Professional Sports Symposium at UB School of Law, Feb. 10
January 25, 2011
Contact: University Relations
Phone: 410.837.5739
Collective bargaining, free agency and salary caps in professional sports leagues will be the topics of discussion at the University of Baltimore School of Law's third annual pro sports symposium on Thursday, Feb. 10. "Management Issues in Professional Sport" will feature Andy MacPhail, president of baseball operations for the Baltimore Orioles during a luncheon keynote address. In addition, counsel for the NFL and the NFL Players Association will discuss collective bargaining in professional football. The event will begin at 10 a.m. in the School of Law's Venable Baetjer Howard Moot Court Room in the Angelos Law Center, 1415 Maryland Ave. (Details and registration information listed below).
MacPhail has served as president of baseball operations for the Orioles since 2007. Named the Sporting News' Major League Baseball Executive of the year in 1991, he brought to Baltimore a family history in the sport and decades of experience in managing major league teams. His father and grandfather, both former baseball executives, are the only father and son to be in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. MacPhail's remarks will focus on the role of free agency in baseball today and will be followed by a question-and-answer session.
In another session, Richard Berthelsen, general counsel for the NFLPA, and Dennis Curran, senior vice president and general counsel for the NFL, will discuss the role of collective bargaining in professional football. That league's current collective bargaining agreement is set to expire on March 3—just three weeks after the symposium.
Other confirmed panelists include UB Law alumni Tom Condon, J.D. '81, head of CAA Sports, and Andre Walters, J.D. '05, senior director of legal affairs for the Charlotte Bobcats. They will be joined by Michael Winger, assistant general manager of the Oklahoma City Thunder; and Will Witherspoon, outside linebacker for the Tennessee Titans. Other panelists will be announced as confirmed.
"Sports law touches on many of the skill sets and basic concepts of law that our students need to learn to be successful, no matter what field they ultimately choose," said Phillip J. Closius, dean of the School of Law. "Employment contracts, labor relations and negotiation skills may seem more glamorous when applied in the world of sports, but every law school graduate should be well versed in these areas because they are infinitely relevant in the real world."
This is the sixth symposium that the School of Law's Center for Sport and the Law has hosted since its creation in 2009. Featured topics at previous symposia have included traumatic brain injury, sports agency and issues in the Olympic movement.
Admittance is free and open to the public, but advance registration is strongly suggested as seating is limited. Location, directions and parking information can be found on the School of Law's website.
For more information about the event, contact the Office of External Relations at lawevents@ubalt.edu or 410.837.6797.
The University of Baltimore is a member of the University System of Maryland and comprises the School of Law, the Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Public Affairs and the Merrick School of Business.