Sports Lawyer To Co-Lead Firm’s Initiative to Retain and Elevate Female Attorneys

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Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney launched a new women’s initiative earlier this month, kicking off a three-pronged program to improve retention and elevation of female attorneys within the firm.

Called Forward Together, the program is led by shareholders Jill Felkins and Carla Varriale-Barker, and it focuses on education, mentorship and networking.

Varriale-Barker is Chair of the firm’s Sports, Recreation & Entertainment Practice Group.

The educational prong, which is open to all Segal McCambridge attorneys, includes speakers on professional development issues including business development, the path to partnership and improving productivity. Mentor pairings give female associates regular access to insights and opportunities from senior female shareholders in markets outside their home base. The networking prong organizes events for the firm’s female attorneys to connect with each other as well as leading women in their field.

UCLA Seeks Executive Director of the Ziffren Institute for Media, Entertainment, Technology and Sports Law

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Recruitment Period

Open September 17th, 2020 through Thursday, Nov 12, 2020 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)

Description

The Ziffren Institute for Media, Entertainment, Technology and Sports Law at UCLA School of Law is seeking an Executive Director to lead this signature Institute. The Executive Director will be expected to build on the Institute’s existing strengths in both programming and job placement, and will also have significant flexibility to launch creative, new initiatives for the benefit of current students, recent graduates, alumni, and the relevant industries more generally.

The Executive Director’s most important work is the creation of professional opportunities for both current students and alumni. To do this, a successful Director will need to invest substantial energy building connections across and between UCLA students, UCLA graduates, and leading practitioners in the relevant fields. The Director will work to create and identify opportunities for internships, externships, entry-level job placements, and also more senior professional openings. The Director will likewise create and facilitate opportunities for professional networking and relationship development, again in support of job placement, professional development, and career advancement.

A second critical area of focus for a successful Director is to expand the strong public profile of the Institute, enhancing its reputation, its name recognition, and its vital engagement, both within the UCLA community and beyond. To further this goal, the Executive Director will, among other things, be responsible for the development and execution of professional programming, including not only UCLA’s highly successful annual Entertainment Symposium but also other conferences and events for practicing lawyers, as well as speakers, events, and seminars for current students. A successful Director will raise funds to support these programs, recruit appropriate speakers, and engage substantively in ways that ensure that the various events and classes are warm, diverse, worthwhile, inclusive, and intellectually vibrant.

Beyond that, the Director will enjoy significant freedom to develop additional initiatives consistent with the Institute’s purpose and values. For example, the Director might choose to develop new clinical opportunities for current students, or additional specialized seminars taught by leading figures. The Director might choose to launch a data-gathering research project designed to provide valuable information to practitioners and/or executives. The Director might instead or in addition choose to develop and teach a substantial offering, such as a course for current students or a significant professional development opportunity for practicing attorneys. Across all of these endeavors, a successful Director will not only provide high-level leadership but also directly engage in the endeavor’s day-to-day administration and execution.

The ideal candidate will have: a Juris Doctor degree or M.B.A. (or equivalent); substantial successful management and leadership experience; a track record of innovation, program leadership and program building; substantial successful practice or experience in the media, entertainment, technology and/or sports law industries; advanced administrative and organizational skills; strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with colleagues, students and the broader community; strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to draw on the ideas of others and convert them into meaningful strategies and plans and to represent those ideas to a variety of stakeholders, including faculty, staff, students, alumni, practitioners, the public and the press; and high professional and ethical standards that reflect UCLA’s core values, purpose and mission.

This is a full-time, year-round, non-tenure track, academic position. The salary and level of appointment will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. This appointment is subject to the rules and regulations of the Regents of the University of California, which are mostly embodied in The UCLA CALL and the University of California Academic Personnel Manual. (See https://www.apo.ucla.edu/policies/the-call; and http://www.ucop.edu/acadpersonnel/apm/welcome.html.).

Confidential review of applications, nominations and expressions of interest will begin immediately and continue until an appointment is made. To ensure full consideration, applications should be received by Thursday, November 12, 2020 but will be considered thereafter until the position is filled. Please apply online at https://recruit.apo.ucla.edu/JPF05885 by submitting pdf copies of a cover letter, resume, and contact information for at least three professional references. Finalists will later be expected to supply at least two letters of recommendation during the final vetting process.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: UC Nondiscrimination & Affirmative Action Policy (http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct).

Job location

Los Angeles, CA

Learn More

More information about this recruitment: https://law.ucla.edu/academics/centers/ziffren-institute-media-entertainment-technology-and-sports-law

Requirements

Document requirements

  • Curriculum Vitae – Your most recently updated C.V.
  • Cover Letter
  • Statement on Contributions to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion – An EDI Statement describes a faculty candidate’s past, present, and future (planned) contributions to equity, diversity, and inclusion. To learn more about how UCLA thinks about contributions to equity, diversity, and inclusion, please review our Sample Guidance for Candidates and related EDI Statement FAQ document.
Reference requirements
  • 3-5 required (contact information only)

 

Apply here.

 

Sports Medicine and the Law Tackles Wide Spectrum of Topics in Latest Issue – Check out the Headlines Below

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Hackney Publications, the nation’s leading publisher of sports law periodicals, announced today the availability of the summer issue of Sports Medicine and the Law (SML).

Supported by Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhoads LLP, the preeminent law firm when it comes to representing clients in the niche, the latest issue features the following articles:

  • New Bellwether Cases Against NCAA Move Forward in Texas
  • Saved by The Bell — Penn State Dodges Further Litigation in Whistleblower Case
  • Arrington Settlement Update: Concussion Reporting Process
  • Hydrate at Home: Another Court Refuses to Recognize Athlete’s Right to Hydration During Play
  • Pro Wrestlers Fail to Take Down WWE In Brain Injury Tag Team
  • NFL Player Lane Johnson Sues Nearly All Concerned and Loses
  • School District Prevails in Soccer Player Concussion Lawsuit

 

“Administrators and executives in the sports industry have become painfully aware of a host of legal issues that impact athletic trainers and other professionals in the sports medicine field,” said Holt Hackney, the managing editor of SML. “With each issue of SML, we try to tackle a cross-section of these issues. This wouldn’t be possible were it not for the attorneys of Montgomery McCracken, especially our Editors in Chief, which include Steve Pachman, Dylan Henry, Kim Sachs and Kacie Kergides.”

Those interested in signing up for the publication can do so at: https://sportsmedicinelaws.com/

About Hackney Publications

Hackney Publications is the nation’s leading publisher of Sports Law Periodicals. In total, Hackney Publications produces 12 such newsletters, including Sports Litigation Alert, Professional Sports and the Law, Legal Issues in High School Athletics, Legal Issues in Collegiate Athletics, Journal of NCAA Compliance, Concussion Litigation Reporter, and Sports Facilities and the Law. It produces five other publications that are complimentary and supported by sponsorship. These include Title IX Alert, Sports Medicine and the Law, Concussion Defense Reporter, Esports and the Law, and MyLegalBookie.

About Montgomery McCracken

Montgomery McCracken is a full-service law firm with offices in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Delaware. The firm represents leading businesses, multinational corporations, nonprofit organizations, and individuals across a wide range of industries in complex litigation matters, significant corporate transactions, and challenging disputes.

Activision Blizzard Names Tony Petitti, an MLB Executive and attorney, as President of Sports & Entertainment

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Activision Blizzard, Inc. has announced the appointment of Major League Baseball’s Tony Petitti as President of Sports and Entertainment. In his new role, reporting to Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, Petitti will oversee esports, consumer products, and film and television.

“Tony is one of the most highly regarded executives in sports and entertainment,” said Bobby Kotick, Chief Executive Officer of Activision Blizzard. “His success in media and as Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer of Major League Baseball is the perfect blend of skills to help us realize our aspirations for esports and our related businesses. He is admired by owners, media executives, players and fans.”

Petitti most recently served as Deputy Commissioner, Business and Media of Major League Baseball and Chief Operating Officer, where he led marketing, broadcasting and media rights sales, the MLB Network, digital content, youth programming and special events. Prior to that, Petitti was President of the MLB Network, which he helped launch from its inception in 2008.

Before joining MLB, Petitti, a 13-time Emmy-award winner, was executive vice-president and executive producer at CBS Sports where he was responsible for the network’s sports programming and production. He graduated from Haverford College before attending Harvard Law School.

Ohio State Study Shows Cardiac MRI Effective in Identifying Myocarditis in Athletes

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A cardiac MRI is effective in identifying inflammation of the heart muscle in athletes and can help determine when those who have recovered from COVID-19 can safely return to play in competitive sports, according to a new study by researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. The research is published online in JAMA Cardiology.

Ohio State researchers examined 26 COVID-19 positive male and female competitive college athletes for signs of myocarditis, a rare disease that can cause heart failure and sudden cardiac death. Most cases of myocarditis, which is usually caused by a viral infection, happen in young adults with males affected more than females. Recent studies have shown myocardial inflammation in patients who recovered from COVID-19. Twelve of the athletes studied by Ohio State researchers reported mild symptoms of COVID-19 and the rest were asymptomatic.

Recently published protocols recommend the use of a combination of clinical examination, echocardiogram (an ultrasound), electrocardiogram (records a heartbeat) and a blood test to help with diagnosis of myocarditis in athletes prior to return to competitive play. The Ohio State researchers used all of these methods as well as cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging, which they found to be effective in identifying myocardial inflammation not picked up by other methods.

“This is the first study to systematically investigate the use of CMR imaging in competitive athletes recovered from COVID-19 infection. CMR has the potential to identify a high-risk group for adverse outcomes and may, importantly, risk stratify athletes for safe participation, as CMR mapping techniques have a high negative predictive value to rule out myocarditis,” said Dr. Saurabh Rajpal, a cardiologist and an assistant professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, who led the study.

In the study, four athletes (15%) were shown to possibly have myocarditis by MRI criteria. In addition to these four, eight others had evidence of scar tissue, suggesting either prior myocardial injury or normal athletic adaptation of the heart.

“It’s not known what caused the scar tissue in those eight, or if it was related to having COVID-19,” Rajpal said. “Additionally, the CMR imaging ruled out myocarditis for all athletes without MRI evidence of inflammation, allowing them to return to playing sports.”

 

Ellen J. Staurowsky Named Professor, Sports Media, Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College

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Nationally known sports law professor Ellen J. Staurowsky has left Drexel University to take a full-time position as a professor at the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College. She will continue to teach one to two graduate-level classes at Drexel.

Staurowsky was previously professor & graduate chair at Ithaca from August 1992 to August 2011, before taking a leadership post at Drexel. She is also a Senior Writer for Hackney Publications.

More Than 33 Million Americans To Bet on NFL Season

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Approximately 13 percent of American adults plan to bet on National Football League (NFL) games this year despite lower enthusiasm from fans in general about the 2020-21 season, according to a new survey from the American Gaming Association (AGA).

Of the estimated 33.2 million adults who plan to bet on this NFL season:

  • 20 percent (6.6 million) will wager at physical, legal sportsbooks, up from 18 percent last year.
  • 34 percent (11.3 million) will place a bet through legal and illegal online platforms, up from 29 percent.
  • 18 percent (6 million) will wager with a bookie, either in person or via a mobile platform, up from 12 percent.
  • 26 percent (8.6 million) will bet casually through pools, fantasy contests, and squares, down from 31 percent.
  • 50 percent (16.6 million) will bet casually with friends, family, or coworkers, down from 53 percent.

Those who plan to wager on the upcoming season are more enthusiastic than NFL fans overall. Sports bettors are significantly more likely (54%) to be excited about the upcoming season than the general population (18%), self-described avid and general NFL fans (41%), or casual NFL fans (12%). The AGA previously found the NFL stands to gain $2.3 billion annually from legal sports betting, largely due to increased fan engagement.

“The NFL traditionally drives a significant amount of action from sports bettors, and this year appears to be no different,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. “While we’ve known for a long time that bettors are more engaged fans—particularly when it comes to football—continuing to drive them to the legal market is essential for protecting consumers and the integrity of the games they wager on.”

Engagement from sports bettors will prove even more important to the NFL as fans report generally lower enthusiasm for the NFL season. 4 in 10 (42%) American adults say they are less excited about this season than last year, citing the increased political activism around the league (36%), absence of fans in stadiums (19%), and inability to gather with friends to watch games (17%) as the main factors contributing to their lessened interest.

Looking to the Lombardi Trophy, 13 percent of NFL bettors plan to wager on the Kansas City Chiefs to win the Super Bowl, followed by nine percent on the Dallas Cowboys, and five percent each on the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and San Francisco 49ers.

“The legal sports betting market continues to grow to the detriment of dangerous, illegal offshore operators. The NFL and its teams must continue to prioritize and act on the shared responsibility to educate customers on regulated markets and responsible gaming principles in order to realize the full benefit of legal sports betting,” Miller added.

Background

  • The NFL and its teams have formed 26 marketing and data sharing partnerships since May 2018.
  • 18 states plus Washington, D.C. now offer legal, regulated sports betting, with another four not yet operational and seven considering legalization.
  • Seven jurisdictions have launched legal sports betting since the start of the NFL season last fall. In fact, 29 million more American adults have access to legal sports betting in their home state than the start of last season—a 54 percent increase.
  • Nearly half (11) of the 23 states that are home to NFL teams have legalized sports betting.

Drake Group Applauds U.S. Senate ‘Athletes’ Bill of Rights’ – Proposes Congressional Legislation

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On August 3, 2020 U.S. Senators Cory Booker, Richard Blumenthal, Christopher Murphy, Kirsten Gillibrand, Ron Wyden, Mazie Hirono, and Kamala Harris issued a “College Athletes Bill of Rights” statement that sought to advance justice and opportunity for college athletes and promised future legislation to realize their position. On August 13, they were joined by Senators Sanders, Van Hollen and Schatz.

The Drake Group, in a press release today, applauded the initiative and urged Congress “to act now to give college athletes full outside employment and NIL rights, a strong voice in the governance of college sports, comprehensive coverage for medical costs related to athletic injuries, protection from abusive coaches, mandated five-year athletic scholarships and other academic protections to improve educational outcomes.”

Donna Lopiano

Donna Lopiano, Ph.D., President of The Drake Group, stated, “The NCAA has acted as an effective trade association for its members enabling too many higher education institutions to economically and educationally exploit college athletes in order to increase athletics program revenues, line the pockets of coaches and administrators with excessive six and seven figure salaries, and build lavish facilities to better enable coaches to attract impressionable 17-year old recruits. The Drake Group believes the NCAA’s consistent failure to protect the health, well-being, and education of college athletes and ineptitude with regard to punishing institutions that commit even the most blatant academic fraud and safety omissions should not be allowed to continue. Only Congress has the power to intervene.”

In the release, The Drake Group noted that it “proposes a College Athletes Rights and Protection Act (CARPA) to accomplish all of the promises made in the ‘College Athletes Bill of Rights.’ Using the carrot of institutions continuing to receive funding under the Higher Education Act of 1965 ($130 billion annually in federal loans and grants in 2019), the proposed bill includes the following mandates:

  • Granting full outside employment and NIL rights for enrolled college athletes overseen by an independent NIL Commission, rather than the NCAA;
  • Establishing a private National College Athlete Medical Trust Fund with an independent Board of Directors charged with implementing a long-term athlete disability insurance program that addresses the latent medical cost impact of brain trauma or other athletics injuries that do not manifest before the end of enrolled athlete basic athletic injury insurance policy coverage;
  • Allowing athletes and institutions to enter into licensing arrangements with third parties conditioned on proceeds being donated to the National College Athlete Medical Trust Fund and further funding the trust with assessments derived from gross annual media rights fees from national collegiate championships, conference championships, regular season and special events;
  • Requiring national athletic governance associations to adopt and enforce consensus statements on standards of health care and coaches’ codes of conduct as membership obligations and to initiate investigations of athlete deaths by independent panels of medical experts;
  • Guaranteeing athletic scholarships for five years or until graduation, whichever occurs first;
  • Permitting college athletes to transfer to other institutions without athletic participation ineligibility;
  • Closing the loopholes in rules that limit the athletics-related time demands of coaches and creating limits on classes missed to ensure college athletes have the time to study and for adequate sleep;
  • Requiring tenured faculty oversight and transparent reporting of college athlete educational outcomes;
  • Providing a governance association athlete welfare advocate at no cost to the athlete to provide legal advice on the application of association rules and due process rights;
  • Requiring that thirty percent of any national association’s independent governing board of directors be former athletes appointed by currently enrolled athletes;
  • Prohibiting excessive employee compensation and construction of lavish athletes-only facilities; and
  • Requiring annual reports to Congress electronically available to the general public.

“Further, CARPA proposes that a Congressional Commission be established to complete a comprehensive two-year study of higher education integrity issues not addressed by the proposed bill – supporting H.R. 5528, a bipartisan bill filed in the House by Representatives Donna Shalala and Ross Spano.”

Read the full proposed bill – College Athlete Rights and Protection Act

Lawyer Jonathan Beane Named NFL’s Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer

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The NFL named Jonathan Beane, an attorney, as its Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, effective September 8. Jonathan brings over 20 years of experience as a diversity practitioner with large organizations. In this role, Jonathan will spearhead the league’s overarching diversity, equity and inclusion strategy, and will collaborate with senior leadership to drive actionable change throughout the league.

“Diversity and inclusion will strengthen our organization and aligns with our values,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “Jonathan joins the NFL at an important time, and we look forward to his broad expertise and leadership on diversity, equity, and inclusion policies and practices for the betterment of our league.”

In line with the NFL’s commitment to continuing to build a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment that extends to the communities it serves, the Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer role was established to help cultivate a more inclusive culture where diversity is celebrated and valued. As part of the leadership team, Jonathan will help to further the league’s progress in these areas.

“During this critical period in our country’s history, I cannot think of a more perfect time to join an iconic organization like the NFL,” said Beane. “The opportunity to serve as the league’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer and work closely with league and club executives, ownership and other important stakeholders on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts is an exciting one. This work is where my passion lies,” he concluded.

Jonathan has held senior diversity roles at Roche, 21st Century Fox and Time Warner, among others. He will be based in the New York office and report to Dasha Smith, Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer.

“I am thrilled to welcome Jonathan to our NFL family as a member of our leadership team,” said Smith. “Diversity, equity and inclusion is a critical success factor in our overall business strategy, and I am incredibly optimistic about the progress that together, we can make for long-lasting, impactful change.”

Jonathan holds a Master of Studies in Law in Taxation from Georgetown University, as well as a Juris Doctor and master’s degree in business administration from the University at Buffalo – SUNY. He earned his bachelor’s degree in American History from Dartmouth College. Jonathan serves on the Board of Directors of GLAAD and on the Dean’s Advisory Council for the University at Buffalo School of Law. He and his wife, Jodie, live in New York with their two children.

NFL-NFLPA Issues Statement on Social Justice Initiatives

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On Tuesday, both the NFL member clubs and the NFLPA Executive Committee met to discuss issues relating to the 2020 season, which will begin in just seven days.  Both parties repeated their commitment to continue working tirelessly to affect positive change as we also prepare together to play a full season.

We also agree that our focus must continue to be on action and have agreed to take the following additional steps in support of our shared commitment to social justice and equality:

  • All NFL, NFLPA and club facilities will be closed on Tuesday, November 3, to ensure that every member of the NFL family has an opportunity to exercise the precious right to vote.
  • In the days leading up to the election, we will continue to sponsor non-partisan educational programs to ensure that our players, staff, and families know how to register, how to obtain absentee voting material, and are able to vote on Election Day.
  • We will support efforts in our communities to encourage people to vote, including by working with state officials to establish polling places at our stadiums.  We will also identify safe and appropriate ways in which members of the NFL family can assist in election efforts.
  • We will devote the entirety of our one-hour program on NBC next Wednesday, September 9, to providing a platform for our players and allies to discuss the work that we are doing together to advance social justice and equality.  Additional details on this program to be announced at a later date.
  • Clubs and ownership will facilitate meetings between with state and local elected officials and leaders of law enforcement, to discuss steps that can be taken to reduce conflict and improve relations between law enforcement and members of the community.
  • The NFL and NFLPA will work together to support college education for the children of the victims who will be recognized by our players.

These commitments are part of a continuing effort and build on the exceptional work of players and clubs over the past several years. The Players Coalition has led the efforts of players and clubs to engage with leaders at all levels of government to express our perspective on issues like bail and criminal justice reform; promote education reform and economic opportunity in disadvantaged communities; sponsor efforts to improve police-community relations; and sponsor voter education programs, registration drives, and are working to make club facilities available for use on Election Day. Together, we have also provided critical support to hundreds of community and non-profit organizations throughout the country, and more recently made available relief targeted to communities of color that have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus.

We are proud of our current and former players for the extraordinary work that they do in our communities. Club-owners, and employees are proud to support and work alongside the players to make our country better, fairer, and more equal.