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SLA Annual Conference 2017
The SLA Annual Conference is designed for attorneys, agents and other representatives of professional athletes, professional sports teams and leagues, players associations, stadium and arena authorities, and operators, amateur sports and intercollegiate organizations, students and professors of sports law; educators; and all others generally interested in the field of sports law.
Program
WEDNESDAY, MAY 17
1:30 pm - 5:30 pm
Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Arbitrators & Mediators Seminar
This Wednesday CAS session is only open to CAS Arbitrators and Mediators and registration for this Seminar should be handled directly through CAS. Should CAS Seminar attendees wish to also attend the SLA Annual Conference, Melissa Pomerene, SLA Deputy Executive Director (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), can assist CAS members with SLA Conference registration.
THURSDAY, MAY 18 - CONFERENCE
COMMENCEMENT
9:00 am - 6:15 pm
Registration
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Networking Reception & New Members Reception
Sponsored by 
12:15 pm - 12:25 pm
SLA 2017 Annual Conference Welcome
Matt Mitten, SLA President
Professor of Law and Executive Director, National Sports Law Institute,
Marquette University Law School, Milwaukee, WI
Arbitrator, Court of Arbitration for Sport
12:25 pm - 12:30 pm
Opening Remarks
Jeffrey B. Gewirtz, 2017 Annual Conference Chair
Executive Vice President of Business Affairs and Chief Legal &
Administrative Officer, Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, Brooklyn, NY
W. Drew Hawkins
Managing Director, Head of Global Sports & Entertainment, Morgan
Stanley Wealth Management, Washington DC
12:30 pm - 2:00 pm
An Overview of Recent Legal Developments in Sports
Gabe Feldman
Paul and Abram B. Barron Professor of Law, Tulane Law School
Director, Tulane Sports Law Program
Associate Provost for NCAA Compliance, Tulane University
Mediator/Arbitrator, MAPS, New Orleans, LA
Matt Mitten, SLA President
Professor of Law and Director, National Sports Law Institute,
Marquette University Law School, Milwaukee, WI
Arbitrator, Court of Arbitration for Sport
2:00 pm - 3:15 pm
Global Sport Anti-Doping Update
Moderator
Maidie Oliveau
Counsel, Arent Fox LLP, Los Angeles, CA
Panelists
Travis T. Tygart
CEO, US Anti-Doping Agency, Colorado Springs, CO
Howard L. Jacobs
Law Offices of Howard L. Jacobs, Westlake Village, CA
Michael Lenard
Vice President, International Council of Arbitration for Sport, Los Angeles, CA
Richard H. McLaren, O.C.
Professor, Western University, Ontario, Canada
3:15 pm - 3:30 pm
Refreshment Break
Sponsored by 
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
NCAA and Conference Governance and Institutional Control: Who has jurisdiction?
Moderator
Donald Remy
NCAA, Indianapolis, IN
Panelists
Philip P. DiStefano
Chancellor, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
Kevin Sweeney
Vice Chair, Corporate & Transactional Group, Polsinelli PC, Kansas City, MO
5:00 pm - 6:15 pm
New Models for Sports TV Distribution: Respect the Fine Print
Moderator
Bobby Hacker
Attorney at Law, Marina Del Rey, CA
Panelists
Richard L. Brand
Partner and Chair, Sports Practice Group, Arent Fox LLP,
San Francisco, CA (Managing Partner) & Washington, DC
Senior Legal Counsel - Twitter Live, Twitter, Inc., San Francisco, CA
Jennifer Flynn
Senior Vice President - Business, MLB Advanced Media, New York, NY
Brett T. Goodman
General Counsel, NBC Sports Group, Stamford, CT
6:15 pm - 7:15 pm
Opening Reception
Sponsored by 
FRIDAY, MAY 19 - CONFERENCE
7:30 am - 5:00 pm
Registration
7:30 am - 8:30 am
Continental Breakfast (all attendees)
Sponsored by 
7:30 am - 8:30 am
New Member Breakfast
Sponsored by 
7:30 am - 8:30 am
Outreach Captains' Continental Breakfast (by invite only)
8:30 am - 10:30 am
Turning and Turning in the Widening Gyre: The Ethical Conundrums of Sports Practice
Co-Moderators
Jodi S. Balsam
Associate Professor of Clinical Law, Brooklyn Law School, Brooklyn, NY
Robert A. DuPuy
Partner, Foley & Lardner LLP, New York, NY
Panelists
Keith P. Carroll
Member and Chair, Sports Law Group, Mintz Levin, Boston, MA
Jennifer Duberstein
Business Affairs Executive, CAA Sports, New York, NY
Jayma M. Meyer
Counsel, Simpson Thatcher & Bartlett LLP
Visiting Clinical Professor, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Naima Stevenson
Deputy General Counsel, NCAA, Indianapolis, IN
10:30 am - 10:45 am
Refreshment Break
Sponsored by 
10:45 am - 12:00 pm
TMZ Posted What!? Sports Crisis Management in the Age of Social Media
Moderator
Debbie L. Spander
Senior Vice President, Broadcasting & Coaching, Wasserman Media
Group, Los Angeles, CA
Panelists
Joby Branion
CEO, Vanguard Sports Group, Los Angeles, CA
Gregg E. Clifton
Principal and Co-Leader, Collegiate & Professional Sports Practice
Group, Jackson Lewis P.C., Phoenix, AZ
David Cornwell
Consultant, NFL, New York, NY
Denise White
CEO, Entertainers & Athletes Group, El Segundo, CA
OR
GOOAAALLLL! Futbol and the World Legal Order
Moderator
Jeffrey G.. Benz
JAMS and CAS Arbitrator & Mediator, Los Angeles, CA
Panelists
Michele Bernasconi
Partner, Bär & Karrer (UEFA outside counsel), Zurich, Switzerland
Alvaro García-Alamán de la Calle
Counsel, Real Madrid Club de Fútbol, City of Madrid, Spain
Richard Motzkin
Executive Vice President, Wasserman Media Group, Los Angeles, CA
Anna Peniche
Legal Director, Liga MX, Mexico City, Mexico
12:15 pm - 1:30 pm
SLA Luncheon
Moderator
Matt Mitten, SLA President
Professor of Law and Executive Director, National Sports Law Institute,
Marquette University Law School, Milwaukee, WI
Arbitrator, Court of Arbitration for Sport
- SLA 2017 Philanthropy Initiative
- SLA 2017 Michael Weiner Sports Lawyers Association Award of Excellence
Presented to:
Scott Blackmun
Chief Executive Officer
United States Olympic Committee - SLA 2017 Fifth Annual Law Student Writing Competition Awards
(first, second, and third place winners to be announced)
1:45 pm - 3:45 pm
NFLPA Certified Contract Advisor Session
(only for certified contract advisors)
Panelists
Tom DePaso
General Counsel, NFLPA, Washington, DC
Joe Briggs
Public Policy Counsel, NFLPA
Mark Levin
Director of Salary Cap and Agent Administration, NFLPA
Ned Ehrlich
Associate General Counsel, NFLPA
Athelia N. Doggette
Assistant Director of Salary Cap and Agent Administration, NFLPA
OR
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Update: Recent Developments in Procedure and Disputes Involving the Olympic Games, Soccer, Doping and Sport Governance
Panelists
Matthieu Reeb
Secretary General, Court of Arbitration for Sport, Lausanne, Switzerland
Michael Lenard
Vice President, International Council of Arbitration for Sport,
Los Angeles, CA
Brent Nowicki
Legal Counsel, Court of Arbitration for Sport, Lausanne, Switzerland
Jeffrey G. Benz
JAMS and CAS Arbitrator & Mediator, Los Angeles, CA
Paul Greene
Partner, Global Sports Advocates, LLC, Portland, ME
Matt Mitten
Professor of Law and Executive Director, National Sports Law Institute, Marquette University Law School, Milwaukee, WI; CAS Arbitrator
Ross Wenzel
Partner, Kellerhais Carrard, Lausanne, Switzerland
1:45 pm - 2:45 pm
eSports Legal update
Panelists
Bryce Blum
Founder, ESG Law; Executive Vice President, Catalyst Sports & Media, Seattle, WA
Scott Rosner
Practice Professor, Legal Studies and Business Ethics Dept., The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
2:45 pm - 3:45 pm
Combat Sports: MMA and Boxing Legal & Regulatory Developments
Moderator
Kenneth L. Shropshire
David W. Hauck Professor, Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics, Professor of Africana Studies, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania; Director, Wharton Sports Business Initiative (WSBI), Philadelphia, PA
Panelists
Wm. Hunter Campbell
General Counsel, UFC, Las Vegas, NV
Justin E. Klein
Partner, Robinson Brog P.C., New York, NY
Nicholas Lembo
Deputy Attorney General for New Jersey and Counsel to the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, Trenton, NJ
3:45 pm - 4:00 pm
Refreshment Break
Sponsored by 
4:00 pm - 4:55 pm
Breakout Sessions #1
SESSION A Team & Venue Acquisitions and Financings
Moderator
Poonam Patidar
Member, Mintz Levin, Boston, MA
Panelists
Chuck Baker
Partner and Co-Chair, Sports Industry Group, O'Melveny & Myers LLP, New York, NY
Randy Campbell
Executive Director, Morgan Stanley, New York, NY
Maureen A. Hanlon
Partner, Hogan Lovells US LLP, New York, NY
Kevin R. Schulz
Partner & Co-Chair, Sports Industry Team, Foley & Lardner, LLP, Milwaukee, WI
SESSION B Team Counsel Update
Moderator
Richard M. Thigpen
General Counsel, Carolina Panthers, Charlotte, NC
Panelists
Kari D. Cohen
Vice President & Assistant General Counsel, Brooklyn Nets and NY Islanders (Business Operations), Brooklyn, NY
Maya Mendoza-Exstrom
General Counsel, Seattle Sounders FC, Seattle WA
Megha Parekh
Senior Vice President & Chief Legal Officer, Jacksonville, FL
Billy Traurig
Senior Vice President & General Counsel, Carolina Hurricanes, Raleigh, NC
SESSION C Sports Law Considerations for University Counsel
Moderator
Peter Goplerud
Professor of Law, Florida Coastal School of Law (on leave), Jacksonville, FL
Panelists
Michael W. Ford
Senior University Counsel for Tax, Corporations & Athletics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Barclay Damon, LLP, Syracuse, NY
Scott E. Rice
University Legal Counsel, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign,IL
SESSION D Legal Aspects of Major Sports Venue Management
Panelists
John E. Keenan III
Senior Vice President & General Counsel, AEG Facilities, Los Angeles, CA
Michael Perlberg
Senior Vice President & General Counsel, Levy Restaurants, Chicago, IL
Irwin P. Raij
Partner and Co-Chair, Sports Industry Group, O'Melveny & Myers LLP, New York, NY
SESSION E Athlete Activism – Legal Update
Moderator
Jessica Berman
Vice President - Special Projects & Corporate Social Responsibility, National Hockey League, New York, NY
Panelists
Wade Davis
Senior Advisor for Advocacy & Strategy, RISE (former NFL player)
Vince Gennaro
Director of the Companion Program in Sports Law and Sports Management, Columbia University, New York, NY
SESSION F FLSA/Wage and Hour Issues in US Sports
Panelists
Elise M. Bloom
Partner & Co-Chair: Class & Collective Action Practice Group and Labor Department, Proskauer Rose, New York, NY
Jonathan Stoler
Partner & Global Co-Practice Group Leader - Labor and Employment Practice, Sheppard Mullin, New York, NY
Justin M. Swartz Partner & Co-Chair of Class Action Practice Group, Outten & Golden LLP, New, NY
SESSION G Motorsports 2017: A Year of Change
Panelists
Stokely G. Caldwell, Jr
Partner, Robinson Bradshaw, Charlotte, NC
Karen B. Leetzow
Deputy General Counsel, NASCAR, Daytona Beach, FL
Stephen Starks
INDYCAR, Vice President of Promoter Relations, Indianapolis, IN
SESSION H Sports Industry Trademark & Brand Protection Update
Panelists
Eleanor M. Lackman
Partner, Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP, New York, NY
Christopher McCleary
General Counsel, United States Olympic Committee, Colorado Springs, CO
SESSION I Legal and Tax Implications of Fraudulent Conduct by Athlete Investment Advisors
Panelists
Jeremy M. Evans
Managing Attorney, California Sports Lawyer, San Diego, CA
Mitchell S. Halpern
Tax Principal, KLR, Boston, MA
Hugo Hilgendorff
Executive Director-National Risk, Morgan Stanley, New York, NY
SESSION J Sexual Misconduct in Sport
Moderator
Jayma M. Meyer
Counsel, Simpson Thatcher & Bartlett LLP
Visiting Clinical Professor, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Panelists
Malia Arrington
Chief Operating Officer, SafeSport, Denver, CO
John C. Clune
Member, Hutchinson, Black and Cook, LLC, Boulder, CO
Leslie M. Gomez
Vice Chair, Institutional Response Group, Cozen O'Connor, Philadelphia, PA
Gina Maisto Smith
Vice Chair, Institutional Response Group, Cozen O'Connor, Philadelphia, PA
SESSION K Gender Issues in Sport
Moderator
Naima Stevenson
Deputy General Counsel, NCAA, Indianapolis, IN
Panelists
David G. Feher
Partner, Winston & Strawn LLP, New York, NY
Terri Jackson
Director of Operations, WNBPA, New York, NY
Laura Warren
Senior Associate General Counsel, DePaul University, Chicago, IL
SESSION L Current Legal Issues in Player Health
Moderator
Maureen Weston
Professor of Law, Pepperdine School of Law, Malibu, CA
Panelists
Christopher R. Deubert
Senior Law & Ethics Associate, Football Players Health Study at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Paul V. Kelly
Principal, Jackson Lewis P.C., Boston, MA
SESSION M Sports Industry Immigration Update
Panelists
Evan Green
Partner, Green and Spiegel LLP, Toronto, Canada
Steven Ladik
Partner, Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP, Dallas, TX
Jon Velie
Lead Counsel, Velie Law Firm, Norman, OK
SESSION N DFS, Virtual Currencies, and Traditional Sports Betting-Regulatory Update
Panelists
Will Green
Senior Director of Research, American Gaming Association, Washington DC
Ryan Rodenberg
Associate Professor, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
SESSION O Live Event Ticketing Litigation and Business Update
Panelists
Anthony J. Dreyer
Partner, Skadden Arps, New York, NY
Scott M. Pearson
Partner, Ballard Spahr LLP, Los Angeles, CA
5:00 pm - 5:55 pm
Breakout Session #2
(same topics and rooms as previous sessions)
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
SLA President's Reception
Sponsored by 
SATURDAY, MAY 20
8:00 am - 3:00 pm
Registration
7:30 am - 9:00 am
Continental Breakfast (all attendees)
Sponsored by 
7:30 am - 9:00 am
Women in SLA Continental Breakfast
7:30 am - 9:00 am
International Breakfast (pre-registration required)
Informal networking event for our international attendees and others wishing to participate.
Sponsored by 
9:00 am - 10:45 am
General Counsels' Forum
Moderator
Abraham D. Madkour
Executive Editor, SportsBusiness Journal/SportsBusiness Daily, Charlotte, NC
Panelists
Adolpho A. Birch III
Senior Vice President, Labor Policy and League Affairs, NFL
William Daly
Deputy Commissioner, NHL
Daniel Halem
Chief Legal Officer, MLB
Rick Buchanan
Executive Vice President and General Counsel, NBA
William Z. Ordower
Executive Vice President and General Counsel, MLS
10:45 am - 11:00 am
Refreshment Break
Sponsored by 
11:00 am - 12:45 pm
Executive Directors' Forum (invited to speak)
Moderator
Abraham D. Madkour
Executive Editor, SportsBusiness Journal/SportsBusiness Daily, Charlotte, NC
Panelists
Tony Clark
Executive Director, MLBPA (invited)
Donald M. Fehr
Executive Director, NHLPA (invited)
Bob Foose
Executive Director, MLS Players Union
Michele Roberts
Executive Director, NBPA (invited)
DeMaurice F. Smith
Executive Director, NFLPA
12:45 pm - 1:45 pm
Lunch (attendees on their own)
1:45 pm - 3:15 pm
Breaking into the Sports Law Industry
Moderator
Buffy Filippell
President, TeamWork Online, Cleveland, OH
Panelists
Christopher Harrington
Staff Counsel, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland, OH
Zachary Z. Kleiman
Counsel, Memphis Grizzlies, Memphis, TN
Maacah Scott
Staff Counsel, Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix, AZ
Ted Tywang
Director - Legal Affairs, Cleveland Browns, Berea, OH
Registration
The SLA 43rd Annual Conference Registration Fees
| Member Category | Before 4/28 | After 4/28 |
| Regular/Associate | $625 | $675 |
| Non-Member* | $870 | $920 |
| Law Educator | $525 | $575 |
| Law Educator (Non-Member)* | $640 | $690 |
| Law Student | $175 | $200 |
| Law Student (Non-Member)* | $275 | $300 |
| Breaking into the Sports Industry (1 session ONLY – Included in Full Registration Fee) | $150 | $150 |
| Spouse/Guest(Social Events ONLY – 2 Breakfasts, 2 Receptions, and 1 Luncheon) | $125 | $125 |
| Friday Luncheon ONLY (Included in Full Registration Fee) | $50 | $50 |
* Non-Member rate includes one year's membership in the SLA! Members receive the Sports Law Weekly, the monthly electronic newsletter, a subscription to the Sports Business Daily, the SLA annual journal, the SLA annual membership directory, and access to the SLA members-only section of the association's website, which includes a member directory.
The registration fees, except the spouse/guest fee, include all panels and sessions, both receptions, the Friday luncheon, daily coffee breaks, and CLE credit, Sponsored by Tulane Law School.
NOTE: Attendees for the Friday afternoon NFLPA session are required by the NFLPA to register and pay for the FULL SLA meeting. ALL on-site registrants are required to make payment at the time of registration.
Substitutions or Cancellations?
Substitutions may be made at any time. Written cancellations must be received by May 1; 75 percent of the registration fee will be refunded or the paid fee can be applied to the 2018 Annual Conference in National Harbor, MD. All registration fees must be paid before the meeting. On-site registrants are expected to pay all fees on-site; SLA will not invoice.
Register online
The views expressed by speakers are not necessarily the views of the Sports Lawyers Association. Speakers, times, and topics are subject to change
Event Properties
| Event Date | 18-05-2017 9:00 |
| Event End Date | 20-05-2017 3:15 |
| Location | Mile High City, Denver Marriott City Center |
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