Industry Sector Overview
In the evolving world of sports, your brand is your legacy. Fishman Stewart offers comprehensive sports law representation that goes beyond traditional licensing and branding to provide strategic counsel across the entire industry spectrum. Whether we are navigating the complexities of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), providing additive counsel for athletic departments looking to increase revenue generation and maintain compliance, or offering IP guidance to upstart sports technology companies, our goal is to increase the enterprise value of every client we represent. We support organizations that power the modern sports ecosystem—enhancing operational efficiency, compliance, and long-term value.
Meet the Team
Alexander JSW Johnson
Practice Areas: Trademarks, Copyrights, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, IP Consulting, Transactional and E-Commerce Services
Deb Schneider
Practice Areas: Trademarks, Copyrights, IP Consulting, Transactional and E-Commerce Services
Michael B. Stewart
Practice Areas: Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, Trade Secrets, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, IP Consulting, Transactional and E-Commerce Services
Hunter DeSantis
Practice Areas: Trademarks, Copyrights, IP Consulting, Litigation and Dispute Resolution
Mark Meisner
Practice Areas: Trademarks, Copyrights, IP Consulting, Litigation and Dispute Resolution
More members of our “school” of IP experts
Featured Whitepapers & Thought Leadership
Agent versus Attorney? What Athletes and Families Need to Know
For athletes preparing to enter professional or high-level collegiate sports, one of the most common questions is whether to hire an agent, an attorney, or both. The answer depends on the stage of the athlete’s career, the type of opportunity available to them, and the level of legal and financial risk involved.
The House Settlement and the Transformation of College Athletics
On June 6, 2025, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California approved the historic settlement in House v. NCAA, which marked a fundamental shift in the present and future of college sports. For decades, the NCAA operated under the guise of amateurism, which prohibited college universities from offering compensation to student-athletes beyond scholarships and other limited benefits.
Articles & Insights
WNBA Comebacks, Celebrity Claims, and a Trademark Plot Twist?
Fish Tank: Newsletter Volume 26, Issue 12
Women’s sports are having a moment, and not a small one. And right alongside that rise: the business of women’s sports is heating up, including some surprisingly dramatic trademark battles.
The Business of a Buzzer-Beater: NIL Lessons from March Madness
Fish Tank: Newsletter Volume 26, Issue 9
Every March, college basketball players get an opportunity to become household sensations overnight. In today’s NIL (Name Image Likeness) era, that moment can be a once-in-a-lifetime business opportunity.
News & Announcements
Annual World IP Day on April 26 gets in the game with this year’s theme of IP and Sports: Ready, Set, Innovate
Fishman Stewart is adding pages to its playbook with the addition of two new attorneys in its sports law practice.
Fishman Stewart hits a home run with continued expansion of sports law practice
Fishman Stewart is adding pages to its playbook with the addition of two new attorneys in its sports law practice.
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