2024 Conference Schedule

Networking Reception Sponsor

Saturday Lunch Sponsor

All events at the 2024 Conference are free of charge

CLE Credits Approved: 9.5 general hours, 60-minute states (AL, CA, GA, IN, LA, MN, PA, TX) and 11.4 general hours, 50-minute states (FL, NJ). New York approved in accordance with the requirements of the New York State Continuing Legal Education Board for a maximum of 11.0 credit hours. Credit pending in MS: 9.5 general hours.

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

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: Leading the Way: Navigating Hot Topics in Sports and the Law

• 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
• Kathleen Francis– Founder & President, Oasis Sports Ventures; Chair & President, Women in Sports & Events, Inc. (WISE)
• Curtis Franks (L ’05)– General Counsel, FIFA World Cup ‘26
• Jed Kaplan– Minority owner, Memphis Grizzlies and other sports properties
• Vicky Neumeyer (L ’98)– Senior Vice President/General Counsel, New Orleans Saints & Pelicans
• Patrick McEnroe– former pro tennis player and current ESPN commentator

Hear top executives, lawyers, and advisors from some of the world’s biggest sports leagues and events discuss the industry’s most pressing legal and business issues, including the explosive growth of women’s professional sports; insights in the world of tennis; managing the legal needs of the World Cup; investing in and owning pro teams; in-house legal needs of NFL & NBA teams, and more.

10:05 – 11:05 am: Deals & Dealmakers in Entertainment

• Tim Francis (L ’84)– Counsel, Sher Garner law firm, who has worked with artists and athletes including Stevie Wonder, Lionel Hampton, Wynton Marsalis, Gary Ross, Chaka Kahn, and Baron Davis
• Traci Bransford– Partner & leader of Sports & Entertainment Industry Team, Parker Poe law firm
• Brian Burkin (L ’89)– Executive Vice President, Sony Pictures, Columbia-TriStar, Head of Business Affairs, TriStar Pictures
• Kimberly Haynes (L ’00)– Attorney and Founder, OMBI Group
• Greg Williamson– CEO, The Williamson Group at Douglas Elliman Real Estate; Executive Producer, Love Rocks NYC Annual Benefit Concert

Get an insiders’ look at a wide variety of transactions critical to the entertainment industry. Some of the top dealmakers in entertainment will share about their legal and business practice, including managing the business of superstar artists like Stevie Wonder and Prince; acquiring and valuing Hollywood projects; maintaining relationships with talent, agents, managers; the critical role that general counsel plays for clients in music, television, and film; helping clients leverage their name, image, and likeness; building and executing a major music event, and more.

11:05 – 11:25: Break

11:25 am – 12:25 pm: Hollywood Strikes 2023: Lessons Learned and Path Forward

• Tim Francis (L ’84)– Counsel, Sher Garner law firm, who has worked with artists and athletes including Stevie Wonder, Lionel Hampton, Wynton Marsalis, Gary Ross, Chaka Kahn, and Baron Davis
• James Adolphus– Emmy Award-winning director of television and film, with credits including Soul of a Nation and Being Mary Tyler Moore
• Kathy Christovich– Assistant Executive Director, Writers Guild of America West
• Robert Fyvolent (A&S ’84)– Attorney and Academy Award and Grammy Award-winning Producer

Hollywood faced a historic labor moment in 2023, and this panel will explore the legal, practical, and business implications for the industry. Top lawyers and creative talent will provide a view into the industry before and after, as well as a discussion of major issues involved and their implications for the future, including artificial intelligence, compensation, virtual likenesses, and more.

12:25 – 1:55 pm: Lunch/Keynote

1:55 – 2:55 pm: High Profile Legal & Business Issues in Entertainment & Sports

• 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
• Eric Blevins (L ’11) (moderator)- Sports Law Program Manager, Tulane Center for Sport; Adjunct Faculty, Tulane Freeman School of Business
• Christina Francis– President, Magic Johnson Enterprises; Executive Producer, They Call Me Magic
• Charline Gipson– Of Counsel, Baker Donelson law firm

Top Hollywood lawyer, Kevin Yorn, leads this panel with a discussion of some of the most pressing legal and business issues in entertainment and sports, including how a lawyer helps A-list stars navigate their contracts, careers, and business interests; managing the needs of a high-profile multi-faceted sports & entertainment business; the challenges and opportunities on the horizon for Hollywood’s industry, and more.

2:55 – 3:05 pm: Break

3:05 – 4:05 pm: An Insiders Look Into Hollywood: A Mock Negotiation Focusing on the Conflict Between a Feature Theatrical Release Versus a Streaming Release

• Jeff Frost (L ’89)– President, Bristol Circle Entertainment
• Julie Haffner (L ’99)– Head of Motion Picture Business Affairs, WME
• Dan Scharf– Global Head of Business Affairs, Amazon Studios
• Jason Sloane– Partner, Sloane Offer Weber and Dern law firm, which represents stars 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.

This panel will feature an interactive, moderated mock negotiation of an agreement between a studio and talent rep focusing on streamers’ approach to releasing feature films and the impact on talent and will provide insight into legal and other issues that may arise in contemporary entertainment negotiations and contracts.

4:10 – 5:10 pm: Negotiations in the Sports Industry

• Shauna DiGiovanni (L ’15)– Vice President & Counsel—Business Affairs, WME
• Jeff Dorso (L ’01)– Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Sacramento Kings
• Demeka Fields (L ’16)– Counsel – Global Sports Marketing, New Balance
• Jennifer Lewis (L ’98)– General Counsel, Los Angeles Clippers
• Greg Luckman (A&S ’96)– Co-President, Range Sports

Learn the nuances of negotiating within the sports industry from some of the top lawyers and professionals working at some of the most prominent leagues, agencies, and brands in the world. This panel will explore different types of deals common and critical in sports, including pro athlete partnerships from the perspective of athletes, brands, and teams; sports marketing deals; negotiations involving public-private partnerships and pro arenas; and more.

5:10-5:20 pm: Closing Remarks

Sally Richardson– Interim Dean and A.D. Freeman Professor of Civil Law, 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

5:20 – 6:15 pm: Networking Reception sponsored by Venable

Tulane Law School- MPR Patio

8:15 – 9:00 am: Registration and Welcome

9:00 – 9:45 am: Breaking into the Sports Industry

• Justin Fielkow (L ’12)– Vice President – Legal & Business Affairs, Madison Square Garden Entertainment
• Brandon Harrell (L ’11)– Vice President, Legal & Business Affairs, Live Nation Entertainment
• Jon Phelps (L ’12)– Senior Director of Basketball Strategy, Detroit Pistons
• Mercedes Townsend (L ’19)– Employment and Civil Rights Attorney, Casey Denson Law; Founder, Friend of the Court
• Hamilton Wise (L ’16)– Director, International Scouting and Development, Texas Rangers

This panel is designed for new lawyers, students, practitioners looking to add sports to their practice, and anyone with a goal of working in the sports industry. How do I land my first job in sports? How do I position my practice to gain sports clients? Top sports lawyers and professionals will answer these questions and more and walk you through their career path. Learn how to navigate the sports industry and how to position yourself for success. This session will include plenty of Q&A.

9:50 – 10:35 am: The Cutting Edge: An Overview of Legal & Business Issues in Sports, Technology, and Gaming (presented by Tulane Freeman School of Business)

• Eric Blevins (L ’11)(moderator)– Sports Law Program Manager, Tulane Center for Sport; Adjunct Faculty, Tulane Freeman School of Business
• Anne Friedman (L ’01)– Partner, Bryan Cave law firm
• Doug Mishkin– Partner, Bryan Cave law firm
• James Nelson (L ’95)– Partner, Venable law firm
• Breard Snellings (L ’18)– Adjunct Faculty, Tulane Freeman School of Business

The emergence of AI, streaming, and other recent technological innovations has coincided with the legalization of sports gambling in the United States. Learn how these forces are reshaping the sports and legal industries, including solutions to emerging legal issues involving technology; how lawyers can help their clients create value through IP and technology, and more.

10:35 – 11:30 am: Keynote

R.C. Buford (CEO, Spurs Sports & Entertainment) and Mike Tannenbaum (L ’95) (Founder, The 33rd Team; former New York Jets General Manager and Miami Dolphins Executive Vice President) in conversation

11:30 am – 12:30 pm: The Future of College Sports

• 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
• Renee Gomila (L ’00)– Attorney-at-law; Founder, RG Sports Consulting
• Ari Nissim (L ’04)– Partner, Legend Agency
• Ty Thomas (L ’01)– Partner and Co-Chair of Sports Industry Team, Holland & Knight law firm
• Mercedes Townsend (L ’19)– Employment and Civil Rights Attorney, Casey Denson Law; Founder, Friend of the Court
• Warren K. Zola (L ’92)– Carroll School of Management, Boston College

Now is arguably the most consequential time in the history of college sports. With enormous upheaval today and looming on the horizon, this panel will explore the legal and logistical challenges facing the U.S. collegiate athletics model with some of the foremost experts in the industry. Learn the latest and what’s coming next regarding NIL, Title IX, college athlete employee issues, NCAA litigation, and more.

12:35 – 1:35 pm: Are We Live: Legal and Business Issues in Buying, Promoting, Operating, and Producing Festivals and Major Music Events

• Paul Bassman– Entertainment and Sports Practice Leader, Higginbotham
• Tim Epstein– Partner and Chair of the Entertainment & Sports Law Practice Groups, Duggan Bertsch law firm
• Ashlye Keaton (L ’03)– Attorney-at-law; Co-Founder, ELLA Project
• Mike Reed– Founder, Constellation Arts LLC; Founder and Producer, Pitchfork Music Festival; Curating Committee Member, Chicago Jazz Festival; Founding Directing Member, Umbrella Music
• Angie Rho– Head, Business Affairs, Music, Creative Artists Agency (CAA)

The music industry, music festivals and other major live in-person events provide some of our greatest cultural moments and exciting experiences. They also involve enormous legal, logistical, and business challenges. Take a peek behind the curtain of some of the biggest live event productions with some of the top lawyers and professionals in music and events as they discuss issues including talent buying, promoting, risk management, insurance, operations, and more.

1:35 – 2:30 pm: Closing Remarks & Lunch sponsored by Tulane Freeman School of Business