Sports and Entertainment Law
Not a day goes by that the sports pages, sports newscasts, and sports talk shows are not discussing money: a new player contract, an endorsement package, salary caps, revenue sharing, pension plans, collective bargaining agreements and unfortunately, lawsuits. Professional sports is big business for coaches, players, entertainers, teams and college athletic programs. The business is saturated with complex legal problems requiring specialized knowledge. With a depth of sports experience, Balch & Bingham LLP is recognized nationally as an authority in the sports arena.
COACHES SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT ATTORNEYS
PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES REPRESENTATIVE CLIENTS
ENTERTAINMENT
Coaches
Balch & Bingham LLP can help coaches realize their career goals and economic potential in collegiate and professional sports. Representing both assistant and head coaches, Balch & Bingham LLP is prepared to assist clients in renewing current contracts, obtaining promotions, or going after a premier head coaching job. While the client list includes many of the most high-profile coaches in the nation, the practice is committed to discovering emerging, up-and-coming coaches at all levels. The Firm also stays current with NCAA rules and regulations and conducts the practice consistent with all rules, regulations and the highest morals. Balch & Bingham LLP has the resources and contacts necessary to help coaches achieve their highest career aspirations through:
Balch & Bingham LLP has negotiated contracts for multinational Fortune 500 corporations. The Firm brings these same resources and expertise to the table when negotiating contracts for their coaching clients. Balch & Bingham LLP has obtained market data regarding the current compensation structure for coaches at all levels, in all leagues and at all positions. This information is invaluable for not only negotiating head coaching contracts, but also for negotiating assistant coaches’ contracts. Balch & Bingham LLP is up-to-date on many of the current trends in coaching, including multilayered compensation clauses, expansive bonus clauses, annuity agreements, and multiyear assistant coaches’ contracts. The bottom line: Balch & Bingham LLP negotiates in a manner that helps ensure that a coach will maximize his earning potential while protecting his current and future rights.
Many of today’s most successful coaches are at times presented endorsement opportunities. Balch & Bingham LLP works to maximize such earnings by helping to negotiate such endorsement and commercial opportunities consistent with a coach’s image. These opportunities include public appearances, endorsements, charity and community events, promotions, broadcasting and publishing.
Balch & Bingham LLP can offer legal advice in the following financial areas to provide all the legal and financial tools to maximize a coach’s potential earnings:
- Branding Issues
- Real Estate Transactions
- Tax Planning
- Estate Planning
Unlike many other firms, Balch & Bingham LLP is not affiliated with any financial advisor or money manager, and offers no in-house money management services. Instead, Balch & Bingham will assist coaches in retaining the financial advisor best suited for the coach’s individual position.
Balch & Bingham LLP has been able to leverage its vast pool of resources, including contacts in the coaching and athletic community, contacts in the political community, and contacts in the business and booster community to provide coaches with the latest on what is happening in the coaching environment around them while allowing them to do what they do best…Coach! The practice’s expansive resource pool allows clients to meet other clients on a social and professional basis. This synergy is a great resource in the “who you know” coaching world.
Balch & Bingham LLP’s interest in a coach does not begin and end with his coaching career. Balch & Bingham LLP’s goal is to help coaches achieve lifetime financial security and personal stability. Assistance in this area includes coordinated efforts with job placement professionals and, with the guidance of the Firm’s corporate attorneys, the legal aspects of the acquisition, formation, and development of a coach’s own business.
Professional Athletes
From draft preparation, through contract negotiation, to estate planning, Balch & Bingham LLP can help athletes realize their athletic and economic potential in professional sports with:
Balch & Bingham LLP has a plan in place to help athletes get ready for NFL pre-draft combines, individual workouts, on campus workouts, and college all-star games. The Firm provides flexible programs that allow athletes to train under some of the most renowned trainers and instructors in America.
The contract that governs the professional career of athletes is only the first of many legal needs. While athletes focus on their profession, Balch & Bingham LLP will focus on the complex legal aspects of their career.
- NFL Negotiations - In 1993, after years of costly litigation, the dynamics of negotiating National Football League player contracts changed drastically with a new collective bargaining agreement. The agreement is complex and lengthy: 200 pages with 60 articles and 15 appendices. Interpreting this document has spawned a multitude of legal disputes. To represent athletes, a contract advisor must know and understand the collective bargaining agreement and how to maximize their economic potential within its guidelines.
- Balch & Bingham LLP brings experience with the collective bargaining agreement, along with years of multi-faceted contract work. The Firm has negotiated and can represent athletes in a wide variety of contract negotiations, from their first professional contract and signing bonus to free agent contracts, all the way to endorsements from equipment manufacturers and trading card companies.
- Endorsements
The most successful athletes and entertainers are often presented endorsement opportunities. Balch & Bingham LLP works to maximize earnings by helping athletes negotiate such endorsement and commercial opportunities consistent with their image as a professional athlete. These opportunities include public appearances, commercials, print advertisements, and product endorsements.
Balch & Bingham LLP can offer legal advice in the following financial areas to provide all the legal and financial tools to maximize an athlete’s potential earnings:
- Branding Issues
- Real Estate Transactions
- Tax Planning
- Estate Planning
Unlike many other firms, Balch & Bingham LLP offers independence and is not affiliated with any financial advisor or money manager, and offers no in-house money management services. Instead, Balch & Bingham will assist athletes in retaining the financial advisor best suited for the athlete’s individual position.
Balch & Bingham LLP’s interest in an athlete does not begin and end with his athletic career. The Firm will help each athlete focus on life after professional athletics. Balch & Bingham LLP’s goal is to help athletes achieve lifetime financial security and personal stability. Assistance in this area includes coordinated efforts with job placement professionals and, with the guidance of the Firm’s corporate attorneys, the legal aspects of the acquisition, formation, and development of an athlete’s own business.
Entertainment
Whether someone is an established celebrity or is just starting in the entertainment business, Balch & Bingham LLP has negotiated on behalf of some of the most well known radio and television celebrities in the Southeast. As lawyers, Balch & Bingham LLP can be an integral part of an entertainer’s team. The Firm has insight into the legal issues pertinent to the entertainment industry, including the First Amendment issues, networking, syndication, and the ever-present non-compete clauses.
Attorneys
Balch & Bingham LLP’s professional sports and entertainment practice offers the service and expertise needed to navigate through a successful career. The legal team is headed by Russ Campbell, a professional sports advisor who is a registered agent and a certified contract advisor for the National Football League Players Association. He has represented more than 30 professional athletes in football, basketball and baseball, over 20 collegiate coaches, and various entertainment personalities. Patrick Strong works hand in hand with Russ and his background and experience provide clients with an invaluable resource to help capitalize on opportunities in the manner most beneficial to the client.
Russ Campbell Patrick Strong
205.226.3438 office 205.226.3474 office
1.800.762.2426 x 3438 office 1.800.762.2426 x 3474 office
205.229.4701 cell phone 205.253.2175 cell phone
205.968.3798 home 205.488.5619 fax
205.488.5859 fax Email:
Email:
Representative Clients
COACHES
NFL
Position Coaches
Mike Shula – Jacksonville Jaguars (QB)
Brick Haley- Chicago Bears (DL)
College
Head Coaches
Larry Blakeney – Troy University
Bobby Bowden – Florida State University
Terry Bowden- Former Auburn University
Jeff Bower- Former Southern Miss
Jack Crowe – Jacksonville State
Larry Fedora- Southern Miss
Chris Hatcher – Georgia Southern University
Mark Hudspeth- University of North Alabama
Hal Mumme – New Mexico State
Bobby Petrino- University of Arkansas
Pat Sullivan – Samford University
Mike Turk – Huntingdon College
Coordinators
Mickey Andrews – Florida State (AHC/DC/DB)
Jeff Bowden – Former Florida State (OC)
John Chavis– University of Tennessee (AHC/DC/LB)
Tim Horton- Air Force Academy (OC/WR)
Ellis Johnson – Mississippi State (DC/SAF)
Patrick Nix – University of Miami (OC/QB)
Ed Zaunbrecher – Purdue (CO-OC/QB)
Darrell Wyatt – University of Arizona (Passing Game Coordinator/WR)
Position Coaches
Brian Applewhite – University of Wyoming (RB)
Art Kehoe- Former Ole Miss (OL)
Tommie Robinson – University of Miami (RB)
Kurt Roper – University of Tennessee (QB)
High School
Head Coaches
Rush Propst – Hoover High School
Shannon Brown – Bob Jones High School
NFL PLAYERS
Alfred Malone – DT (Green Bay Packers)
Brannon Condren – S (Indianapolis Colts)
Andrew Wicker – OL (New York Jets)
ENTERTAINERS / OTHER SPORTS
Paul Finebaum – Finebaum Sports Network
LEGAL REPRESENTATION ONLY Mike Hampton – Atlanta Braves – Arbitration Counsel
Chris Samuels – OL – Washington Redskins