Sports and Entertainment

Overview

Count on seasoned professionals for legal advice

We understand the challenges affecting sports teams, professional and amateur leagues, sports facilities, agencies and event promoters and can assist you with:

• Development and financing of your commercial projects
• Day-to-day business operations
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Governance strategies
• Protection and promotion of your innovations
• Investigation report on behavior, suspected misconduct or resulting from complaints from whistleblowers
• Your growth

If you work in the sports industry as an agent, an owner, a member of a sports team or an athlete, you can count on our expertise to help you in:

• The negotiation, management and drafting of your contracts
• The preservation of your brand image in advertising contracts and sponsorship agreements
• Marketing, promotion as well as public and media relations

If you are looking for a comprehensive service and advice that’s fully adapted to the reality of your industry to help you grow and achieve your ambitions, our Sports and Entertainment Team can provide you with the following services:

• Investment and financing
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Tax optimization
• Contract negotiation
• Protection from potential litigation and representation in court
• Protection of your intellectual property
• Issue management for marketing and promotion
• Regulatory and disciplinary matters

Services

The organizations and individuals who trust us

Below is a non-exhaustive list of the types of mandates that our team handles.

Associations/leagues/teams/agents

• Represented a group led by the Molson brothers in the acquisition of the Montreal Canadiens
• Represented an investor group in the acquisition of the Montreal Alouettes, a Canadian Football League team
• Represented hockey promoters in the prospective acquisition of a National Hockey League (NHL) hockey team
• Represented the Los Angeles Kings Hockey Club L.P. and AEG Facilities Canada ULC in their respective registrations with the Registry of Lobbyists
• Represented Pat Brisson and J.P. Barry, two leading hockey agents, in the acquisition of IMG’s hockey player representation business and the negotiation of a strategic partnership agreement with Creative Artists Agency (CAA)
• Represented the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in updating its legal and governance structure, including the creation and establishment of a new organization under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act, the review of its governance structure and the drafting of its new articles and by-laws
• Represented the Ligue de développement du hockey M18 AAA du Québec in updating its legal and governance structure, reviewing its governance structure and updating its articles and by-laws

Sports professionals

• Represented Marc Bergevin in his appointment as Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Montreal Canadiens
• Represented coaches in their appointments as head or assistant coaches of professional hockey teams, including Guy Boucher, Jacques Martin and Martin Raymond
• Represented Luc Robitaille, President of the Los Angeles Kings hockey club, in speaking engagements
• Represented Benoît Robert and his partners in the sale of American Hockey Group, LLC (AHG), the parent company of the United States Hockey League team the Omaha Lancers, under which the AHG members’ interests were sold to Crossbar Down, LLC, a corporation in Nebraska
• Represented track and field athlete and Olympian Bruny Surin in advertising contracts, brand portfolio management and sponsorship agreements
• Represented track and field athlete and Olympian Bruny Surin in a dispute with Puma North America Inc. and Puma Canada Inc. for unlawful use of trademarks and public image
• Represented athlete and Olympic diver Jennifer Abel in advertising contracts and sponsorship agreements
• Represented Daniel Brière in the acquisition of an interest in the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada hockey team, a member of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
• Represented a lender in connection with a corporate loan to the Val-d’Or Foreurs hockey team, a member of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
• Represented a group of investors made up of commentators and current and former NHL players in connection with the proposed acquisition and relocation of a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League club

Entertainment

• Represented the Cirque du Soleil special committee of senior lenders in connection with the purchase of Cirque du Soleil through a $1.2 billion credit bid under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act
• Represented independent children’s content company DHX Media Ltd. in its corporate finance activities
• Represented 01 Studio Inc. in the negotiation of equity financing and a licensing and distribution agreement for a video game in China and the Asia-Pacific region with Skymoons Technology Inc. and its affiliates
• Represented online luxury goods retailer Atallah Group Inc. (operating as SSense) in connection with services for manufacturing a product and licensing arrangements
• Represented Les Productions O’Gleman Diaz Inc. in the distribution, publication and licensing of its feature television show, magazines and books entitled Cuisine futée, parents pressés
• Represented contemporary visual artist Michel de Broin in a claim for copyright infringement