Fort Lauderdale Sports, IP & Entertainment Law Attorneys | Heitner Legal
At Heitner Legal, we are proud to announce a significant victory for our client, Caleb Van De Griend, a talented men’s basketball player at Idaho State University. On November 4, 2025, the District Court of Bannock County, Idaho, granted an ex parte temporary restraining order in our favor, enjoining the National Collegiate Athletic Association from […]
At Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., we are thrilled to announce a significant win for our client, Aaron Turner, in a high-stakes arbitration proceeding under the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) Regulations Governing Player Agents. On September 10, 2025, Arbitrator Jeffrey Mishkin issued a Final Award in favor of Mr. Turner, granting him full entitlement to his […]
Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick’s recent foray into trademark applications has hit some significant roadblocks, providing a valuable case study in why proper trademark due diligence and experienced legal counsel are essential for successful brand protection. The Applications That Didn’t Make the Cut Belichick, through his company TCE Rights Management LLC, filed […]
In a stunning intersection of celebrity sports law and luxury real estate litigation, a Hawaii state court complaint filed on August 8, 2025, has thrust Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani and his agent Nez Balelo into a complex legal battle involving tortious interference and unjust enrichment claims. The case, filed in Hawaii’s First Circuit […]
In a fascinating intersection of intellectual property and sports law, Baylor University has filed a federal trademark infringement lawsuit against Boston University, challenging Boston’s use of an interlocking “BU” design that Baylor claims is “essentially identical” to its own federally registered trademark. Filed in the Western District of Texas on August 8, 2025, this case […]
The recent ruling in Jett Elad v. NCAA, decided on April 25, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi in the District of New Jersey, marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing legal battles over NCAA eligibility rules. This case, centered on the NCAA’s “Five-Year Rule” and its application to junior college (JUCO) time, […]
In a groundbreaking ESPN investigation, the complex world of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) contracts in college sports has been laid bare, revealing a landscape far more intricate and potentially problematic than most athletes—or fans—realize. The Control Mechanism: More Than Just a Contract As a sports attorney who has worked extensively with athletes and booster […]
In a significant ruling that adds another chapter to the ongoing legal battles over NCAA eligibility rules, the Eastern District of Tennessee has denied baseball player Alberto Osuna Sanchez’s request for a preliminary injunction against the NCAA’s junior college eligibility rule. This decision stands in contrast to several recent rulings that have chipped away at […]
In a significant ruling that could impact numerous pending challenges to NCAA eligibility rules, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia has denied a preliminary injunction sought by University of Georgia baseball player Dylan Goldstein, who had exhausted his NCAA eligibility but sought to play one additional season. The Case: Goldstein […]
Are you involved in a case where there is a need for expert witness testimony from a sports lawyer? Is there a party who is an athlete with an alleged loss of economic opportunity, a sports-specific question that is highly nuanced such as one relating to athlete agent laws or NCAA policy, or do you […]
On January 6, 2021, a high school athlete, Ethan Elalou, appealed a final judgment from the Circuit Court for the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit of Broward County in favor of the School Board of Broward County on an executed pre-game release waiver form that barred his claim of negligence against the school board. On appeal, Elalou […]
It’s Tua Time. Former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will make his National Football League starting debut today as the Miami Dolphins take on the Los Angeles Rams. Does that mean it is also time to try to lock up valuable intellectual property surrounding the future of the Dolphins franchise? Unless you are actually Tagovailoa, you […]