Conference Speaker Biographies

Mike Tannenbaum joined ESPN as an NFL Front Office Insider in April 2019. A former NFL executive with more than two decades of experience in team front offices, he appears on a variety of ESPN platforms, including Get Up, First Take, SportsCenter and NFL Live. Tannenbaum has also contributed to ESPN’s coverage of the NFL Draft since 2019, serving as an analyst on ESPN Radio.

In addition to his ESPN role, Tannenbaum is the founder of football think tank The 33rd Team, and he teaches Football Business Management: The Inner Workings of the NFL at Columbia University.

Prior to ESPN, Tannenbaum worked for several NFL franchises, most notably as executive vice president of football operations for the Miami Dolphins (2015-18), and executive vice president and general manager for the New York Jets (2006-12).

Under Tannenbaum’s leadership, the Dolphins made the playoffs in 2016 for the first time in eight seasons, and the Jets advanced to the playoffs in three seasons, won four playoff games and made two AFC Championship game appearances. Tannenbaum’s tenure as general manager of the Jets marked the most successful seven-year period in franchise history.

Between executive roles with the Jets and Dolphins, Tannenbaum represented head coaches Steve Kerr (Golden State Warriors), David Blatt (then with the Cleveland Cavaliers) and others serving as an agent and principal at Priority Sports and Entertainment from 2013-14.

Tannenbaum began his NFL career as an intern for the New Orleans Saints in 1994. He went on to the Cleveland Browns as a player personnel assistant in 1995, then returned to the Saints for the 1996 season.

In 1997, then-New York Jets head coach Bill Parcells, now a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, hired Tannenbaum as director of player contracts, launching his 16-year career with the team. From there, Tannenbaum advanced to director of pro player development/player contracts in 2000, assistant general manager/director of pro personnel in 2001 and general manager/senior vice president of football operations in 2006.

Tannenbaum graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst with a degree in accounting and then, while working for the Saints, earned his certificate in sports law, graduating cum laude from Tulane University Law School.

In 2008, while serving as a member of the American Bar Association in the sports and entertainment division, Tannenbaum was appointed to the Sports Lawyers Association board of directors. In the same year, he was also appointed to the NFL General Managers Advisory Committee.

Devoted to philanthropic endeavors and helping young people get their start in sports, Tannenbaum remains true to one of his core values that education and knowledge will always pave a successful path. In keeping with these beliefs, the Tannenbaum family instituted scholarship programs with Tannenbaum’s alma maters, UMass and Tulane Law School, as well as a New Jersey YMCA to afford young professionals the opportunity to pursue their passion in the sports industry without the burden of living expenses.

A native of Needham, Mass., Tannenbaum resides in Boca Raton, Fla., with his wife and their two children.

Kevin is an entertainment lawyer, entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist, and founder of leading entertainment law firm Yorn Levine, Through his law firm, investment firm, and ownership in category-defining companies including Spotify, Warby Parker, Impossible Foods, Lyft, Public.com, Thrive Market, and others, and in leading funds and vehicles including Plus Capital, SV Angel, Valor, Collaborative and The Helena Brain Trust, he embodies a true multi-hyphenate of the highest order. Kevin’s philanthropic affiliations include Stand Up 2 Cancer, Cedars-Sinai Hospital, and Tulane University.

In 2018, Yorn negotiated a record-breaking deal for his long-term client, Scarlett Johansson, making her the highest-earning actress in the history of cinema. Yorn also negotiated Zoe Saldaña’s deals in the Avatar and Marvel franchises. Johansson and Saldaña are the highest and second-highest grossing actresses of all time.

Yorn’s firm also represents globally-celebrated entertainment luminaries such as Alicia Keys, Anna Kendrick, CSI creator Anthony Zuiker, Black-ish creator Kenya Barris, TikTok influencers Charli and Dixie D’Amelio, Chris Rock, “the Dans”—Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert—who directed Everything Everywhere All At Once, Ellen DeGeneres, Eva Longoria, Gisele Bündchen, Jason Sudeikis, Jonah Hill, Jordan Peele, Matthew McConaughey, Mike Judge, Scarlett Johansson, Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk, Steph Curry, Taika Waititi, South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, Zach Galifianakis, and Zoe Saldaña, among many others.

In addition to brokering legacy deals on their behalf, Yorn also works alongside his clients to launch new ventures and seek to realize their most ambitious charitable endeavors. In 2014, Yorn co-created and led financing for his partnership with Ellen DeGeneres in Ellen Digital Ventures and her lifestyle brand, ED Ellen DeGeneres, and since its inception, Yorn has been instrumental in the work of the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in Rwanda.

Yorn proudly serves as a founding member on a number of corporate Boards including Common Sense Media, Language Media, LBI Entertainment, Zoe Saldaña’s BeSe, Ellen Digital Ventures, and Portia de Rossi’s General Public, which has an exclusive art partnership with Restoration Hardware.

He also plays a role in multiple non-profit organizations including serving on the Board of Governors of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, as Co-Chairman of the Tulane Fund, and as Chairperson, Founder, and Chief Benefactor of Tulane’s annual sports and entertainment symposium. In addition, the Yorn Family Fund proudly supports the life-saving efforts of Stand up to Cancer through large scale donations and in funding the development of high-impact content such as the upcoming documentary, Life, Unexpected, that will air on PBS and is projected to raise millions for pediatric cancer research.

Yorn graduated from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Business Administration, and earned his J.D. at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA. After graduating from law school, Yorn began his career working for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office as a Homicide Prosecutor in the Hardcore Gang Division.

Alongside his brothers Rick, a leading talent manager, and Pete, an acclaimed musician and singer/songwriter, Yorn is a part of a Hollywood royalty triumvirate. He is a passionate art creator and collector and alongside fellow artist, Leslie Nix, he Founded Studio 68, where the two create artisan furniture, lighting, and fine art.

Yorn splits his time between California, NYC, and New Orleans, where his daughter, Samantha, recently graduated from Tulane University.

About Yorn Levine Barnes Krintzman Rubenstein Kohner Endlich & Gellman
Yorn Levine is a leading, LA-based entertainment law firm serving a client roster of premiere talent and institutions in the industry. The firm also supports the fundraising efforts of venture and growth companies in all areas of consumer and tech, as well as assisting clients in the media ecosystem with their business investments and partnerships.

The firm’s clients include talent such as Scarlett Johansson, Mike Judge, Matthew McConaughey, Jordan Peele, and Jason Sudeikis. They also work with comedians such as Chris Rock and Sebastian Maniscalco, athletes like Steph Curry, and famed musicians such as Snoop Dogg and Alicia Keys. They represent creators behind Emmy-winning series like Hwang Dong-hyuk and Kim Ji-Yeon, executive producers of “Squid Game’’ on Netflix, Bill Lawrence, co-creator behind “Ted Lasso’’ on Apple TV+, the Duffer Brothers who created “Stranger Things’’ on Netflix, Dan Levy, the writer, executive producer, and actor for “Schitt’s Creek,” and Loren Bouchard, creator and animator behind “Bob’s Burgers.” They’re also proud to work with the celebrated duo “the Dans”—Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert—who directed “Everything Everywhere All At Once” among many others.

Tim Francis is a writer, producer, and practicing lawyer. He was born and raised on a Black college campus in New Orleans where his father, a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, was the longest serving college president in U.S. history. From there, Tim went on to work for a U.S. Cabinet Secretary and a U.S. Senator before moving to Los Angeles to work for Stevie Wonder. Since then, Tim and Stevie worked closely with the Secretary General of the United Nations to pass a global treaty that impacts the visually impaired. As a writer-producer, Tim has had a first look deal at Sony Pictures, a television project at Fremantle Media, and has a feature in development with Gary Ross and Matt Jackson, and a feature in development with Steven Pearl and Adam Kolbrenner at Lit Entertainment. Tim serves on the Board of Administrators of Tulane University, the Trombone Shorty Foundation, and the Murphy Institute- a political economy think-tank.

Jeff Frost enjoys over 25 years of experience in the entertainment industry, having worked at the highest levels of some of the most prominent television enterprises in the business. Frost most recently served as President of Sony Pictures Television Studios (“SPTS”), overseeing the studio’s rise to become the leading independent television studio. Frost is currently President of Bristol Circle Entertainment (“BCE”), a boutique production company focused on developing and producing premium and scripted dramas and comedies from some of the most preeminent writers and creators.

Representative Significant Accomplishments

• Frost orchestrated and successfully conducted the renegotiation with AMC for Breaking Bad that unlocked the rights for Sony to sell library episodes to Netflix, which exposed the iconic, yet then sparsely viewed series to new and broader audiences. This development helped to ultimately cement the iconic series as one of the greatest television projects of all time.
• Frost devised and implemented the strategy to move Norman Lear’s One Day at a Time from Netflix to CBS and Pop TV, marking it as the first major television series to move from Netflix to linear television.
• Frost devised and negotiated some of the earliest license agreements with the leading streamers, including Netflix, Amazon and Hulu, helping to usher in the era of original content at streaming platforms and achieved some of the highest license premiums paid to an independent studio by those streamers to date.
• Frost was instrumental in the rise of Sony Pictures Television Studios to its dominant position in the industry, overseeing the remarkable increase in the licensing of television series from less than a dozen to more than 50, including some of the most critically acclaimed and widely viewed programs on their respective platforms. Frost formulated and managed the business, licensing and creative strategy that resulted in the studio’s dramatic ascension.
• Under his newly formed production company, Bristol Circle Entertainment, Frost choreographed the development and licensing of the latest Vince Gilligan series, culminating in a two season straight to series order from Apple+ and significant premium license fee.

Bristol Circle Entertainment

Frost currently serves as President of Bristol Circle Entertainment, a premium production company dedicated to creating exceptional and distinctive television projects for digital, cable and broadcast platforms. Frost oversees all creative, business and production facets of the company, including devising and implementing the overall strategic focus of the venture. Shortly after the launch of the company, BCE’s first production, the Untitled Vince Gilligan Project, was licensed to Apple+ in the most significant and prominent television sale of the year. BCE is currently developing several premium properties based on underlying works of Stephen King, John Grisham and Stan Lee.

Sony Pictures Television Studios

Frost served as President of Sony Pictures Television Studios, managing all production, creative, business, marketing, research and programming divisions of the studio. Under his tenure, SPTS produced more than 50 television programs, distributed on more than 20 different platforms from broadcast to cable to streaming, including some of the most highly regarded and prominent programs on those platforms. SPTS’ productions encompassed all aspects of television, including scripted dramas and comedies, unscripted series, animation, game shows, soap operas, syndicated talk shows and television movies and limited series. As the largest and most prolific independent television studio, SPTS produced programming for virtually every major distribution platform, including Netflix, Apple+, Amazon, HBO, Showtime, Starz, FX, AMC, ABC, NBC and CBS. Productions included The Boys, Cobra Kai, Better Call Saul, The Good Doctor, Shark Tank, Wheel of Time, Crossing Swords, The Afterparty, S.W.A.T., The Blacklist and Outlander.

Frost was instrumental in recruiting and retaining some of SPTS’ premier talent for the studio, including Phil Lord & Chris Miller, Howard Gordon & Alex Gansa, Amy Lippman, Vince Gilligan, Carla Kettner, Neil Moritz, Norman Lear, Michele Fazekas & Tara Butters, Nick Stoller and Tyler the Creator. Frost also orchestrated the move of numerous series from one platform to another, following cancellation on the initial platform, including Cobra Kai from You Tube to Netflix, One Day at A Time from Netflix to Pop and LA’s Finest from NBC to Spectrum. Frost was actively involved in the creation of numerous new business templates and license agreements with broadcasters, streamers and cable networks as the industry evolved and the business needs of studios and distributors transformed. Frost also established Gemstone Studios, the innovative sub-studio within SPTS focused on creating and producing cost-efficient, quality “indie” style programming.

Formerly, as Executive Vice-President, U.S. Business Affairs for SPT, Frost played a lead role in SPT’s overall strategy and negotiations with the studio’s broadcast and production partners and talent, overseeing the studio’s U.S. Business Affairs Department, including day to day operations as well as strategic counsel on the company’s network, cable and syndicated television productions. Frost managed SPT’s negotiations between the studio and its partners at networks, production companies, talent, and other outside companies. In this role, Frost was one of the key architects of the initial licensing templates for emerging platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu.

Earlier Positions

Frost joined SPT in 2008 from ABC Studios, where he served as Senior Vice-President, Business Affairs for the studio’s traditional production arm, as well as their digital media group. Frost joined ABC in 1997 as an attorney in the litigation department and, beginning in 1999, held posts in the legal affairs and business affairs departments for the production company, Touchstone Television, through 2003, when he segued into ABC Cable Networks as Senior Vice-President and Head of Legal Affairs. He rejoined Touchstone Television in 2005 as Senior Vice-President, leading the legal department before taking on his role at SPT in Business Affairs. Series in which Frost was involved include Lost, Grey’s Anatomy and Desperate Housewives.

JAMES ADOLPHUS crafts globally resonant films that navigate the profound intersections of social, cultural, and political landscapes. His journey in cinema and storytelling is profoundly marked by his unique personal history and professional pursuits. Born to a bi-racial family, with one half descended from Black Americans subjected to enslavement and the other from Spanish and Portuguese New World colonizers, Adolphus has navigated life beyond the conventional ethnic and racial throughlines of America. This heritage has provided him with a deeply painful and exceptionally insightful perspective, fostering a commitment to storytelling that upholds the highest standards of journalistic ethics.

Recently, Adolphus’ keen vision found a canvas in the HBO Original, BEING MARY TYLER MOORE, a feature documentary that unveiled the spring season on HBO/MAX. Garnering a Prime Time Emmy Nomination for Best Documentary, this cinematic exploration, co-produced by Lena Waithe’s Hillman Grad and Adolphus’ Good Trouble Studios (co-founded with Ben Selkow), delves into the pioneering trajectory of Mary Tyler Moore. This iconic figure’s career is a testament to her transformative impact on the entertainment realm and societal perceptions of women’s roles.

With an unwavering commitment to authenticity, Adolphus is at the helm of GIFTED & BLACK for Amazon Studios. This ambitious project paints a vivid tapestry of Black creativity in music, tracing its rich lineage from historical plantations to the Pulitzer Prize.

Boasting nine Emmy nominations and winner of three, James directed SOUL OF A NATION for ABC News, an unprecedented Black news magazine television series. This poignant series offers a candid lens into the lived experiences of Black Americans, especially in the wake of the profound societal upheavals following George Floyd’s tragic passing.

In 2004, Adolphus traveled to the West Bank, Palestine, during the Second Intifada. His ethnic background gave him a unique viewpoint in a region marked by conflict. That experience has profoundly influenced his filmmaking, leading to projects in Palestine and Israel, including the short film currently being developed into his first scripted feature film, THE WARREN, based on those experiences and his guilt over the tragic loss of a student while navigating the nuance and complexities of life under occupation.

His directorial endeavors include Netflix’s DATING AROUND, Quibi’s YOU AINT GOT THESE, and the thought-provoking LITTLE WHITE LIE for Independent Lens. Adolphus’ cinematic expertise also graces projects like Disney Plus’s ENCORE!, HBO’s REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL, Netflix’s RAPTURE, and CNN’S BELIEVER WITH REZA ASLAN, showcasing his versatility and profound understanding of the human experience.

The documentary VISIONS OF LIGHT inspired Adolphus’s cinematic path and was nurtured at the American Film Institute (AFI). His potential was recognized with the Fisher Fellow Scholarship, laying the groundwork for his career. His achievements include three Peabody Awards for Cinematography, an Emmy Award for direction, two Emmy Awards for producing, and a Critics Choice Award for Best Archival Documentary for BEING MARY TYLER MOORE.

Through his films and experiences, James Adolphus presents cinematic narratives and reflections of a life lived at the crossroads of diverse cultures and backgrounds.

Paul Bassman is an insurance broker and Managing Director with Higginbotham, a single source solution for insurance, financial and HR services that ranks in the top 20 of national brokers. Paul has extensive experience assisting clients with risk management services in the entertainment industry.

Previously, Paul also served clients in the entertainment industry and beyond as the President/CEO of Ascend Insurance Brokerage, the President of Doodson Insurance Brokerage, and a Partner with CSI Insurance Group. Before that, Paul worked in the music industry including as a manager for bands like Drowning Pool and Flickerstick. Paul earned his Bachelors in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin in 1993.

Entertainment, media, and sports clients turn to Traci Bransford for strategic counsel on the full range of their legal needs. She is the leader of Parker Poe’s Sports & Entertainment Industry Team and has over 30 years of experience.

Traci focuses her practice on transactional law with an emphasis on clients in music, television, film, literary publishing, and sports. She serves as outside general counsel in those industries and others, including retail, education, and health care. She guides her clients through many aspects of their businesses, including intellectual property management, contract negotiation, and brand strategy. Her clients benefit from her multi-jurisdictional experience from California to New York, and most recently Georgia and Minnesota, as well as her commitment to the tenets of diversity, equity, and inclusion. This background allows her to offer comprehensive solutions to key legal challenges.

Traci regularly speaks before national audiences about entertainment, media, sports, and celebrity philanthropy. She is a member of leading sports and entertainment law associations and serves on several nonprofit boards.

Earlier in her career, Traci served as general counsel to the world-renowned performing artist Prince and served as the chief executive for the legal affairs of his corporate entities, including Paisley Park Enterprises. That experience shaped much of her work ethic in serving high-profile entertainment clients and meeting their specific legal needs. It continues to inform her work today as she negotiates agreements for entertainers, athletes, and leading media companies.

Traci earned her Bachelor of Arts from Spelman College in Atlanta and her Juris Doctor from New York University School of Law.

Jeff Dorso is currently in his seventh season with the Sacramento Kings, where he serves as Senior Vice President and General Counsel.

Dorso oversees all legal and real estate development matters for the Sacramento Kings and its group of companies, which include the LEED Platinum Golden 1 Center, the NBA G-League team Stockton Kings, Kings Guard Gaming of the NBA 2K esports league, the award-winning Kimpton Sawyer Hotel, and the Sacramento River Cats, the AAA baseball affiliate of the San Francisco Giants.

Prior to coming in house with the Kings, Dorso co-founded and served as Managing Partner of Pioneer Law Group LLP, where his practice included work for clients, such as Airbnb, LiveNation, the Sacramento Kings, and San Jose Sharks. In 2013, the Mayor of Sacramento engaged Dorso to help lead the fight to keep the Kings in Sacramento, negotiate and develop a public-private partnership for the financing of a new arena, and identify a new ownership group to purchase the Sacramento Kings. Following that success, the Kings engaged Dorso as lead outside counsel overseeing the entitlement, litigation, and development of the award winning Golden 1 Center and surrounding Downtown Commons development.

Dorso is an active member of the academic and non-profit communities. He currently serves as a Visiting Adjunct Professor at the UC Davis Law School where he teaches the business of professional sports. He also has served on the board of directors of the Sacramento Ballet Company, the Sacramento Zoo, Miyamoto Global Disaster Relief, Solar Cookers International, CLARA – the E. Claire Raley Studios for the Performing Arts, and Valley Vision.

Dorso graduated in 2001 with a juris doctorate from Tulane Law School, with a specialty certificate in Sports Law.

In January 2019, Christina Francis became the first female President of Magic Johnson Enterprises (MJE) where she is responsible for managing and directing the corporation’s day-to-day operations including strategy and business development, while overseeing the organizations ownership properties and prestigious partnerships including JLC Infrastructure, SodexoMagic, Cigna Healthcare, Capital One, Google, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Los Angeles Football Club, and the Los Angeles Sparks. Most recently, she added the distinguished title of Executive Producer to her resume for, “They Call Me Magic,” the highest grossing docuseries per episode upon its release in April 2022 on AppleTV+. Francis joined the company in 2014 as the senior vice president of marketing and communications.

Prior to Magic Johnson Enterprises, Ms. Francis was the vice president of marketing & events for NFL PLAYERS INC., where she led the group’s extensive brand and event marketing initiatives, including innovative player promotions, special events, advertising, digital and broadcast media, and public relations. In this role Ms. Francis created the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, which showcases collegiate talent to NFL scouts and has continued successfully since its inception.

Before joining NFL PLAYERS, INC. Ms. Francis served as chief marketing officer for the Orange Bowl Committee overseeing the Fedex Orange Bowl and BCS National Championship game. During her four-year tenure, the Orange Bowl brand experienced record growth and visibility while the affiliated events attracted tens of thousands of visitors who fueled South Florida with millions of dollars in economic impact. Her reputation as one of the top minds in sports and entertainment was forged on both the client and agency side including strategic marketing roles with Fortune 500 companies such as Burger King Corporation, Walt Disney World, Nissan Motor Corporation and IBM.

Ms. Francis’ board and committee memberships have included her alma mater Xavier University of Louisiana Board of Trustees, Greater Miami Tennis Foundation, Impact Circle of Big Brother/Big Sister of Miami, National Black MBA, and Links Incorporated. She currently serves on the board of Winners Alliance which is a for profit that serves the interest of professional tennis players and a public specialty value retailer of apparel, accessories and home trends called Citi Trends. In 2023 Ms. Francis was named a Sports Business Journal Game Changer and in 2022 Sports Illustrated on SI.com highlighted her as one of the “Top 100 Influential Women in Sports”. In 2019 she received the “Visionary Award” from C-Suite Quarterly and was named one of 500 most influential people in Los Angeles by Los Angeles Business Journal. She was honored at Ebony’s 2017 “Women Up” event and was named one of the “25 Most Influential and Prominent Black Women” of 2009 in Success Magazine South Florida.

A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Ms. Francis was valedictorian of her graduating class and received her BA from Xavier University, an MBA from the University of New Orleans, and was a Fellow for the Consortium in Graduate Study and Management at the University of Texas.

Robert Fyvolent was born in Tampa, Florida. He graduated with a degree in political science from Tulane University in New Orleans and thereafter attended law school at South Texas College of Law in Houston and Loyola University School of Law in Los Angeles, earning his JD degree. Robert spent five years working as an attorney for The Walt Disney Company and another five years at Sony Pictures Entertainment, where he acted as Assistant General Counsel in the Screen Gems and Home Entertainment divisions.

While at Sony, Robert worked as counsel for the studio on independently produced film acquisitions, which included titles such as Arlington Road, Black and White, and David Cronenberg’s Crash, as well as titles from the Jim Henson library. Robert worked for 11 years at Newmarket Films where, as the Head of Business and Legal Affairs, helped build a library of over 250 films. Newmarket Films was the independent production and theatrical distribution company responsible for such well known films as Memento, Donnie Darko, Whale Rider, Monster, The Prestige and Boondock Saints. His work with Newmarket on Passion of the Christ, led to the most successful independent theatrical film release in history. Prior to winning a Sundance Award Winner for his own produced film, Robert worked on a prior Sundance winning documentary, “God Grew Tired of Us” which was acquired during the festival for worldwide distribution by Newmarket.

Robert is currently a solo entertainment law practitioner with a broad range of entertainment industry clients; Production legal work has included such films as “Trumbo” “Cake”, “Cries from Syria” and “Captain Fantastic”. His work with Oscar nominated client and documentary filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky, led to an Executive Producer credit on “Francesco”. For over 10 years, Robert has represented LatinX oriented Pantelion Films, producer of the Eugenio Derbez movies, “Instructions Not Included”, “How to Be A Latin Lover”, and “Overboard” and “Radical” which will open the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.

Robert was a PGA accredited producer on the documentary entitled Summer of Soul (Or…When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson. The documentary has won numerous awards, including the prestigious Audience and Grand Jury Prizes at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, as well as 6 New York Critics’ Choice Awards, a Peabody Award, The Independent Spirit Award, BAFTA, Best Documentary from the Producers Guild of America, an Oscar for Best Documentary from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, and a Grammy for Best Music Film.

Robert is also a WGA member and worked professionally as a screenwriter; He won first prize in an Atom Films screenwriting competition. He later collaborated and was a credited writer on the original screenplay, Untraceable, which was produced staring Diane Lane and directed by Gregory Hoblit. The film was released theatrically in February 2008 by Sony Screen Gems Pictures. He’s also written for Dreamworks and other independent producers.

Robert has regularly attended film markets around the world and has been invited to speak at industry invents including the Rio Film Festival and the Toronto Film Festival; his legal work has involved all aspects of film and television production, acquisition, financing and distribution as well as the representation of writers, producers and other talent. Currently, Robert is continuing to work as a producer on a documentary film slate through his company Mass Distraction Media.

Brandon Harrell serves as Vice President, Legal & Business Affairs for Live Nation Entertainment, the world’s leading live entertainment company, where he is responsible for legal and business affairs matters related but not limited to concerts, touring, artist performance, booking, festivals, co-promotion, production and venue consulting.

Prior to joining Live Nation, Harrell served as Vice President, Deputy General Counsel for the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games (“LA28”) which will take place in Los Angeles, CA. In his role with LA28, he was responsible for overseeing legal matters related to the delivery of the Games, including venues, infrastructure, sport programming, accommodations, hospitality, transportation, security, municipal services and related-events.

Before joining LA28, Harrell served as Vice President, Legal & Business Affairs for the Philadelphia 76ers National Basketball Association franchise and Director of Legal Affairs for the Seattle Seahawks National Football League franchise. He represented both teams in a range of matters, including transactions related to media rights, sponsorships, merchandising, licensing, technology, IP, employment, real estate and other commercial arrangements; stadium/venue development, use and lease agreements; business process outsourcing arrangements; and numerous additional key transactions. He also managed litigation, including media rights, employment, breach of contract, bankruptcy, insurance and other litigation matters; criminal, civil and league investigations; and arbitrations and mediations, including collective bargaining agreement grievances.

Harrell began his legal career as a litigation associate in the Washington, DC office of Beveridge & Diamond, PC where he served as counsel to former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue during his service as the hearing officer for an arbitration between the NFL and NFL Players Association.

He has served on the Board of Directors for the Public Interest Law Center and the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle. In addition, Harrell has provided pro bono representation to domestic violence victims and underrepresented tenants.

He was an awardee of the National Bar Association’s Nation’s Best Advocates 40 Lawyers Under 40 Award. A graduate of Tulane University Law School, he obtained his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Hampton University. Harrell is a native of New Orleans, LA and currently resides in Los Angeles, CA.

Doug is a partner at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP), having joined in 2023 following six years at the National Football League. At the NFL, Doug handled every major gambling-related transaction (including the League’s first gambling sponsorships and sports betting data and live video distribution agreements). Prior to the NFL, Doug worked in Las Vegas as SVP, Legal & Business Affairs of international sports betting technology company Metric Gaming, where Doug oversaw the company’s legal and regulatory matters.

During his tenure at the NFL, Doug was also instrumental in shaping the League’s sponsorship and media commercial gambling policies in the wake of the Supreme Court declaring the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act unconstitutional – drawing on industry experience to develop the policies governing the League’s (and its 32 member clubs’) gambling-related commercial activities.

At BCLP, Doug’s practice includes advising clients, including major U.S. sports leagues and teams, on sports betting policy and compliance matters, gambling and daily fantasy sports (DFS) laws and legislative developments, sponsorship deals in the sportsbook and DFS categories, primary ticketing deals and other large commercial transactions.

Jon Phelps is in his ninth year with the Detroit Pistons where he serves as the Senior Director of Basketball Strategy. He previously was the General Manager for the Pistons’ G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Drive.

Phelps graduated from Siena College with a bachelor’s degree in English. While at Siena he was a manager for the men’s basketball team. He graduated from Tulane University School of Law in 2012 with a certificate in Sports Law, and was a member of the Tulane Law Review.

Jim Nelson is a co-chair of the Technology, Media, and Commercial Group, member of the firm’s Management Committee, and partner-in-charge of Venable’s San Francisco office. Jim focuses on intellectual property-centered businesses that emphasize the development, production, and commercialization of IP assets. He manages a range of commercial contract and outsourcing engagements, in addition to general corporate work forming and financing companies and supporting them in mergers, sales, acquisitions, and joint ventures. His clients range from emerging growth to Fortune 50 companies—often located or acting globally—in technology, media and entertainment, music, life sciences, financial services, and hospitality, among others.

In his IP transactions work, Jim focuses on the revenue side of his client’s business, supporting clients creating value through the use of IP. This includes providing strategic business advice and drafting and negotiating commercial agreements. He has broad experience in the life sciences field working with agreements covering all aspects of innovation and product development as well as product manufacturing, distribution, and sale. His media and entertainment work involves substantial work in licensing IP assets of various types, including managing name, image, and likeness deals and the formation of new companies and joint ventures to commercialize new product offerings. For technology-driven companies, he is particularly focused on the development, protection, and leveraging of various solutions and their related IP rights, whether they are driven by new technologies (e.g., AI or LLMs) or are more traditional approaches. Many of the technology deals involve the development and commercialization of software, whether as bespoke solutions or standardized products—delivered via the cloud or made available locally. Such deals regularly include the use, protection, and monetization of data as well. In many of these transactions, Jim works closely with Venable’s deep bench of IP and regulatory attorneys to cover all aspects of such transactions and his clients’ larger business.

He also has particular experience with sourcing transactions, working with both major corporate customers and technology and business process vendors. Jim has led sourcing transactions involving the development, implementation, or use of technologies, as well as business process outsourcing services, including real estate management. These sourcing deals have been competitive bid and sole source, and many have involved working in cooperation with third-party intermediaries.

As part of his general corporate practice, he provides counsel to companies of all sizes in corporate matters, whether focused on financings, mergers, or acquisitions or assisting them with the analysis, triage, and disposition of the wide variety of legal matters they confront.

TBA

Tyrone “Ty” Thomas serves as Co-Chair of the Sports Industry Team at the law firm of Holland & Knight. Mr. Thomas focuses on matters concerning C-suite executives across for profit and non-profit employers including educational institutions, trade associations, and sports organizations. He has handled high profile investigations involving allegations of workplace misconduct, fiscal impropriety, and violations of NCAA and professional league rules for over 20 years.

Mr. Thomas represents clients on complex legal issues in athletics. In intercollegiate athletic matters, his experience includes laws and regulations for name/image/likeness deals and programs, enforcement investigations, and appeals of penalties assessed to institutions, athletics staff and student-athletes. He advises colleges on Title IX, privacy issues, employment contracts and policies for athletics personnel. In professional sports matters, he has experience advising teams on league compliance issues and other legal matters.

Mr. Thomas advises boards, presidents and other senior executives on employment, consulting and separation agreements. In providing compliance assessments on governance issues, he advises boards and compensation committees on Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations governing intermediate sanctions, incentive programs and Form 990 reporting. In the scope of his practice, he has advised on executive employment arrangements and transitions involving over 250 academic institutions.

In addition to his legal practice, Mr. Thomas is a frequent speaker for various associations in higher education on presidential compensation and executive searches, including the American Council on Education (ACE), National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA), American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and Council of Independent Colleges (CIC). He is nationally recognized for his experience in sports matters and has served as a legal analyst for The New York Times, ESPN, Forbes, Bloomberg, Sports Illustrated, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Sports Business Journal, and University Business. He was recognized by Sports Business Journal with the distinction of “Power Players: Outside Counsel” in 2021. In 2022, he received the Chambers North America award for “Diversity and Inclusion: Outstanding Contribution.”

Warren K. Zola serves as the Executive Director of the Boston College Chief Executives Club, a program of the Carroll School of Management at Boston College. Long recognized as one of the world’s premier business forums, the Boston College Chief Executives Club gathers keynote speakers to address Boston’s business leaders. The speakers are the world’s most influential CEOs drawn from the top echelons of their fields—thought leaders who welcome the opportunity to address an audience of their peers.

In addition, Zola is an adjunct faculty member in the Carroll School’s department of Business Law & Society teaching two graduate courses—Sports Law and the Business of Sports. As an attorney and key opinion leader in the business of sports and sports law, Zola is frequently relied upon by the national media for his insight and perspective, and was invited to a Congressional roundtable discussion as an expert to discuss reform in college athletics. In addition, he has provided scholarly articles for legal textbooks, books, law reviews, and newspapers.

Zola earned a B.A. with Honors from Hobart & William Smith Colleges, a J.D. from Tulane University, and an M.B.A. from Boston College. He has been an active member of the Sports Lawyers Association and Massachusetts Bar since 1993. Zola serves on the Board of Directors of four non-profit organizations: Mass Mentoring Partnership, Sports Lawyers Association, You Can Play, and his alma mater, Hobart & William Smith Colleges.

Brian Burkin is executive vice president of business affairs for Columbia-TriStar Motion Picture Group, Sony Pictures Entertainment. Burkin first joined Sony Pictures in 2007 in New York City and later moved to Sony’s headquarters in Culver City, Calif. Currently, he serves as head of business affairs at TriStar Pictures, where he is responsible for managing the business operations, including negotiating deals for talent, rights and financing, as well as for sales and acquisitions.

Prior to serving at TriStar, Burkin was head of business affairs and operations at Sony’s International Motion Picture Production unit, which produces theatrical features in local languages around the world, including in China, Russia, India and Germany. Previously, Burkin worked for nearly 10 years at Miramax Films, where he was senior vice president of business affairs.

Burkin started his career in New York City, where he practiced corporate law, commercial litigation and transactional entertainment law. Burkin earned his BA from Penn State University and his JD from Tulane University Law School.

Tim serves as chair of DUGGAN BERTSCH’S Litigation group, and brings to the Firm a reputation as one of the top lawyers in sports and entertainment in the country. Tim’s civil litigation and trial experience covers commercial, construction, product liability, partnership disputes, entertainment, sports, hospitality, conferences/trade associations, and large loss claims. Tim’s Sports Law practice focuses on the litigation needs of players, coaches, teams and schools and serves as Chair of the firm’s Sports Law practice group. Tim’s Sports Law practice is all-encompassing, but is litigation-based at its core. It spans from injuries on the athletic field (plaintiff and defense), to sports product issues, to disappointment lawsuits (lack of/misuse of an athlete’s playing time), amateur representation issues (while not violating NCAA rules), NCAA/high school association violations, personal website/social networking issues, multiplier/anti-recruiting measures, recreational immunity, coach’s standing to sue/file TRO’s, Olympic issues, off-the-field issues during athletic trips, doping/drug testing, construction/sports issues, and the intersection of sports/religion.

In the entertainment world, Tim serves as general counsel and outside consulting counsel to numerous music and arts promoters, producers, venues, events, and festivals, from Collectiv Presents to Sofar Sounds; from Elsewhere in Brooklyn to El Corazon in Seattle; from Pitchfork and Riot Fest to Life is Beautiful and Baja Beach Fest. Tim’s work in this space spans North America, counseling clients in all aspects of the business including contract negotiation and drafting, risk management, insurance needs, claims management, and strategic consulting. Tim’s trusted counsel in the entertainment space has made him a sought-after speaker at major entertainment meetings and conferences including Billboard, IEBA, and Pollstar. Tim’s work in entertainment has earned him recognition by Billboard as one of the top lawyers in music. Tim also served as a member of XLIVE’s Advisory Board, speaking at the XLIVE annual conference series which assembled industry leaders at the intersection of music, sports, film, culinary, beverage, eSports, technology, and brands, providing an opportunity for them to discover and discuss the latest trends and issues surrounding the industry.

Tim’s work in food, beverage, and hospitality has him serving as counselor to many founders and operators from public-facing F&B brands and white-label processors, to the bars, restaurants, event venues, stores, and other retailers who sell and distribute.

Tim is on the list of approved lawyers for the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) which is compiled by the Athlete Ombudsman Office (AOO). The list consists of attorneys who have expertise in Olympic-related issues for athletes in need of legal counsel.

Tim serves as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Loyola University Chicago School of Law. He currently teaches courses in Sports and Entertainment Law. Tim also serves as a curriculum advisor for EXPLO’s Sports and Entertainment Law course offered at Yale University. EXPLO is a world renowned international not-for-profit organization providing learning opportunities to students of all ages.

Tim is an accomplished legal writer, published as an author and contributor in nationally respected law reviews, periodicals, and bar association publications including the University of Virginia, the University of Texas, the Chicago Tribune, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Bar Association, Crain’s Chicago Business, USA Today, the University of Illinois, ESPN the Magazine, the University of Pittsburgh, the Seattle Times, Sports Litigation Alert, Legal Issues in Collegiate Athletics, the American Lawyer, the Sports Business Journal, Sports Facilities and the Law, and The Wall Street Journal. Tim has earned the respect and trust of his fellow attorneys by being selected for numerous bar association leadership positions, including his previous work as the Defense Research Institute (the national defense trial bar) Sports Law Special Litigation Group Chairman. Tim is listed in the Sports Law Expert Witness Directory and has been featured multiple times in the DRI Leadership Spotlight. Tim has also served as a legal analyst for ABC, Fox, and WGN.

Prior to joining the firm, Tim served as a Partner and Chair of the Sports and Event Law Group at SmithAmundsen, and worked as a summer associate for Donohue, Brown, Mathewson & Smyth, and Corboy & Demetrio.

While attending law school, Tim was the notes editor for the Elder Law Journal, Founder/President of the Irish Law Students Association, a Cali Award Winner for Academic Excellence and a Rickert Award Winner for Excellence in Legal Publication. He was also a teaching assistant for Legal Writing at the College of Law, and Ethics in Engineering at the College of Engineering. Tim is a member of the Board of Advisors of the Sports Law Institute (SLI) at Vermont Law School, and has served in an honorary position with the Fetzer Institute, specifically as a member of the Fetzer Advisory Council on Sports, and Embodied Spiritual Practices. The Fetzer Institute is a private, nonprofit operating foundation that engages with people and programs working to bring the power of love and forgiveness to the center of individual, organizational and community life. Tim has served as a member of the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) Legal Task Force, and a member of the Selection Committee for the Tillman Military Scholars program.

Tim is an “AV” rated lawyer from Martindale-Hubbell, representing recognition of legal knowledge, analytical capabilities, judgment, communication ability and legal experience by his peers. He has also been selected by his peers for inclusion in Super Lawyers® lists since 2011, and Leading Lawyer lists since its inception. Tim has received recognition from The Irish Legal 100 for his contributions to the legal profession and his Irish heritage since 2015. This annual list honors the nations most accomplished and distinguished lawyers of Irish descent. In 2016, Tim was nominated and identified as one of Illinois’ top attorneys, earning him the honor of being selected as one of Law Bulletins Forty Under 40 honorees. The committee at Law Bulletin Publishing Company sifted through over 1,300 nominations to select 40 of the most talented young attorneys practicing in Illinois. The 40 chosen for this recognition possessed intelligence, passion, success in the office, a desire to help community and most importantly, a willingness to work hard at one of the country’s most important professions.

Ms. Kathleen T. Francis is a recognized sports marketing leader with over 30years experience leading the development and implementation of high-impact marketing programs. Over her career, Ms. Francis has created and executed unique, multi-faceted sports marketing strategies that work at the grassroots level, for not-for-profit as well as major corporations including Major League Baseball, Meadowlands Sports Complex and the United States Tennis Association. As Founder and President of Oasis Sports Ventures, LLC, Ms. Francis has used her knowledge to support the growth and expansion of youth service organizations in the tennis industry such as the USTA Foundation and Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program, as well as reposition the Tennis Industry Association (TIA), to name a few. Currently, she is Chair and President of WISE, the foremost career and leadership development organization for women in the business of sports.

Sports Business Journal recognized Ms. Francis as one of its “Top 40 under 40 Sports Executives” and also for two consecutive years, SBJ recognized her as one of its “Top 25 Women Sports Executive”. Crain’s New York Business named her one of the Notable Women in the Business of Sports. Ebony honored her with its Outstanding Women Award and the Boys & Girls Club of America awarded her the Champion for Youth Award. She received the prestigious Women of the Year honor from Women in Sports and Events. Ms Francis has served two terms on the United States Tennis Association Nominating Committee and is in her 2nd term on the USTA Board, currently in the role of a Board Vice President. She also serves on the Advisory Boards of the NFL Players Inc and the newly established Women’s Sports Network, LLC.

Ms. Francis earned her MBA from Rutgers University and her BA from Xavier University of Louisiana. She resides in New York City.

For almost two decades, Ms. Gipson has represented both individuals and organizations in the professional sports field, with increasing crossover into entertainment and brand icon representation. Current and former clients include entertainment personalities, professional athletes in the National Basketball Association and the National Football League as well as Sports Franchises and Sports Leagues.

Ms. Gipson has worked on various transactions and representative matters, ranging from sports franchise ownership transfers, arbitration & contract dispute resolution, labor and employment issues to handling player marketing contracts and endorsement deals, business investments and philanthropic foundation endeavors.

Ms. Gipson earned a Bachelor of Science in Communication from Cornell University and a Doctor of Law degree from Cornell Law School with a concentration in Business Law and Regulation. Ms. Gipson is admitted to practice in New York and Louisiana. She first moved to New Orleans in 2004 for a one-year contract to serve as a Federal Law Clerk to the Honorable Ivan L.R. Lemelle in the Eastern District of Louisiana, United States District Court and has remained a resident of New Orleans ever since.

Attorney Kimberly K. Haynes is among Atlanta and Baton Rouge’s elite civically engaged leaders within the professional community. A graduate of Spelman College and Tulane University School of Law, Haynes is Founder and CEO of OMBI Group LLC, a premier sports and entertainment firm that specializes in the representation of sports and entertainment professionals and executives. She is also Principal of Haynes Johnson LLC, a boutique entertainment law firm handling music, film, television, and literary matters, civil litigation, estate planning, and small business needs. With over 15 years of experience, Haynes has nurtured OMBI Group and Haynes Johnson into successful organizations that specialize in managing professional athletes and entertainers’ professional and personal endeavors, in addition to cultivating a full-service nonprofit consulting group.

Jennifer Lewis is the General Counsel of the Los Angeles Clippers, where she oversees all legal matters for the organization including venues, the Intuit Dome and Kia Forum. Previously, she was the General Counsel of Redbud Brands and, before Redbud, the General Counsel of The SpringHill Company; and the Managing Vice President of Business Affairs at Disney Parks, Experiences and Consumer Products with a specialty in complex business transactions and media rights acquisitions, talent and athlete sponsorship and promotion negotiations. She was a key synergy partner and thought leader with other studio business segments, coordinating on talent-related matters, ancillary rights negotiations, music licensing issues, trademark strategy and operations.

Earlier in her career, Jennifer worked as an executive at Live Nation, MGM, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Fox Family Worldwide.

Jennifer is a Tulane Law School alumni and holds a BBA from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University. Jennifer has a strong commitment to the diversity of representation and has served as a board member for multiple non-profit organizations.

Vicky Neumeyer was named Senior Vice President/General Counsel of the New Orleans Pelicans, in addition to serving in the same position for the New Orleans Saints, in June, 2012, overseeing all legal aspects of both teams.

Providing comprehensive legal consultation and services to the two clubs’ executive staff and assuring compliance in all of the organizations’ business endeavors, Neumeyer has been a key member of the Saints front office since joining the club in 2000 and was promoted to vice president/general counsel in 2006.

Her responsibilities include drafting key documents – including leases, sponsorship agreements and broadcast contracts – identifying and analyzing legal issues and presenting comprehensive recommendations.

A member of the Louisiana and federal bar associations, prior to joining the Saints, Neumeyer spent over five years as an in-house corporate litigation attorney for Exxon. Previously she served as a judicial clerk for the Supreme Court of Louisiana and was in private practice as a consultant to major corporate clients and law firms.

Neumeyer possesses extensive experience in Sports Law, including antitrust, labor and organizational matters. She also has a comprehensive background in CAD engineering, software development firm drafting, negotiating contracts worldwide, copyrighting and in handling legal business issues.

In 2004, Neumeyer was selected by the Saints to attend the Stanford Business School’s Executive Education NFL-Stanford Program for Managers, an educational program and honor known league-wide as an important training ground for promising executives. She has also been invited to speak at several venues, including Harvard Law School, The Sports Lawyer’s Association annual conferences, American Bar Association programs, Tulane Law School, and Loyola University New Orleans Law School. She sits on the boards of The NOCCA Institute, the INFINITY Science Center, the Arizona State University Sports Law Program as well as the Sports Lawyers’ Association, and is actively involved with the Girl Scouts of Southeast Louisiana.

After completing her undergraduate work Summa Cum Laude at the University of Wisconsin, Neumeyer earned a Master of Science Degree in Audiology at the school. She graduated with honors from Loyola Law School and attained a Master of Law with Distinction with a dual emphasis in Intellectual Property Law and Sports Law from Tulane School of Law.

Dan is the COO at Amazon Studios, overseeing business affairs, physical production, operations, music and casting. In this role, Dan has oversight in these areas for all original content produced for the Amazon Prime Video platform, encompassing television and feature films in the US, as well as Local Originals produced for many countries globally. Recently, he has taken a lead role in integrating the MGM teams into the Amazon family. Among the shows he has worked on and helped bring in to Amazon are “Lord of the Rings”, “The Boys”, “Jack Ryan”, and many others. Previously, he was General Counsel & Head of Business Affairs at The Jim Henson Company, and has also held business affairs roles for Fox Television, Disney, and the Screen Actors Guild. Well before that, he was a Deputy Public Defender in Northern California.

Mercedes Townsend is an Associate Attorney at Casey Denson Law where she represents employees in labor and employment matters, with particular focus on workplace discrimination and harassment, and represents litigants in civil rights matters against the State. Ms. Townsend is also the Founder of Friend of the Court, a global, online platform dedicated to developments in Women’s Sports Law. She has presented on Title IX developments to bar associations and sports media programs across the country and was named a Rising Star in Labor & Employment Law by Super Lawyers in 2023 and 2024. In addition to her professional endeavors, Ms. Townsend is a coalition member of Laureus Sport for Good New Orleans, which seeks to address barriers to access affecting youth athletes across the City.

Before law school, Ms. Townsend earned her Master’s in Women’s History from Sarah Lawrence College. She is dedicated to navigating the complexities of equity issues across industries, and is passionate about ensuring meaningful access for all.

Kathy Christovich serves as the Assistant Executive Director for the Writers Guild of America West. In her 20 plus years at the WGAW, she has played a key role in four negotiation cycles of WGAW’s collective bargaining agreement with the American Motion Picture and Television Producers, including the most recent 2023 negotiations and related strike action. She focuses on the development and execution of more fully integrated enforcement policies for WGAW, and regularly advises writers and others regarding the interpretation and enforcement of WGAW’s collective bargaining agreement. Kathy earned a Bachelor’s degree from UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television in 1991 and a J.D. from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in 1995.

Demeka currently serves as Counsel – Global Sports Marketing for New Balance. In her current role, Demeka supports the Global Sports Marketing Department and negotiates and drafts sponsorship and partnership deals with individual athletes and teams across various sports including international football, basketball, baseball, and track and field. She has served as lead attorney during negotiations of deals with athletes including tennis star Coco Gauff, baseball star Shohei Ohtani and basketball star Zach Lavine and teams including European Football club AS Roma. In addition, Demeka assists with managing company relationships with key stakeholders including the New York Road Runners organization, operators of the New York City Marathon, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association and Klutch Athletics. Demeka also helps lead various diversity initiatives at New Balance, including the New Balance-UMass Boston Sports Leadership Internship Program and a partnership with Divine 9 organizations that features shoes, apparel and other avenues for the company to give back. Demeka serves as Chair of Black Soles, New Balance’s first associate resource group. Demeka also currently serves as the General Counsel for the Black Sports Business Symposium, an annual event created to establish a more inclusive and equitable professional sports communities. Demeka assists with symposium strategy and leads all contract and negotiations for the conference.

Before joining New Balance, Demeka served as Associate Counsel for the Minnesota Vikings. A military child who has lived in cities across the country and the world, Demeka received her Bachelor of Business Administration from Howard University and her law degree from Tulane University’s School of Law.

Curtis Franks is the General Counsel, FIFA World Cup at FIFA. Curtis joined FIFA in August 2023 and leads the legal department dedicated to the FIFA World Cup and FIFA Club World Cup Tournaments across the United States, Mexico and Canada. Curtis handles all corporate, governance and compliance matters, and serves as the primary legal advisor to executive management in the planning and delivery of the Tournaments.

Prior to joining FIFA, Curtis served as Senior Legal Counsel, Head of Global Marketing Partnerships for The Coca-Cola Company. In this role, Curtis led the legal team responsible for the acquisition of Coca-Cola’s global marketing assets across the sports, entertainment and music categories as well as partnerships with top marketing and media agencies. Curtis has also held roles as Associate General Counsel with the NCAA, Senior Counsel – Business and Legal Affairs for the NBC Sports Group, and began his career with the Atlanta Hawks.

Curtis was an awardee of The University of Georgia’s 40 Under 40 Award in 2015. Curtis earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from The University of Georgia, and a law degree from Tulane University Law School. Curtis is a native of Atlanta, GA and currently resides in Coral Gables, FL.

Renee Gomila served as an NCAA Associate Director of Enforcement from 2002 to 2014, where she helped lead multiple investigations of NCAA rule violations and, among other things, liaised and coordinated with the NCAA Recruiting Cabinet and Football Issues Subcommittee and worked with the student-athlete reinstatement staff on eligibility issues. Renee coordinated the enforcement department’s football development plans for Florida and Texas, working directly with college and high school football coaches, student-athletes and administrators to provide rules interpretations and address recruiting and eligibility issues.

Prior to joining the NCAA, Renee worked in the athletics compliance office at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Renee received her law degree from Tulane University School of Law in 2000. She received her Master’s of Science from Florida International University in 1996, and her Bachelor’s of Science in 1994.

Renee currently operates RG Sports Consulting, where she provides legal and compliance management advice to college coaches and administrators and student-athletes. Gomila also works with insurance firm, James D. Edgeworth, to advocate for additional insurance and related benefits for student-athletes, and she consults with legal firms to assess legal and risk management issues within football and men’s basketball.

Jed started His career on Wall Street in 1986 at Lehman Brothers, and with such successful track record, was hired to run JP Morgan’s CMO Derivative Desk where he managed a 2.5 Billion Dollar position for the Bank. As an expert in his field, is consulted by many notable institutions in the world regarding Government Bonds and has been a consultant for the FBI, SEC and FINRA.
As CEO of Shearson, a Wall Street Firm, He leads 30 professionals with over 2,000 clients.

He has Extensive Sports management experience both as a Majority and Minority Owner. As a Founding Member of the NBADL Leadership Committee, he helped build the league from 12 teams to 28.

Jed is also the Managing Partner of Shearson Sports Opportunity Fund, a Private Equity Fund which will invest in Multiple Major and Minor League Sports Teams

Minority Owner, Memphis Grizzlies, NBA, 2012-Present
Board Member, Memphis Grizzlies, NBA, 2012-Present
Minority Owner, Orlando City, MLS, 2020-2021
Managing Partner, Iowa Energy, NBADL, 2014-2017
Minority Owner, Erie Bayhawks, NBADL, 2008-2014
Co-Managing Partner, Loudoun United, USL 2017-2020
CEO, Simplicity Esports, 2017-2021
Owner, Florida Sharks, USBL, 1994-1996
Owner, Long Island Surf, USBL, 1991-1993

Greg Luckman is currently the Co-President of Range Sports, a division of leading entertainment management, marketing, and production firm, Range Media Partners. He has over 20 years experience launching, building, and overseeing some of the industry’s most progressive and influential sports marketing agencies. Luckman has served as an expert contributor to the WSJ, NY Times, Ad Age, and Sports Business Journal (SBJ), among others, and has earned Executive Producer credit for branded entertainment programs on ESPN, TNT, and Golf Channel. He is a three-time recipient of the SBJ “Forty Under 40” award, making him an exclusive member of the Sports Business Hall of Fame.

Built for the modern era, Range Sports’ goal is to create a thriving ecosystem for talent, properties, and brands by supporting athlete endeavors on and off-field, developing premium content, monetizing rights holder assets, and investing in IP. In collaboration with Range’s television and film studio, Range Sports develops scripted and unscripted projects while also advising clients on commercial rights, media/content distribution, brand partnerships, and business development/incubation. In less than two years since launching, Range Sports represents 75+ clients such as San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy, professional golfers Joel Dahmen, Si Woo Kim, and Sophia Popov (LPGA), Olympic athletes Gabby Thomas (Track & Field), Shilese Jones (Gymnastics), and World Surf Champion John John Florence, media personalities Kenny Smith and Jim Rome, properties/brands New Orleans Pelicans, Indiana Pacers, League One Volleyball (LOVB), MGM Resorts, Autodesk, Moet & Chandon, and CW Sports, amongst others.

Prior to Range, Luckman held numerous prestigious positions such as the Global Head of Brand Consulting for CAA, a division he launched in 2011 and a role he served in for nine years. As CAA’s sports and entertainment marketing agency, CAA Brand Consulting realized explosive growth with 250+ people across the US, Europe and China, representing 50+ prestigious brands, and managing $2+ billion in rights deals on their behalf. From JPMorgan Chase’s landmark naming rights deal with San Francisco’s new multi-purpose entertainment arena (Chase Center), to Bose’s iconic NFL platform, to brand partnerships with talent such as Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce, Jay Z, Serena Williams, and Steph Curry, the marketing programs developed by CAA Brand Consulting consistently received industry recognition, including being named Agency of the Year by the Sports Business Journal Awards.

Luckman began his career at Momentum (part of IPG), the creative brand experience agency. During his decade-long tenure, Luckman quickly rose through the ranks as the youngest Vice President in the company’s history, while also becoming the Global Director of the celebrated American Express account, the agency’s largest with 100+ people in ten countries. Amex’s robust sponsorship portfolio included the NBA, US Open Tennis, Wimbledon, PGA TOUR, MSG, Live Nation, Tribeca Film Festival, and GRAMMY Awards, while its talent strategy led to memorable campaigns with cultural icons such as Tiger Woods, Ellen DeGeneres, and Magic Johnson. Luckman was also named President of the New York Office, home to the company’s headquarters.

Luckman is a graduate of Tulane University and currently lives in Manhattan, NY with his wife, Beth (also a Tulane alum), and two daughters, Charley and Casey. In 2015, he and Beth created Give A Funk, LLC in support of Hurricane Katrina relief efforts in New Orleans.

Ari Nissim currently serves as a Partner at Legend Agency, overseeing day to day operations of the representation and creative content agency. Ari has over seventeen years of experience in the sports industry and is a certified NFL Agent. Since becoming an agent in 2014, Ari has represented a number of players, including Todd Gurley and Leonard Fournette. Before joining Legend, Ari worked as an NFL Agent and the Director of Analytics for Roc Nation after serving as the New York Jets Director of Football Administration from 2006-2013, where he helped build teams that went to back to back AFC Championship games.

Ari is on the Board of the Business of Sports School in New York City, where he spends time mentoring high school students. Ari has a B.A. in Political Science and History from University of Wisconsin – Madison, and a J.D. from Tulane University School of Law. Ari is licensed to practice law in New York and is a member of the Sports Lawyers Association.

Jason Sloane is a partner of Sloane Offer Weber and Dern LLP, a boutique transactional entertainment firm law firm based in Los Angeles that represents some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Amy Adams, Chris Evans, Michael Fassbender, Morgan Freeman, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Hugh Jackman, Keira Knightley, Joaquin Phoenix, Chris Pratt, Ryan Reynolds, Mark Wahlberg, Will Smith, as well as 2024 Academy Award nominees Paul Giamatti, Cillian Murphy, Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. The firm also represents myriad writers, directors and producers including directors James Mangold, Todd Philips, Spike Jones, Kathryn Bigelow, Michael Bay, writer Ehren Kruger and production companies such as James Corden’s Fulwell 73.

Sloane represents his clients across all their entertainment industry endeavors as well as new business startups.

Sloane is a graduate of UC Berkeley, and earned his law degree from UCLA.

Greg Williamson is a second-generation real estate broker with 20 years of experience and a passion for building long term relationships and achieving the best possible results for his clients. With over 1 billion dollars in sales, Greg has represented Sellers, Buyers and Developers across Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Greg is well versed in all aspects of residential real estate.
Whether it is working with architects and designers to plan a building or developing the most thoughtful and creative ways to market a property, Greg goes above and beyond to represent his clients and their real estate holdings with a style, sophistication, and high-level access that few brokers can match. Since starting in the business in 2005, Greg has continuously ranked in the top 1% of brokers Nationwide.

Greg Williamson is also an impresario who has raised $50 million dollars for various charities. He is the executive producer and co-founder of Love Rocks NYC and The SoHo Sessions. Love Rocks NYC, presented by Bloomberg Philanthropies, has raised $30 million dollars for God’s Love We Deliver and funded 3 million meals to New Yorkers living with life altering illnesses.
The SoHo Sessions is an intimate and exclusive concert series that runs throughout the year and raises funds and awareness for Mental health and addiction and other causes that are near and dear to Greg’s Heart.

Additionally, Greg is the executive producer of the annual City Parks Gala at SummerStage, and the annual Tipping Point Concert which supports the city of New Orleans and scholarships at Tulane University.