2016 Spring Symposium: Big Business of the Big Game

JBIPL

The Journal of Business and Intellectual Property Law (JBIPL) will focus on a variety of sports law issues at its spring symposium, “The Big Business of the Big Game,” scheduled for 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 5, in the Worrell Professional Center, Room 1312. The event is free and open to the public. CLE credit from the North Carolina State Bar is pending approval.

Large sporting events such as the Super Bowl, NCAA March Madness and the Olympic Games can draw millions of viewers. For the organizations that put on these events and others, sports events aren’t just a form of entertainment, they are a business.

“This symposium brings together academics and practicing attorneys to discuss the business and legal challenges faced by sports organizations.,” says Jaime Garcia, Symposium Editor. “Though there are some unique aspects to sports law, ultimately this symposium seeks to highlight the many ways in which running a sports organization is like running any other business.”

The symposium will address diverse topics including intellectual property (IP) and media rights, the changing nature of college athletics, the many roles of sports agents and the important distinctions between domestic and international laws. The symposium is sponsored by Kilpatrick Townsend.

This symposium was inspired and organized under the guidance of Executive Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Timothy Davis, one the country’s best-known sports law scholars. He serves on the Review Board for the United States Anti-Doping Agency and is a member of the Board of Advisors for the National Sports Law Institute.

Speakers include:

Matthew B. Efird, Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A.
Glen D. Nager, Jones Day
Tim Bellamy, Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel at Zuffa, LLC dba the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
Ben Tario, Atlantic Coast Conference
Erik Albright, Smith Moore Leatherwood, LLP
Nathan Siegel, Levin Sullivan Koch & Schulz, LLP
Marc Edelman, Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College, City University of New York
Matthew Mitten, National Sports Law Institute, Marquette University Law School
Ivan Soto, Executive Director, Arena Football League Players Union
Dominic Jones, Executive Vice President, Arena Football League Players Union
Nathaniel Grow, Terry College of Business, University of Georgia
Dionne Koller, University of Baltimore School of Law
Steve Silver, McBreen & Kopko / The Legal Blitz
Amanda Siegrist, Coastal Carolina University / KMG Sports Management
Mason P. Ashe, Ashe Sports & Entertainment Consulting, Inc.
Jodi S. Balsam, Brooklyn Law School

Panel schedule, details, and topics are as follows:

(8:30 – 8:55 AM) Introduction and Opening Remarks

Timothy Davis, Executive Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, John W. & Ruth H. Turnage Professor of Law, Wake Forest University School of Law | National Sports Law Institute

(9:00 – 10:15 AM) IP Licensing, Sponsorship, and Advertisements
This panel seeks to explore the legal and business challenges involved in licensing a team’s IP as well as using advertising and sponsorships to generate revenue. Particularly, this panel may highlight the differences between licensing IP in unionized vs. non-unionized sports.
Panelists:

Matthew B. Efird, Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A.
Glen D. Nager, Jones Day
Tim Bellamy, Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel at Zuffa, LLC d/b/a the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)

(10:30 – 11:45 AM) The Business of Collegiate Sports
This panel will highlight the changing nature of collegiate athletics, focusing on the ways, if any, in which colleges are now faced with concerns that might traditionally affect a professional sports team. Hot topics in this area include anti-trust issues, the employee status of college athletes and more.
Panelists:

Erik Albright, Smith Moore Leatherwood, LLP
Nathan Siegel, Levin Sullivan Koch & Schulz, LLP
Marc Edelman, Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College, City University of New York
Matthew Mitten, National Sports Law Institute, Marquette University Law School

(11:45 AM – 12:45 PM) Lunch Breach and Keynote Address

Ivan F. Soto, Executive Director, Arena Football League Players Union

(12:45 – 2:00 PM) The Wide World of Sports Agents
This panel will explore some of the lesser-known aspects of agency relationships in sports. While many people are familiar with agents who represent athletes, franchises may employ agents in a variety of capacities, including in the often overlooked business-to-business setting.
Panelists:

Amanda Siegrist, Coastal Carolina University | KMG Sports Management
Mason P. Ashe, Ashe Sports & Entertainment Consulting, Inc.
Jodi S. Balsam, Brooklyn Law School
Dominic Jones, Executive Vice President, Arena Football League Players Union

(2:15 – 3:30 PM) National Pastimes in the International Arena
Sports which may have once been confined to a domestic audience are increasingly finding an international audience as well. This panel will underscore the challenges and opportunities of navigating differing and even conflicting rules and regulations put forth by different countries and governing bodies.
Panelists:

Nathaniel Grow, Terry College of Business, University of Georgia
Dionne Koller, University of Baltimore School of Law
Steve Silver, McBreen & Kopko | The Legal Blitz

Learn more about the Journal of Business and Intellectual Property Law here.