Sports & Entertainment Practice Honored by ‘Sports Business Journal’

BCLP’s global Sports & Entertainment Practice was featured Oct. 25 by the Sports Business Journal as one of the country’s top outside counsel Power Players. 

The publication featured the best outside counsel in the sports and entertainment industry across a range of work. BCLP’s practice was specifically noted for representation around naming rights and sponsorship, arbitration, finance, and work for leagues and national governing bodies.

Noted by name were group Co-Leaders Ryan Davis and Steve Smith, and Partners Richard Young and Chris Schmidt.

“BCLP is led by Davis and Smith in the naming rights and sponsorship practice, which has handled over $4.5 billion in deals, including SoFi Stadium and Citi Field,” SBJ reported. “Smith and Young are leaders in the Olympic and anti-doping movements, representing the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, over 20 national governing bodies and six international federations. Young was principal draftsman of the World Anti-Doping Code and subsequent amendments, and lead prosecutor in numerous high-profile cases in the Olympic movement. In the firm’s sports disputes practice, Schmidt leads representation of the NCAA in BCLP’s role as national coordinating counsel, overseeing the defense of more than 500 class actions. Young has appeared before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in precedent-setting cases, and Smith has appeared before both CAS and the American Arbitration Association in many disputes.”

BCLP is recognized internationally as a leader in sports and entertainment law. It is one of only two law firms in the world recognized by Chambers, a directory of the most widely recommended law firms and lawyers with rankings based on client input, as having one of the leading sports practices in both the United States and the United Kingdom. Chambers commented that the Sports Practice “offers the best possible client service.” In addition, the firm has been named law firm of the year in various markets eight times since 2004, with hundreds of clients across multiple sports and around the world relying on the group’s lawyers to help grow their businesses, protect their interests and compete.

BCLP offers clients the unique experience and relationships of Sports & Entertainment Group members spanning the United States, the United Kingdom and across Europe, Asia and the Middle East, practicing in a variety of transactional, litigation, regulatory, real estate and financial institutions practice groups.