Since July 1, 2021, NCAA athletes have been able to capitalize on their own name, image, and likeness (NIL). This has changed the world of college athletics and is still a relatively new field. We have worked with major universities, , collectives, and athletes to help pull together the varying viewpoints of all the stakeholders in this new area.

It is our belief that a thorough understanding of NIL is crucial to maximizing your potential earnings and benefits. We provide education and advice on how NIL came to be, what your rights are, how to work with universities and collectives to maintain eligibility, and how to use NIL through businesses and social media to further your goals.

Every NIL deal is a business (legal) relationship with a company. We can help you understand your rights and responsibilities and negotiate a deal that is right for you.

While many NIL-related services are offered through athletic departments, legal services for NIL cannot be offered to athletes by their universities. We can help prepare and review legal documents for NIL agreements.

Primarily, you want to understand:

• What are you obligated to do,

• What are your rights under the contract,

• What happens if something goes wrong (injury, shortened season, etc.),

• What are your benefits under the contract, and

• How are you getting paid?

Our firm works with athletes who want to start businesses by establishing S-Corporation (“S-Corps”) or Limited Liability Companies (“LLC’s”). These types of entities can provide protection from personal liability and may also provide tax advantages. If you are planning a business venture (clothing, camps, training or otherwise) let us help by providing advice on whether an S-Corp or LLC may be right for you.

Our services include advice on the business entity formation, registration with your state’s Secretary of State’s office with Articles of Incorporation or Organization and drafting Operating Agreements.

Copyright: As an athlete starting a business you may have materials that are copyrightable. Any books, materials, photos, or recordings can be protected through copyright.

Trademarks: You can register your company name, logo, brand, slogan, phrases or symbols with the United States Trademark Office or with your State. This can give you the protection you need to move forward with your business by using a logo on clothing, protecting a camp or training slogan, or creating a new brand.

Digital Avatars: If your image is used as a digital avatar there may also be a way to capitalize off the use through a licensing arrangement. We are monitoring developments in this area and the possibility for group licensing arrangements with game developers.

We can advise and help you understand the value and use of each of these protections and can work with you to obtain the best protection for your situation.