Sports, Media and Entertainment

Hughes Hubbard & Reed’s Sports, Media and Entertainment practice advises clients operating at the intersection of competition, content, technology, and global commerce. We represent professional and amateur sports organizations, leagues and governing bodies, media and entertainment companies, investors, athletes, sponsors, creators, and talent on their most significant legal, commercial, and regulatory matters.

Building on the firm’s long-standing Media and Entertainment practice, our lawyers counsel clients across a wide range of industries, including sports, film, television, music, publishing, advertising, live events, digital media, streaming platforms, podcasting, video games, esports, and emerging technologies. We bring a practical, business-focused approach to litigation and transactional matters involving the creation, financing, distribution, and monetization of content, including name, image, and likeness, as well as the regulatory and governance frameworks that increasingly shape these industries.

Integrated Capabilities Across the Industry Lifecycle

Our Sports, Media and Entertainment team provides comprehensive legal support across transactions, compliance, litigation, and dispute resolution, including:

Transactional and Commercial Matters
We advise on mergers and acquisitions, financings, joint ventures, and strategic investments, as well as the negotiation and structuring of complex commercial agreements. Our experience includes media rights and licensing, content development and distribution agreements, sponsorships and endorsements, advertising and brand partnerships, production and talent arrangements, and cross-border commercial transactions.

Governance, Regulatory, and Compliance Counseling
We counsel sports organizations, leagues, colleges, and governing bodies on governance structures, eligibility and disciplinary frameworks, compliance programs, and internal investigations. Our lawyers regularly advise on regulatory risk, enforcement exposure, data privacy, and emerging issues involving artificial intelligence and digital platforms, with particular sensitivity to reputational and operational considerations.

Litigation, Investigations, and Dispute Resolution
When disputes arise, we represent clients in high-stakes litigation, arbitration, internal investigations, and enforcement proceedings. We are frequently engaged in matters involving governing bodies, regulatory authorities, commercial counterparties, and other stakeholders, where legal strategy must be aligned with business objectives and public scrutiny.

Practice Leadership

The practice is co-chaired by Jeffrey Gavenman in Washington, DC and Sabrina Silverberg in New York, reflecting the group’s combined strength in litigation, governance, and complex commercial matters.

Jeffrey brings decades of experience litigating and advising on complex commercial matters, including advising current and former athletes, executives, sports organizations, sports focused marketing agencies, and related stakeholders on litigations and arbitrations, complex media rights deals, and name, image, and likeness agreements.

Sabrina is a trusted advisor to media and entertainment companies, producers, distributors, and talent, with extensive experience guiding clients through complex transactions, content and distribution arrangements, and strategic business relationships across traditional and digital platforms.

Together, Jeffrey and Sabrina lead a multidisciplinary team that draws on Hughes Hubbard’s deep bench in litigation, white collar and investigations, corporate, intellectual property, antitrust, international arbitration, and regulatory matters.

Why Hughes Hubbard

Clients choose Hughes Hubbard for Sports, Media and Entertainment matters because of our ability to handle complex, high-stakes issues at the convergence of law, business, and public visibility.

We offer:

• An integrated, full-service platform, combining transactional strength with trial-ready litigation and investigations capabilities
• Depth across sports, media, and entertainment, from content creation and commercialization to governance, compliance, and enforcement
• Leadership in Washington, DC and New York, providing insight into regulatory, governmental, and commercial decision-making
• Global reach with practical judgment, supporting clients in cross-border matters and evolving regulatory environments
• Senior-level attention and strategic focus, ensuring advice is tailored, efficient, and aligned with long-term objectives

Hughes Hubbard’s Sports, Media and Entertainment practice is designed to help clients navigate rapid industry change, heightened regulatory scrutiny, and increasingly complex commercial relationships, while protecting their brands, managing risk, and positioning themselves for sustained success.