Hogan Lovells Cadwalader Adds Eric Fishman to Strengthen Sports Practice
Hogan Lovells Cadwalader has added sports and entertainment attorney Eric Fishman to its Sports practice in its New York office, the firm announced.
Fishman joins Hogan Lovells Cadwalader from ArentFox Schiff, where he served as co-leader of the firm’s Sports Industry Group. His practice includes representing professional athletes, sports agencies, media companies, leagues and investors on corporate, litigation and investment matters.
Among the athletes Fishman has represented are NBA stars Kevin Durant and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps and tennis player Aryna Sabalenka. His agency clients have included Klutch Sports Group and LIFT Management.
Fishman also has served as outside counsel to media companies Boardroom, which was co-founded by Durant and Rich Kleiman, and Just Women’s Sports. Other clients have included the Premier Lacrosse League, sports investment firm SC Management and the estate of fashion designer Virgil Abloh.
His work extends to private equity and other investments involving professional sports franchises and entertainment businesses, an area that has become increasingly significant as institutional capital has moved into professional sports.
The addition comes as Hogan Lovells Cadwalader continues to build its sports, media and entertainment practice following the combination of Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft.
James Doyle, global head of the firm’s Corporate & Finance practice group, said Fishman’s addition is part of the firm’s effort to expand its sports and entertainment capabilities.
“Continuing to enhance our market-leading sports and entertainment group is a key strategic priority for the firm,” Doyle said. “His arrival reinforces the exceptional team guiding our Sports, Media & Entertainment Sector.”
David Bonser, the firm’s managing partner for corporate, cited Fishman’s work with athletes, agencies, leagues and investors.
“Eric is widely regarded as a top adviser to leading athletes, agencies, leagues, and investor platforms across the sports, media, and entertainment landscape, guiding clients through some of the most complex matters in the market,” Bonser said.
The move also expands the firm’s New York operation. Bill Mills, managing partner of the New York office, said Fishman’s hiring follows other growth in the office since the combination.
“His experience, reputation, and client relationships reflect our continued commitment to growth in one of the world’s leading legal markets,” Mills said.
Fishman’s arrival comes amid changes in the business of professional sports that have broadened the legal needs of athletes and their representatives. Athletes increasingly are establishing investment vehicles, acquiring stakes in companies and sports properties, launching media businesses and entering commercial arrangements that extend beyond traditional endorsement agreements.
Those developments can require counsel across corporate transactions, intellectual property, private equity, media rights, branding and disputes, in addition to traditional sports law matters.
Fishman said the expanding business interests of athletes were among the factors behind his move.
“As today’s leading athletes increasingly build businesses, make strategic investments, and expand their brands beyond the playing field, I’m thrilled to bring them to this platform and help them navigate the opportunities that will shape their legacies,” Fishman said.
The hiring also reflects continued competition among major law firms for attorneys with sports industry practices as franchise valuations, private capital investment and athlete-led businesses increase the volume and complexity of legal work surrounding professional sports.
Fishman received his law degree from George Washington University Law School and his bachelor’s degree from Bucknell University.