Update on Structuring Student-Athlete NIL Agreements: Recent Decisions, Regulations, and Key Developments

Ms. Matias is a member of the firm’s Sports Law Team and is actively involved in counseling both businesses and educational institutions on novel issues impacting the sports world. Her practice also involves litigating a broad range of cases in state and federal courts, including both criminal and civil matters. Ms. Matias also has experience in labor and employment related cases involving Title VII, FMLA, and ADA claims and their state counterparts. In addition, Ms. Matias helps counsel educational institutions on various regulatory and student affairs matters. She has experience adjudicating sexual misconduct allegations arising under Title IX and is certified as a Title IX Investigator by The Association of Title IX Administrators (ATIXA).

Mr. Kastner is an experienced intellectual property attorney whose practice includes handling trademark and copyright licensing and general intellectual property matters. Mr. Kastner draws on his previous experience as president of the trademark licensing division of an intellectual property advisory and transactions firm to provide first-hand understanding of the complexities of intellectual property law. His intellectual property background is complemented by significant experience in litigation and technology from the dual perspectives of in-house and outside counsel. Mr. Kastner regularly assists clients in the sports, entertainment, broadcasting, technology, and communications industries, and has served as senior IP counsel for large technology and broadcast corporations. Mr. Kastner manages diverse IP portfolios for Fortune 500 companies, and provides his clients with counsel on matters ranging from applications to litigation. He has served as chief IP and licensing counsel to the Mickey Mantle Family for 30 years.

Ms. Yeung leads the firm’s work in counseling clients on issues of data privacy, including preparing privacy policies and procedures, and cross-border data transfers. She is also a member of the Intellectual Property Practice Group. Her practice ranges from protecting clients’ IP through securing trademark and copyright registrations from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and Copyright Office, monetizing and licensing those assets, to enforcing those rights through administrative proceedings, arbitration, and litigation in federal courts. These clients operate in a range of industries, including technology, health care, sports, and higher education. Ms. Yeung is a member of the Litigation Services Department and the e-Discovery Practice Group. In that role, she regularly counsels clients on e-discovery issues and manages e-discovery projects to ensure efficiency and cost-effectiveness. 

Mr. Socolow represents athletes, teams, event owners, media companies, equipment manufacturers and others in the sports industry in complex commercial transactions and business disputes. He has handled transactions ranging from media broadcast and distribution agreements, sponsorships and trademark licenses to venue agreements and the purchase and sale of sports properties. Most recently, Mr. Socolow has represented subscription sports streaming service provider DAZN on rights deals with several professional boxers, represented smart home services provider Vivint in its naming rights deal for the arena home to the Utah Jazz, represented a group seeking an MLS expansion franchise, represented professional a new tennis tour, Behind the Racquet Tour, in all legal aspects, and counseled the World Freerunning Parkour Federation in negotiations with the International Gymnastics Federation. Over the past year, Mr. Socolow has represented several professional athletes in connection with endorsement deals, commercial transactions and investments, and general corporate advice, including NBA basketball players John Wall, Tristan Thompson and Donovan Mitchell, as well as professional golfer Brandon Wu.