Sports and Entertainment
The sports and entertainment industry is a fast-paced, high-stakes arena in a constantly evolving world, one where experience and connections matter. Clients demand nimble, creative solutions tailored to the particular challenge at hand.
Our firm represents a collection of international sport associations, athletic teams, players, and executives on a wide variety of complex sports and entertainment matters. On behalf of international sporting clients, we have established the proper legal structure to ensure proper operation in the United States, advised on the development of corporate strategy and best practices, and have worked to locate the best athletes, entertainers, and partners in the industry to support their brand. We negotiate complex digital intellectual property rights as well as the terms and execution of live celebrity events, taking care to effectively manage proper compliance with US and international law. In addition, gaming industry associations and corporations routinely turn to us for counsel as to the regulatory implications of virtual currency.
Through our work, we have developed relationships with professional league offices, preeminent sports agencies, and industry leaders alike, earning a reputation for pragmatic and nimble thinking and forthrightness in the field. Our experience in this space is complemented by our vast network of international contacts built over the decades working on a multitude of cross-border corporate, litigation, and financial compliance matters.
In the News
On March 2, 2023, the US government published a multi-agency notice setting forth red flags and warning of enhanced enforcement efforts related to third-party intermediary evasion of US Russia-related sanctions and export controls. The Financial Times subsequently reported that a senior Treasury official stated that the UAE was a “country of focus” for US investigators.
March 2023Tim Taylor KC, named to Legal 500's Private Practice Powerlist for Arbitration in the Middle East, sat down to chat about the most impressive arbitration he's worked on as counsel, how disputes differ between London and the Middle East, and more.
Legal 500, March 2023- Tim Taylor KC joins LBKM as partner in the Middle East, further expanding the firm’s robust offerings in the region
Lewis Baach Kaufmann Middlemiss has added international arbitration and dispute resolution leader, Tim Taylor KC, as a partner. Mr. Taylor will reside in Doha and Dubai, further expanding the firm’s growing footprint in the Middle East.
February 2023 Aisha Bembry, managing partner of LBKM's Washington office, was featured in Law.com's "How I Made It" series.
Law.com, November 8, 2022OFAC, banking regulators and criminal enforcement authorities agree: there are big cases to be made in the crypto space. The latest example is OFAC’s October 2022 sanctions enforcement action against crypto-trading platform Bittrex, Inc.
October 19, 2022- New engagements in the region include World Cup kick-off event in Qatar.
In recent weeks, LBKM’s Middle East practice group expanded its reach to help launch a large-scale, multi-day event in Qatar to kick off the World Cup 2022. As part of these efforts, LBKM’s Sports and Entertainment group led negotiations with various talent agencies and third parties, managing myriad legal and logistical issues to bring together such public figures as Trevor Noah of The Daily Show; Jalen Rose and David Jacoby of ESPN; and NBA Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady. The event served to promote cross-cultural understanding and demonstrate the ways in which sports and entertainment can be used to bridge cultural divides and effect social change.
December 1, 2021 Lewis Baach Kaufmann Middlemiss PLLC is pleased to announce that John Moscow has been named to the 2021 New York Super Lawyers list. Each year, no more than five percent of the lawyers in each state are selected to receive this honor. In addition, A. Mackenna White has been named to the 2021 New York Rising Stars list. Each year, no more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state are selected to receive this honor.
September 30, 2021Eric Lewis was quoted in a Wall Street Journal article on the shifting culture of American gymnastics in the wake of abuse allegations and criminal charges.
The Wall Street Journal, April 18, 2021Eric Lewis appeared on Corporate Counsel Business Journal's daily podcast, In House Warrior, to discuss extradition, OFAC sanctions, and what to expect from the Biden administration.
In House Warrior podcast, March 18, 2021How will reopening efforts and the protracted nature of COVID-19 affect international commercial contracts that are governed by New York law?
Law360, October 9, 2020Lewis Baach Kaufmann Middlemiss PLLC is pleased to announce that three of its lawyers have been named to the 2020 New York Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists.
September 29, 2020'Looking forward from this improbable ninth week of shutdown, I believe that litigation is about to enter another sea change,' writes Eric Lewis, a senior partner at litigation boutique Lewis Baach Kaufmann Middlemiss.
AmLaw Litigation Daily, May 21, 2020Lewis Baach Kaufmann Middlemiss PLLC is pleased to announce that three of its lawyers have been named to the 2020 Washington, DC Super Lawyers list. Each year, no more than five percent of the lawyers in each state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor.
April 17, 2020Six LBKM professionals have been selected to the 2019 New York and Washington, DC Super Lawyers lists - an honor limited to 5 percent of the lawyers in each state. In addition, one LBKM professional has been selected to the 2019 New York Rising Stars list.
October 2019LBKM partner Waleed Nassar has been recognized as a 2019 “Equality Trailblazer” by the National Law Journal in its inaugural list of top lawyers who serve as “agents of change” and have made an impact on equality through new legal strategies or innovative court cases.
September 3, 2019Recent brain studies investigating CTE create uncertainty for defendants and their insurers
Insurance Day, January 31, 2018Criminals are opportunists. They like money. There’s a ton of money in college basketball. And, as evidenced by the federal criminal charges against 10 people, including four Division I NCAA men’s basketball assistant coaches and a senior executive at a major athletic apparel company, no one seems to keep a particularly close eye on that money — and pots of unsupervised money create attractive opportunities.
Sports Business Journal, January 15, 2018
Publications, Presentations & Events
A. Katherine Toomey gave a presentation on U.S. "sunshine laws" at the International Business Law Consortium Annual General Meeting, held September 30–October 1, 2021.
September 30, 2021As the suicide of U.S. Olympics gymnastics coach John Geddert, and the sexual abuse suit against previous coach Don Peters, reverberate across the globe, it will be all too easy for governing bodies to again dismiss the abuse allegations as isolated incidents.
ESPN, March 16, 2021- November 2016