• People
  • Services & Industries
  • Insights
  • Innovation
  • Offices
  • My Binder
  • PDF

Sports

Overview
Insights

Overview

Competition is your life, and your business. In both, your ability to anticipate and handle what’s thrown at you can drive you to success – or, cause you to lose out. Unprecedented challenges are upping the ante on the field, on the court, and in the workplace: Collegiate athletes are pressing to gain “employee” status, harassment issues are surfacing at all levels, equal pay is more heavily scrutinized than ever, and the COVID-19 pandemic has created significant safety concerns. Meanwhile, you still must grapple with the same day-to-day issues facing any other employer. It’s no time to drop the ball.

With deep industry experience and more than 35 attorneys who were collegiate or professional athletes themselves, Fisher Phillips’ dedicated Sports Team knows your concerns first-hand and shares your passion. Our diverse group is long-time labor and employment counsel to professional franchises and leagues, collegiate conferences, individual colleges and universities, youth sports clubs and organizations, and other industry players – including sports television networks, eSports employers and league owners, stadiums, apparel companies and other sports-affiliated organizations. We help you comply with applicable laws and regulations, work up-front to avoid and manage controversies, and defend you fiercely before governmental, regulatory, and administrative agencies and, when necessary, in litigation.

HOW WE CAN HELP

We are experienced handling issues impacting your organization, your workers and athletes, including:

  • Investigating and defending against allegations of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation
  • Conducting equal pay evaluations and defending claims of unequal pay
  • Workplace safety, including best practices concerning COVID-19 and vaccines
  • Wage and hour laws, including athlete and worker classification issues
  • Labor relations, including NLRB practice and procedure, development of positive employee relations strategies and representation of unionized employers
  • Title IX and Civil Rights Laws (compliance, audits, government investigations, litigation)
  • Contract negotiations
  • NCAA and NAIA compliance, investigations and enforcement
  • Use of an athlete’s name, image, and likeness (NIL)
  • Trials, litigation and dispute resolution

We’ll also counsel you on myriad other workplace matters, such as:

  • Preventing and training on harassment, discrimination, and retaliation in the workplace
  • Conducting trainings and providing strategic advice to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion at your organization
  • Crisis management
  • Creating handbooks, policies, and procedures
  • Team sales and acquisitions
  • Preventive counseling and advice to promote compliance, appropriately enforce personnel policies, and avert litigation
  • Pay equity
  • Immigration
  • Employee leaves and accommodations
  • Departmental downsizing

Insights

  • News

    09/08/23

    Fisher Phillips Welcomes Francis Wilson in Denver

    Francis Wilson

    Read more 

  • Insights

    08/31/23

    Foul on the Play: 6 Takeaways for Employers as NY Knicks Sue Toronto Raptors for Trade Secret Misappropriation

    Jason K. Roberts, Christopher P. Stief

    Read more 

  • News

    06/27/23

    Republished Insight: Professional Athletes’ Mental Health Issues Serve as Wakeup Call: Three Key Pillars for Employers to Address Mental Wellbeing

    Raeann Burgo

    Read more 

  • Insights

    06/20/23

    Tiger Woods Avoids Legal Rough…For Now: 3 Key Takeaways for Employers about Workplace Relationships, Non-Disclosure Agreements, and Arbitration

    Sean McKaveney, Stephanie Reynolds

    Read more 

  • Insights

    06/08/23

    French Open Tennis Can Teach Employers How to Combat Cyberbullying: A 4-Step Plan

    Risa B. Boerner

    Read more 

  • Insights

    06/02/23

    Top Workplace Law Stories You May Have Missed from May 2023

    Emily Alvarez, Alba V. Aviles, Steven M. Bernstein, Amanda M. Blair, Ted Boehm, Risa B. Boerner, Suzanne K. Bogdan, Melissa (Osipoff) Camire, Jennifer B. Carroll, Charles S. Caulkins, J. Micah Dickie, Heather Domingo, Benjamin M. Ebbink, Michael P. Elkon, Michael R. Greco, Rick Grimaldi, Rebecca Hause-Schultz, Megan L. Janes, David S. Jones, Sean Kingston, David Klass, Matthew R. Korn, Edwina C. Kye, Courtney Leyes, Jeffrey E. Mandel, John A. Mavros, Mary Grace Miller, Catharine Morisset, Joshua D. Nadreau, Karen L. Odash, Brett P. Owens, Alden J. Parker, Dean L. Petitta, Arthur L. Ramirez, Robin Repass, Christopher P. Stief, Connie Yang, Travis Vance, Alexander A. Wheatley, Kristin R.B. White

    Read more 

  • Insights

    05/22/23

    Labor Board Advances Claims that Student-Athletes Are Employees: What Does Your Athletic Department Need to Know?

    Mary Grace Miller, Joshua D. Nadreau

    Read more 

  • Insights

    05/01/23

    Top Workplace Law Stories You May Have Missed from April 2023

    Cheryl L. Behymer, Amanda M. Blair, Risa B. Boerner, Raeann Burgo, Melissa (Osipoff) Camire, Micah Dawson, Stephen R. Gee, Usama Kahf, Matthew R. Korn, Karen L. Odash, Courtney Leyes, Richard R. Meneghello, Catharine Morisset, Lisa Nagele-Piazza, Raymond W. Perez, Justin Reiter, Marilynn Schuyler, Drew Tate, J. Hagood Tighe, Brett M. Wendt, Alexander A. Wheatley, Jeremy F. Wood, Annie Ziesing, Chad M. Zimlich

    Read more 

  • Publication

    04/24/23

    Boston Partner Assesses Minor Leaguer’s Union Status

    Joshua D. Nadreau

    Read more 

  • Insights

    04/07/23

    Professional Athletes’ Mental Health Issues Serve as Wakeup Call: 3 Key Pillars for Employers to Address Mental Wellbeing

    Raeann Burgo

    Read more 

View All 

Key Contacts

  1. Todd B. Scherwin
    Partner

    213.330.4450

    Email
  2. Adam F. Sloustcher
    Partner

    858.597.9620

    Email
  3. See all 

We Also Recommend

Subscribe to Our Latest Insights 

©2023 Fisher & Phillips LLP. All Rights Reserved. Attorney Advertising.

  • Privacy
  • CCPA Privacy
  • Legal Notices
  • Client Payment Portal
  • My Binder