O’Melveny’s Sports Group has more than a half-century’s experience devising innovative strategies that help the biggest names in sports achieve critical legal and business objectives.

With a history dating back to the 1950s, our practice was integral in bringing professional sports to California, handling the relocation of the then-Brooklyn-based Dodgers baseball franchise to Los Angeles, advising Jack Kent Cooke on his acquisition of the Lakers basketball team, and structuring the deal that brought superstar Wilt Chamberlain to the Lakers from the 76ers.

Today, we continue to handle many of the legal matters that draw coverage in sports pages everywhere—billion-dollar acquisitions and dispositions of professional sports teams; cutting-edge media and licensing arrangements; stadium development, financings and naming rights; sponsorships and endorsements; strategic joint ventures; and high profile litigation and other disputes.

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  • Stadium and Arena Financing and Development
    • We have a strong track record of advising clients on all stages of stadium and arena financing and development, including transactions related to facilities in Los Angeles (L.A. LIVE, Home Depot Center), San Francisco (AT&T Park), San Diego (Petco Park), Portland (Rose Garden Arena) and others.
  • Broadcast and New Media Licensing
    • Our vast experience in content licensing, coupled with the resources of our award-winning Entertainment and Media practice, puts O’Melveny in a unique position to advise our clients on challenges and opportunities in the ever-changing media rights arena.
  • Sponsorship and Endorsements
    • O’Melveny helps corporate sponsors, organizations, and facility owners create value through sponsorships and endorsements.
  • Cross-Border Trade and Investment
    • Our sports clients rely on our experience navigating through a complex maze of regulations to help them develop international opportunities while managing regulatory risks.
  • Disputes
    • Our award-winning litigation team is known for developing effective approaches for franchises, athletes and executives facing complex, high-profile disputes.

Alibaba Group

O’Melveny represented the Alibaba Group in its sponsorship and license agreement for China broadcast rights to certain Pac-12 basketball games. Read

Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG)

O’Melveny advised AEG on the negotiation of the master leases and counseled in the financing, development, and operating structure for the US$1.5 billion L.A. LIVE Project, a sports and entertainment center in downtown Los Angeles, which includes office, retail, hotel, and entertainment components. Read

CA Media LP

O’Melveny represented CA Media, the Asia affiliate of The Chernin Group LLC, in its investment with Diamond Ridge Ventures LLC in Hong Kong’s Legend Fighting Championship, a leading producer of mixed martial arts entertainment in Asia. Read

Case Study: David Tepper, NFL Panthers Owner

O’Melveny represented David Tepper, founder and president of global hedge fund Appaloosa Management, in his successful acquisition of the National Football League’s (NFL) Carolina Panthers, the largest transaction for an NFL team to date. Read

Case Study: Top Rank, Inc.

O’Melveny advised Top Rank, Inc. on the negotiation of a multi-year pact with ESPN that will see the boxing promoter’s fights telecast live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes and streamed on the ESPN App. Read

LaLiga

O’Melveny represented LaLiga, the Spanish soccer league, in its trail-blazing 15-year equal cross-border joint venture with Relevent Sports, a division of RSE Ventures owned by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, to commercialize its media, sponsorship, and licensing rights in North America—promoting soccer in the US and Canada. Read

Manny Pacquiao

O’Melveny has represented boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao in a number of matters, including a multi-million-dollar lawsuit brought by a promotional company that accused him of failing to live up to his promise to appear at an important Mexican Independence Day event in southern Texas. Read

San Francisco Giants

O’Melveny represented the Giants in connection with federal grand jury investigations regarding the use of performance-enhancing drugs by professional athletes. Read

Stadium Development Matters

O’Melveny is representing several entities in connection with stadium development matters. Read

West Villages Improvement District

O’Melveny represented West Villages Improvement District (WVID) in the development of an estimated US$100 million spring training facility for the Atlanta Braves in Sarasota, Florida. Read
    • Anschutz Entertainment Group
    • Brees Dream Foundation
    • City of Atlanta and Fulton County Recreation Authority
    • HBO
    • Hillsborough County
    • Kansas City Royals
    • LaLiga
    • Madison Square Garden
    • Manny Pacquiao
    • NCAA
    • Top Rank, Inc.