Jon Israel is an experienced sports law and labor & employment attorney, advising and litigating for clients on a wide variety of traditional labor and general employment and corporate matters. He is a partner and co-chair of the firm’s Sports & Entertainment Group, representing clients in diverse industries, including professional and collegiate sports, esports, entertainment, media, financial services, hedge and private equity funds, manufacturing, and retail.

As a veteran sports lawyer, Jon is a trusted advisor to a variety of stakeholders in the sports industry, including professional leagues and teams, college athletic departments, commercial sponsors, and Olympic-sport national governing bodies, on a broad range of legal matters involving commercial transactions, litigation, and business operations.

As the sports industry continues to evolve, Jon is assisting clients with novel legal issues and emerging areas. He launched and manages the firm’s College Sports: NIL Task Force, representing colleges, universities, and collectives relating to the commercialization of student-athletes’ names, image, and likeness. Additionally, he advises companies in the area of esports on employment issues related to investment and M&A activity.

Historically, Jon represents sports industry and other corporate clients in wide range of labor and employment matters, including equal employment litigation & counseling, wage and hour litigation & counseling, worker misclassification, restrictive covenants & trade secrets, employment contracts and separation agreements, federal and state agency investigations (e.g., Department of Labor), labor and employment issues in corporate transactions, workforce reductions, ERISA & employee benefits, the negotiation and administration of collective bargaining agreements, the arbitration of labor grievances and disputes, and the litigation of labor-management disputes before courts and the National Labor Relations Board.

Previously, Jon was assistant general counsel at the National Basketball Association where he served as in-house counsel to the NBA and its affiliated entities and teams on labor and employment, litigation, and general corporate matters.