Sectors
Foley & Lardner LLP partners Steven Vazquez, Andrew Wronski, and Libby Ridley are featured in the Law360 article, “Dugout Divided: Foley & Lardner Clients Clash in World Series,” spotlighting the firm’s deep history of sports industry work as the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays, two Foley clients, face off in the 2026 World Series.
Steven Vazquez, Foley’s managing partner based in Tampa, captured the excitement across the firm and friendly office rivalry playing out, saying, “I can’t get on a phone call with someone in our Milwaukee office without this being the first topic.”
He explained that although the components of M&A transactions are similar across industries, the high-profile nature and deep community ties behind professional sports teams add significant meaning to the work.
Foley’s Milwaukee office managing partner Andrew Wronski chronicled the firm’s historical relationship with the Brewers dating back to the team’s 1970 arrival in Milwaukee, noting the work the firm does today with the team “runs the gamut.”
Pointing to recent examples, Wronski highlighted a “rapid-fire trademark” matter Foley handled to transform a viral Brewer’s press conference moment into a trademarked slogan appearing on rally towels to the firm’s representation of team ownership in the acquisition of a minority stake in English Football League Championship team Norwich City F.C.
Ridley, who helped lead the Foley team advising the ownership group led by Patrick Zalupski in the acquisition of the Rays last October, commented that her favorite part of working with professional sports organizations are the new challenges presented every day.
“The variety is a lot of fun,” Ridley continued, referencing Foley’s real estate and construction work around the historic agreement the Rays reached earlier this year to advance their new ballpark and destination district in Tampa. “People who like sports are like-minded in that they are enthusiastic, they are energetic. I always find working with clients who have that type of mentality, it’s more fun.”
“This has been very galvanizing for the firm; I can’t walk down the hall without someone saying, ‘Did you see the team last night?'” Wronski added. “We are not batting cleanup or anything, but we feel like we are engaged in the team’s success, and that’s really fun.”
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