Santa Clara University School of Law hosted its 2nd Annual Sports Law Conference on Friday, January 24, 2025. The event brought together a group of over 100 students, attorneys, and business professionals for a full day of programming dedicated to exploring the most pressing issues and developments in sports law. The conference was hosted by Santa Clara School of Law’s Office of Career Management and spearheaded by Adjunct Professor Leonard Lun (J.D./MBA ‘00) who also serves as the Director of the law school’s new Sports Law Certificate program. The day was made possible by the conference’s presenting sponsor, Omar Habbas (J.D. ‘85) and his firm, Habbas & Associates.
This year’s conference featured four dynamic panels addressing a wide range of timely and impactful topics. The first panel “NCAA Conference Realignment” was moderated by Joth Bhullar (SCU ‘16), Director, Business & Legal Affairs at FuboTV. Panelists included Santa Clara Law alumni Scott Petersmeyer (J.D. ‘07), Chief Legal Officer at the Pac-12 Conference and Heather Owen (J.D. ‘03), Director of Athletics at Santa Clara University. The panel was rounded out by Marina Carpenter, Head of Ownership & C-Suite Strategy at Navigate and Julie Conner, Deputy Campus Counsel at UC Berkeley Office of Legal Affairs. The panel discussed issues such as media rights and valuation, the new College Football Playoff Structure, the challenges of recruiting student-athletes, and the impending House v. NCAA settlement.
The conference’s second panel explored the essential role attorneys play in representing and protecting some of the world’s most recognized sports brands. Speakers included Jenny Vo, Legal Counsel, Brand Protection at lululemon, Ryan Becker, Senior Legal Counsel at The Coca-Cola Company, and Omar Salgado, Legal Counsel at adidas and former #1 overall draft pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft (Vancouver Whitecaps). The panel was moderated by the always dynamic Richard Brand, Managing Partner and Head of the Sports Practice Group at ArentFox Schiff LLC. The discussion focused on how protecting an apparel brand’s intellectual property in today’s fast-evolving digital landscape requires a broad approach that balances enforcement with brand exposure. Attorneys must navigate challenges such as counterfeit goods, trademark infringement, and unauthorized use across online marketplaces and social media. In addition, the panelists discussed how licensing plays a crucial role by allowing brands to maintain control over their IP while expanding their market presence through authorized partnerships.
Over the lunch hour, keynote speaker Marla Messing delivered an entertaining and insightful speech that highlighted her incredible career as an attorney and sports executive. Marla, a pioneering figure in the sports industry, has served as Executive Vice President for the 1994 FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee, Senior Vice President at Major League Soccer, President & CEO of the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Vice President of the LA2024 Olympic & Paralympic Exploratory Committee, and interim CEO of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Marla provided excellent career and life advice to all in attendance.
The third panel of the day “The Rise of Women’s Sports” focused on the remarkable explosion of women’s sports and examined the various legal, business, and societal factors driving its growth. The panel was moderated by Mariah Cooks, Associate and Co-Chair, Sports & Entertainment practice at Murphy Pearson Bradley & Feeney, P.C. and speakers included David Kelly, Chief Legal Officer at the Golden State Warriors and the Golden State Valkyries, Kate Porter, General Counsel at Bay FC, Brianna Salvatore Dueck, CEO of Uplift Sports & Entertainment, and Leslie Osborne (SCU ‘04), Co-Founder & Owner, Bay FC and former member of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team.
The last panel of the day addressed some of the hottest topics in sports law – Artificial Intelligence and Privacy. Moderated by Linsey Krolik, Assistant Clinical Professor at Santa Clara University School of Law, the panel delved into the rapidly evolving intersection of artificial intelligence, privacy, and sports, an area poised to transform the industry in significant ways. The panel discussed how many of the major sports leagues are using artificial intelligence to enhance player development and safety and how biometric data collection is affecting the privacy of athletes. Speakers included Marianne McCarthy, Director of Business & Legal Affairs at the Golden State Warriors, Zahir Rahman, Vice President & Deputy General Counsel at the Las Vegas Raiders, David Foster, General Counsel at Sports Solidarity PBLLC, and Matt Coleman (J.D. ‘13), Senior Associate, Cyber, Privacy & Data Innovation at Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP.
The conference was capped off with a networking happy hour where attendees and speakers could meet and connect with one another.
Attorneys and students alike enjoyed the event and found it extremely valuable. Here is what attendees had to say:
Casey Yang (J.D. ‘22), Associate at Reed Smith – “As not only an alum, but also the former Co-President of the Sports & Entertainment Law Society at SCU Law, it was truly amazing to attend the school’s 2nd Annual Sports Law Conference. At this year’s event, I found the discussions around college conference realignment and the rise of women in sports to be particularly enlightening given the current sports landscape and the importance of these topics. The fact that panelists, ranging from legal counsel to industry leaders representing firms, major brands, conferences, schools, leagues, teams, agencies, and players’ unions, flew in from across the country to speak at this event is a testament to the efforts and hard work of Professor Lun to grow the SCU Sports Law Conference and Certificate Program. The Bay Area is a sports hub with wide-ranging networks and opportunities, and SCU Law continues to establish itself as a premiere destination for students with sports lawyer aspirations. Go Broncos!”
Tiffany Cunningham, former Assistant General Counsel at The Walt Disney Company, flew in from Southern California to attend the conference. “Santa Clara University School of Law puts on a Sports Law Conference that is well worth a plane ride. The breadth of speakers, subject matter expertise, and thoughtful discussion was both spirited and informative. I also found the direct access to panelists invaluable. I highly recommend this conference for any practitioners and students interested in sports law.”
Brooke Ek, a 1L at Santa Clara Law was excited to attend her first Sports Law Conference and learned a lot. “The conference was a fantastic event! I was especially inspired by the Role of Attorneys in Representing Sports Brands panel—each speaker shared candid insights into their day-to-day legal practices which sparked my interest in working for companies like Adidas. My biggest takeaway was that there’s no singular path into sports law and there are so many opportunities out there—hone your legal skills, follow your passion, and you can make a real impact in the field.”
Thank you to everyone who attended the 2nd Annual Santa Clara Sports Law Conference and making it an incredible success. We look forward to seeing all of you in 2026!
For more information on future conferences and speaking opportunities, please contact Leonard Lun – Director, Sports Law Certificate Program at llun@scu.edu.
Check out photos from the event!
Written by Leonard Lun, Director, Sports Law Certificate Program, and
Daniel Zertuche, Student Writer for Santa Clara Law
Media Contact
Jennifer Wooliscroft | Director of Strategic Communication and Outreach | jwooliscroft@scu.edu | 408-551-1763