Sports & Entertainment

Fafinski Mark & Johnson, P.A. is nationally recognized as a trusted leader in sports and entertainment law, serving as outside counsel to a broad and diverse group of clients in these dynamic industries. FMJ’s client roster includes the largest collegiate athletic conference in the country, a national flag football organization, and a professional women’s basketball league. We also represent golf courses and country clubs, soccer organizations including a pre-professional women’s team, and sports agents and agencies that support elite talent. Our entertainment law practice includes advising video and audio production companies, media and technology firms, and a growing network of athletes, entertainers, content creators, influencers, media personalities, and other creatives, along with their business ventures and brand partners. This depth and variety of experience allow us to deliver practical, strategic legal counsel tailored to the unique challenges of the sports and entertainment sectors.

FMJ takes a hands-on approach to client service, working closely with each client to understand their business model, brand, and long-term goals. Our attorneys are deeply familiar with the operational and strategic issues facing teams, leagues, athletes, entertainers, and media companies. That insight comes from years of experience guiding clients through contract negotiations, regulatory developments, and growth opportunities in a fast-changing legal environment. Clients value FMJ for our industry knowledge, responsiveness, and sound judgment. As one Chief Legal Officer of a national sports organization put it, “If [we] didn’t have the security of [the FMJ] team handling the volume and variety of needed legal issues for [us], we wouldn’t have the luxury of being able to tackle these [other] strategic opportunities.”

Our attorneys advise on a full spectrum of legal services in sports and entertainment law. These include commercial contracts, athlete representation, sponsorship and endorsement deals, and comprehensive Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) compliance and monetization strategies. We also handle licensing and media rights agreements, production and distribution deals, influencer partnerships, and content monetization. FMJ provides end-to-end intellectual property protection, including trademark registration, copyright enforcement, and brand licensing. We support creators and media companies in structuring platform agreements, managing digital assets, and addressing social media legal risks. Our work often intersects with emerging technologies, data privacy regulations, streaming rights, and software licensing. FMJ handles these types of sports and entertainment law issues daily.

In addition to industry-specific matters, our attorneys regularly advise clients on corporate, commercial, and general business issues. We assist with entity formation, governance, contract negotiation, regulatory compliance, and mergers and acquisitions. Whether serving as a partner to in-house legal departments or as outside general counsel, FMJ supports startups, individuals, and organizations of all sizes and structures.