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Covington has extensive experience and broad expertise in helping professional sports leagues, college conferences, franchises, and other sports-related entities navigate the unique antitrust issues that they face. In deciding the locations of its franchises, or the rules for admitting new owners, or the terms of employment for its players, or how to license its intellectual property, a sports league — unlike other business entities — must take into account the potential for antitrust challenge by opportunistic adversaries.
For many years and for numerous sports clients including the NFL, NBA, and NHL, among others, Covington antitrust lawyers have addressed these issues. We defend our clients against antitrust challenges in courts across the country. We also advise on the formation and structuring of leagues and other sports entities; on major sports-related transactions, including media deals and franchise purchases; and on licensing and other business operations.
Representative Matters
- Brady v. NFL. Successfully defended the National Football League against an antitrust challenge to the 2010 player lock-out
- American Needle v. NFL and Dang v. NFL. Class action and direct antitrust challenges to the NFL’s collective licensing practices.
- Spira v. IAAF. Won dismissal of challenge to international rules governing footwear used during sanctioned track events.
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