Sports Transactions

Dickinson Wright’s lawyers are close and trusted advisers to professional sports team owners, investors, and clubs on legal and business issues across major U.S. and international leagues. Our experienced sports lawyers play key roles in all aspects of buying, selling, financing, and operating sports franchises, working with professional clubs, ownership groups, individual investors, and leagues such as MLS, MLB, NHL, and La Liga (Spain).

We guide clients through the legal complexities of franchise transactions, capital raises, and league governance, with an understanding of how today’s sports market connects local teams with global audiences, media rights, and new investment opportunities.

Our services

Structuring and negotiating franchise/license acquisitions and sales

• Stadium and Training Facility leasing and financing.
• Advising on equity investments, debt financing, and ownership structuring
• Counseling on league governance, approval processes, and compliance
• Negotiating stadium agreements, media deals, sponsorships, and commercial contracts
• Representing investors and ownership groups in full or partial ownership transactions
• Advising on the formation and restructuring of ownership groups

Representative Experience

• Representing majority owners of professional soccer clubs on ownership and operational issues
• Advising on sales and acquisitions of Minor League Baseball franchises
• Advising on sales and acquisition of ownership interests in MLS clubs.
• Advising investors entering MLS, MLB, and European soccer markets
• Advising and structuring the extension of European professional soccer club youth academies into North America.
• Advising investors

Our team combines legal experience with industry knowledge to help clients manage transactions and ownership transitions in an increasingly competitive and global sports industry.