Conference Schedule

All events at the 2023 Conference are free of charge

CLE Credit approved (Friday, March 3 only): Alabama, California, Georgia, Louisiana, Pennsylvania and Texas – 6.0 general hours; New Jersey and New York approved in accordance with New York’s approved jurisdiction policy – 7.2 general hours. Credit pending in Mississippi – 6.0 general hours.

8:15 – 9:00 am: Breakfast, Registration, Welcome Remarks

David Meyer– Dean, Tulane Law School
Gabe Feldman– Sher Garner Professor of Sports Law; Paul and Abram B. Barron Professor of Law; Director, Tulane Sports Law Program; Co-Director, Tulane Center for Sport; Associate Provost for NCAA Compliance

9:00 – 10:00 am: Get Ahead of the Game: Emerging Legal and Business Issues in U.S. and International Sports

Moderator: Gabe Feldman– Sher Garner Professor of Sports Law; Paul and Abram B. Barron Professor of Law; Director, Tulane Sports Law Program; Co-Director, Tulane Center for Sport; Associate Provost for NCAA Compliance
Brandon Harrell (L ’11)– VP and Deputy General Counsel, 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games
Jed Kaplan– Minority Owner, Memphis Grizzlies and other sports properties
Oliver Luck– Executive Director, ASUN-WAC football conference; Chairman, Altius Sports Partners; former Executive Vice President of Regulatory Affairs & Strategic Partnerships, NCAA; Athletic Director, West Virginia University; and former NFL quarterback
Marc Reeves (L ’00)– Investor and Advisor, Leeds United and other sports, gaming, & tech properties; Head of Global Strategic Partnerships, Fever
Michele Roberts– Former Executive Director, National Basketball Players Association

Hear top executives and advisors from the biggest sports leagues and events in the world discuss the industry’s most pressing legal and business issues, including investing in and owning pro teams; managing legal needs of the Olympics; athletes’ rights; the future of college sports, and more.

10:05 – 11:05 am: Diversity In Entertainment and Sports

Tim Francis (L ’84)– Counsel, Sher Garner, who has worked with artists and athletes including Stevie Wonder, Lionel Hampton, Wynton Marsalis, Gary Ross, Chaka Kahn, and Baron Davis
Thomas P. Lane (L ’91)– EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) winning producer and investor, and entertainment litigator who has worked with artists such as Prince, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, James Taylor and Billy Porter
James Lopez– President, Macro Film Studios, and Executive Producer of such hit films as Girls Trip and Night School
Betsy Philpott- Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Washington Nationals
Ty Thomas (L ’01)– Partner and Co-Chair of Sports Industry Team, Holland & Knight; 2022 Chambers Award winner for Outstanding Contribution: Diversity & Inclusion (North America)
Mercedes Townsend (L ’19)– Attorney, Casey Denson Law; and Founder of Friend of the Court, a global, online platform dedicated to developments in Women’s Sports Law

Important insights into diversity in the entertainment and sports industries from leaders highlighting success stories, where things stand, and where work needs to be done. Industry leaders discuss the challenges and opportunities of expanding diversity in the sports and entertainment fields.

11:05 – 11:25: Break

11:25 am – 12:25 pm: Entertainment & Sports Stars: High Profile Legal and Business Issues in Context

Kevin Yorn (L ’90)– founding partner of the Yorn Levine Entertainment Law Firm as well as the growth equity investment firm BroadLight Capital. Kevin and the law firm represent global talent such as Alicia Keys, Alix Earle, Charlie & Dixie D’Amelio, Ellen DeGeneres, Jason Sudeikis, Jordan Peele, Matthew McConaughey, Scarlett Johansson, and Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk
Alex Kohner– Partner, Yorn Levine Entertainment Law Firm whose clients include the Duffer Brothers (Stranger Things) and Chris Weitz (Star Wars: Rogue One, Cinderella)
Vicky Neumeyer (L ’98)– Senior Vice President and General Counsel, New Orleans Saints & Pelicans
Mathew Rosengart (A&S ’84)– Partner, GreenbergTraurig, described by Law360 as a “heavyweight attorney” and national “Media & Entertainment MVP” and by Variety as “Hollywood’s King of Litigators”
Ross Zapin– SVP and General Manager, SiriusXM, whose West coast talent department produces 100s of annual broadcasts from the world’s biggest artists and events including Drake, Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, Lady Gaga, Ed Sheeran, Bruce Springsteen, and Coldplay

Top Hollywood lawyer, Kevin Yorn, leads a star-studded panel of legal and creative talent through a discussion of some of the most pressing legal and business issues in entertainment and sports, including high profile entertainment litigation, representing major pro sports franchises, radio productions by major artists, book/writing deals, helping A-list stars navigate their careers, and more.

12:25 – 1:35 pm: Lunch/Keynote

A Conversation with Jonathan Banks (actor and star of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul) and Jeff Frost (L ’89) (President, Bristol Circle Entertainment)

1:35 – 2:35 pm: Sports Law in Action: Representing High Profile Clients and Cases

Moderator: Gabe Feldman– Sher Garner Professor of Sports Law; Paul and Abram B. Barron Professor of Law; Director, Tulane Sports Law Program; Co-Director, Tulane Center for Sport; Associate Provost for NCAA Compliance
Charline Gipson- Of Counsel- Corporate Group, Baker Donelson, whose current and former clients include entertainment personalities, professional athletes in the NBA and the NFL as well as Sports Franchises and Sports Leagues
David Greenspan– Partner, Co-Chair of Sports Practice, Winston & Strawn, whose work includes serving as trial and appellate counsel in the landmark Alston v. NCAA antitrust litigation
Betsy Philpott- Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Washington Nationals
Ty Thomas (L ’01)– Partner and Co-Chair of Sports Industry Team, Holland & Knight; 2022 Chambers Award winner for Outstanding Contribution: Diversity & Inclusion (North America)

Top sports lawyers from the country’s leading law firms and sports organizations discuss the unique issues that arise in high profile sports legal matters, including: handling high-stakes litigation in the public spotlight, managing complex litigation and legal matters in the unique sports industry, and grappling with the court of public opinion.

2:35 – 2:55 pm: Break

2:55 – 3:55 pm: An Insiders Look Into Negotiating Studio Contracts: A Mock Negotiation Between Senior Studio Executives and Talent Representatives

Jeff Frost (L ’89)– President, Bristol Circle Entertainment
Lizze Broadway- Actress and star of Gen V, the upcoming spin-off of Amazon’s hit franchise The Boys
Bruce Gellman– Co-managing Partner, Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush, Kaller, Gellman, Meigs & Fox law firm
Julie Haffner (L ’99)- Senior Counsel of Business & Legal Affairs, Netflix Original Studio Features
Dan Scharf– Global Head of Business Affairs, Amazon Studios

This panel will feature an interactive, moderated mock negotiation of a talent agreement between a studio and talent rep and provide insight into legal and other issues that may arise in contemporary entertainment contracts.

4:00 – 5:00 pm: Licensing and Producing Content in Entertainment and Sports

Tim Francis (L ’84)– Counsel, Sher Garner, who has worked with artists and athletes including Stevie Wonder, Lionel Hampton, Wynton Marsalis, Gary Ross, Chaka Kahn, and Baron Davis
Brian Burkin (L ’89)- Executive Vice President, Sony Pictures, Columbia-TriStar, Head of Business Affairs, TriStar Pictures
Marsha Cooke- Vice President & Executive Producer, ESPN Films and 30 for 30
Robert Fyvolent (A&S ’84)– Attorney and Academy Award and Grammy Award-winning Producer
Lee Goldsmith– Senior VP & Senior Media Counsel, NFL
FredAnthony Smith-Vice President and head of non-scripted developed, SMAC Productions, and current producer of projects such as Amazon’s Coach Prime

The panel will discuss the business and legal issues that can arise in producing and licensing content for scripted, unscripted, documentary, and live game content across sports and entertainment.

5:00 – 5:10 pm: Closing Remarks

David Meyer– Dean, Tulane Law School
Gabe Feldman– Sher Garner Professor of Sports Law; Paul and Abram B. Barron Professor of Law; Director, Tulane Sports Law Program; Co-Director, Tulane Center for Sport; Associate Provost for NCAA Compliance

5:10 – 6:30 pm: Networking Reception

Tulane Law School- MPR Patio

9:00 – 9:15 am: Registration and Welcome

Saturday, March 4th’s panels are open to current Tulane students and recent alumni.

9:15 – 10:15 am (concurrent): Breaking into the Sports Industry

Moderator: Warren Zola (L ’92)- Carroll School of Management, Boston College
Renee Gomila (L ’00)– Attorney-at-Law, RG Sports Consulting
Jon Phelps (L ’12)– Senior Director of Basketball Strategy, Detroit Pistons
Breard Snellings (L ’18)– Director of Regulatory Operations, DraftKings, Inc.

How do I land my first job in sports? What should I be studying? What should I be working on? Top sports lawyers and professionals will walk you through a day in the life of a sports professional. Learn how to navigate the sports industry and how to position yourself for success. This session will include plenty of Q&A, so you can ask all the important questions about getting started in sports.

9:15 – 10:15 am (concurrent): Breaking into the Entertainment Industry

Moderator: Eric Blevins (L ’11)- Sports Law Program Manager, Tulane Center for Sport
Ashlye Keaton (L ‘03)– Attorney-at-Law; Co-founder, The ELLA Project
Dorian Slater Thomas (L ’13)– Counsel, Frankfurt Kurnit Klein + Selz

How do I land my first job in entertainment? What should I be studying? What should I be working on? Top entertainment lawyers will walk you through a day in the life of an entertainment lawyer. Learn how to navigate the entertainment industry and how to position yourself for success. This session will include plenty of Q&A, so you can ask all the important questions about getting started in entertainment.

10:15 – 10:30: Break

10:30 – 11:30 am (concurrent): Emerging Issues in Sports: What’s on the Horizon For Young Professionals

Moderator: Warren Zola (L ’92)- Carroll School of Management, Boston College
Taryn Brown (L ’09)– Corporate Associate, Baker & McKenzie
Ben Lauritsen– Partner, Stoel Rives law firm and outside counsel for the Portland Trailblazers
Fritz Metzinger (L ’17)– Associate, Stone Pigman

What are the sports issues that junior lawyers should know about? How can junior lawyers add value to prospective employers? Top lawyers at major firms and teams will explain the cutting-edge issues they are confronting today and those they see on the horizon, including the latest in Name, Image, and Likeness, media rights, globalization, digital, and provide suggestions of areas to focus that have become increasingly valuable to sports entities. This session will include plenty of Q&A, so you can ask all the important questions about getting started in sports.

10:30 – 11:30 am (concurrent): Emerging Issues in Entertainment: What’s on the Horizon For Young Professionals

Moderator: Eric Blevins (L ’11)- Sports Law Program Manager, Tulane Center for Sport
Zach St. Martin (L ’01)– Head of US Commercial & IP Legal, TikTok & ByteDance
Jennifer Lewis (L ’98)– General Counsel, Redbud Brands (former General Counsel, The Springhill Company and former Head of Business Affairs, Disney Parks, Experiences, and Consumer Products)

What are the entertainment issues that junior lawyers should know about? How can junior lawyers add value to prospective employers? Top lawyers at some of the biggest brands will explain the cutting-edge issues they are confronting today and those they see on the horizon— including the latest in privacy and regulatory, digital, biometrics, live entertainment— and provide suggestions of areas to focus that have become increasingly valuable to companies in the entertainment space. This session will include plenty of Q&A, so you can ask all the important questions about getting started in entertainment.

11:30 – 11:45 am: Closing Remarks/Adjourn