How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know - 3rd Edition - Darren Heitner

How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know 3rd Edition Darren Heitner ISBN 9781639050390

Sports law stands apart from every other area of legal practice. It demands a deep understanding of the unique issues that affect athletes, their representatives, and the businesses that serve the sports industry. Equally important is the ability to recognize, communicate with, and build strong relationships with key power brokers—such as financial advisors, accountants, managers, and other service providers—who play a critical role in this specialized field.

How to Play the Game, written by Miami-based attorney and sports agent Darren Heitner, is an essential resource for anyone seeking to enter the field of sports law. The book explores the legal framework governing the sports industry, covering topics such as contract drafting and negotiation, antitrust law, intellectual property, labor relations, and more. It also examines the influence of players’ associations, the authority of sports commissioners, sports betting regulations, and other pivotal industry issues.

What truly sets the book apart, however, are its real-world case studies featuring well-known professional and collegiate athletes, along with firsthand insights drawn from Heitner’s own experiences as a sports attorney, agent, and media spokesperson. The appendix further enhances its practical value by providing sample legal documents—including professional contracts—that every sports attorney or agent should understand. Simply put, if you want to succeed in sports law, How to Play the Game is a must-read.

Praise for the First Edition of How to Play the Game

“The scope of sports law is vast. Much like international law, it encompasses nearly every area of legal practice—contracts, torts, estate planning, intellectual property, labor and employment law, antitrust, family law, criminal law, litigation, negotiation, and more. If you’re searching for a complete summary of all these areas in 200 pages, good luck. But if you want a thoughtful survey of topics relevant to sports law, supported by practical case studies, Darren Heitner delivers exactly that. A law practice is built one brick at a time, and this book is one solid brick toward building a strong foundation.”
— Attorney Alexander Scott Dennison

“Mr. Heitner has truly raised the standard. This book is unquestionably the definitive resource in the industry. Its depth, analysis, and accuracy are exceptional. Every university offering a Sports or Entertainment Law or Management program should require How to Play the Game as mandatory reading.”
— Travis Bell, Founder and CEO, The Seven Bridges Group

How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know 3rd Edition Darren Heitner ISBN 9781639050390, 978-1639050390 & 9781639050406

Author
Darren Heitner