“The practice of sports law was forced to reinvent itself overnight, much like most of the legal practice,” Goldberg Segalla’s Joseph M. Hanna said in an interview with Law360 about COVID-19-related shutdowns. “Active legal proceedings were halted in many states, with certain disputes settled or resolved through early resolution because of the uncertainty as to when the legal system would return to normal.”

In the article, Joe, co-chair of Goldberg Segalla’s Sports and Entertainment and Retail and Hospitality groups, talks about how the COVID-19 pandemic will have short-term and long-term effects on sports law, changing contract negotiations, athlete health precautions, courtroom litigation, and more.

“In the short term, the sports law practice is beginning a shift back to the typical concerns,” Joe said. “The successful completion of the NFL season may be the best indicator of a gradual return to normalcy. However, the indirect effects will likely last for many years. Contract negotiations will take into consideration adjusted salary caps and the ongoing financial concerns of organizations, likely to last well beyond 2021.”

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE:

“4 Ways the Pandemic Altered Sports Law, For Better or Worse,” Law360, March 8, 2021

MORE ABOUT GOLDBERG SEGALLA’S JOSEPH M. HANNA:

With a national practice and industry-wide reputation for leadership, Joseph M. Hanna is consistently ranked among the top 10 attorneys based in Western New York in Business First’s annual Legal Elite, and in 2015, Joe was the youngest honoree ever to be named Lawyer of the Year in the Bar Association of Erie County’s 130-year history. Joe is also a leading voice for diversity in the legal and business communities. He is chair of Goldberg Segalla’s Diversity Task Force and has held multiple leadership roles in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) as well as diversity-related positions within the American Bar Association (ABA), DRI, and other organizations.