Overview

Robinson Bradshaw is home to a nationally recognized Sports & Entertainment Practice Group that serves a wide range of industries. We bring a great deal of value to our clients by drawing on our broad-based general experience in business law and litigation, our deep knowledge from sports representations, and our experience in intellectual property matters, taxes and representations of large nonprofit entities. Several attorneys have been recognized as Outside Counsel Power Players by Sports Business Journal.

Our work in motorsports has helped shape the legal landscape of NASCAR and the American motorsports industry, and we maintain one of the most extensive slates of top team owner, sponsor, organizer and driver client bases in the country. We are in the heart of NASCAR country, and our unparalleled involvement in the motorsports arena gives us a unique perspective, enabling us to provide top-notch service to our motorsports clients.

Our representation of college athletic conferences, including the SEC, spans a range of legal areas, including television network agreements, media and licensing arrangements, scholarship litigation, and tournament and bowl media agreements. We have experience advising major players in professional sports – including football, basketball, baseball and golf – as well as clients in the television, film and music industries. 

We also provide intellectual property counseling and litigation services related to the development, maintenance, protection and enforcement of our sports and entertainment clients’ trademarks, copyrights and publicity rights before and after death. 

Honors & Awards

  • Best Law Firms, national Tier 1 for sports law, 2012; national Tier 3 for sports law, 2016-22, 2024-25; Charlotte Tier 1 for sports law, 2011-22, 2024-25; Charlotte Tier 1 for entertainment law - motion pictures & television, 2012; Charlotte Tier 1 for entertainment law, 2011

Experience

  • Develop ownership structures and advise in acquisition transactions for NASCAR clients.

  • Develop sponsorship, licensing, employment, service and driver agreements that have become NASCAR industry standards.

  • Developed the legal structure for and negotiated the legal terms of the SEC Network agreement with ESPN and all of the Conference's other media, bowl, tournament and licensing agreements.

  • Represent the SEC in the litigation challenging NCAA scholarship rules.

  • Represented smaller collegiate conferences, including the CIAA and Atlantic Sun, in various capacities.

  • Represented the NCAA in its initial media agreement related to the 14-year, $10 billion deal signed in 2010 covering the broadcast rights of the men’s basketball championship (March Madness) on CBS and Turner Sports, as well as its agreement with ESPN for the broadcast rights for 24 other NCAA championships, its agreement with the Golf Channel for the broadcast rights for the NCAA golf championships, and its agreement with Turner Sports for the management of NCAA.com and the NCAA’s digital assets.

  • Developed the entertainment, sponsorship and licensing legal framework for a major theme park brand.

  • Drafted and negotiated dozens of sports sponsorship arrangements for a major national sponsor.

  • Regularly advise clients on marketing and advertising issues related to sponsorship activation programs, sweepstakes and reward programs.

  • Assist athletes and sports organizations in the formation, administration and management of their nonprofit efforts and foundations.

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