Etihad Park, in a stadium license transaction with the National Women’s Soccer League’s (NWSL) two-time and reigning league champion Gotham FC that provides for the club’s relocation to Etihad Park in Queens, NY, beginning with the 2028 NWSL season.

ArentFox Schiff is pleased to announce that 23 practices and 81 attorneys have been recognized by The Legal 500 United States 2026 guide.

ArentFox Schiff is pleased to announce that 68 attorneys were recognized as leaders in their field and 25 practices spanning the firm’s litigation, regulatory, and transactional capabilities, as well as key industries, were ranked among the best in the country in the 2026 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.

ArentFox Schiff represented Chicago Fire FC in a multiyear naming rights and sponsorship transaction.

ArentFox Schiff served as legal counsel to the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in the transaction awarding its 18th franchise to the City of Columbus. The team will debut in 2028, alongside the 17th expansion team in Atlanta.

San Francisco Managing Partner Richard Brand will speak on a panel at the American College of Investment Counsel’s 2026 Spring Investment Forum in Chicago on April 23, 2026.

San Francisco Managing Partner and Sports Industry Group Co-Leader Richard Brand will serve as a panel moderator at the 3rd Annual Santa Clara Sports Law Conference on March 27, 2026.

San Francisco Managing Partner and Sports Industry Group Co-Leader Richard Brand will be speaking at the 11th Annual Berkeley Law Sports & Entertainment Conference on March 12, 2026, at the UC Berkeley Faculty Club.

ArentFox Schiff’s Sports Industry Group had a banner year, continuing its industry-leading sports work while closing numerous historic deals.

ArentFox Schiff is pleased to announce that the firm’s Sports Industry Group has been named a Law360 “Practice Group of the Year” in the Sports & Betting category.

ArentFox Schiff served as legal counsel to the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) for the transaction awarding its 17th franchise to the City of Atlanta.

ArentFox Schiff represented The Los Angeles Lakers — a long-time firm client — and the Buss family in connection with the sale of a majority ownership interest in The Los Angeles Lakers, Inc. by Mark Walter. The transaction closed on October 30, 2025, following unanimous approval from the NBA Board of Governors.

AI, Metaverse & Blockchain Co-Leader Danielle Bulger will be a featured speaker at the 2025 BESLA Conference, joining industry leaders for a dynamic discussion entitled, Code, Content, and Consequences: The New Challenges AI Presents in Entertainment & Advertising. This timely panel will delve into the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on the creative and advertising sectors, examining both the opportunities and risks that AI brings to the forefront.

ArentFox Schiff (AFS) recently advised GAME 7, a multi-platform sports and entertainment brand co-founded by New York Rangers legend and NHL Hall of Fame inductee Mark Messier, in a historic jersey patch sponsorship transaction with Madison Square Garden Sports Corp.

ArentFox Schiff is pleased to announce that San Francisco Managing Partner and Sports Practice Co-Leader Richard Brand has been named among Daily Journal’s “Top 100 Lawyers” for the fourth year in a row and fifth time overall for his continuing impact on the legal profession.

ArentFox Schiff is pleased to announce that 132 attorneys have been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America 2026, with two attorneys highlighted as “Lawyers of the Year” and 66 attorneys listed as “Ones to Watch.”