Brandt, Andrew

English

Villanova University School of Law: Digital Repository

Volume 20 Issue 2 Article 2 2013 From the Director Andrew Brandt Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.law.villanova.edu/mslj  Part of the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law Commons Recommended Citation Andrew Brandt, From the Director, 20 Jeffrey S. Moorad Sports L.J. 343 (2013). Available at: https://digitalcommons.law.villanova.edu/mslj/vol20/iss2/2 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Jeffrey S. Moorad Sports Law Journal by an authorized editor of Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law Digital Repository. \\jciprod01\productn\V\VLS\20-2\VLS202.txt unknown Seq: 1  5-JUN-13 14:29FROM THE DIRECTOR, ANDREW BRANDTI. ABOUT THE CENTERFounded in February 2012 with a $5 million leadership giftfrom Jeffrey S. Moorad ‘81, the Jeffrey S. Moorad Center for theStudy of Sports Law aims to advance a new era of education for thesports industry.  With a unique emphasis on the development ofpractical skills, the leadership of a true thought leader in sports lawand business, and access to top sports industry executives, theCenter hopes to become the new paradigm of education and dis-cussion regarding sports law.  The Center will educate, inspire, andprepare students for various roles in the sports industry.  Simply,the Moorad Center will become a destination for dialogue, debate,analysis of law, business, and policy within the sports industry.II. MEET THE FOUNDER: JEFFREY MOORADJeffrey Moorad has been one of the most recognizable namesin sports industry for over 25 years.  The founder of Moorad SportsManagement, Moorad began specializing in athlete representationin 1983, representing such Major League Baseball stars such asManny Ramirez, Ivan Rodriguez, Mo Vaughn and several others.  In2004, Moorad was named a member of the executive team of theArizona Diamondbacks.  In 2009, he and a California-based groupreached an agreement to purchase 100 percent ownership of theteam over several years.  Moorad served as Vice Chairman andChief Executive Officer of the San Diego Padres until the groupsold ownership of the team in 2012 for a substantial profit.III. MEET THE DIRECTOR: ANDREW BRANDTIt is a privilege to introduce myself as the Director of the Jef-frey S. Moorad Center for the Study of Sports Law at Villanova Uni-versity School of Law.  Our aim is to transform the study of sportslaw through the combination of a rigorous academic core and arobust practical skills program.  Utilizing my twenty-five years ofpractical experience in the sports industry, representing both orga-nizations and individual athletes, will help realize this transforma-tion, and ultimately mature the Center into the thought leader ofthe sports industry.I come to Villanova with a varied and diverse background inmany areas of sports business and law.  After attending StanfordUniversity and Georgetown Law School, I began my career as aplayer agent with ProServ, managing NBA and NFL players includ-1Brandt: From the DirectorPublished by Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law Digital Repository, 2013\\jciprod01\productn\V\VLS\20-2\VLS202.txt unknown Seq: 2  5-JUN-13 14:29ing Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, and Boomer Esiason.  In 1991, Ibecame General Manager of the Barcelona Dragons in the NFL’sWorld League, where, as the youngest GM in professional sports, Ihelped introduce American football to Europe.  Following my timewith the Dragons, I returned to player representation with BobWoolf Associates in Boston, representing NFL players such as RickyWilliams, Matt Hasselbeck, and Adam Vinatieri.  In 1999, I returnedto the organizational side when I became Vice President of theGreen Bay Packers, handling the team’s player contracts, SalaryCap management, and business operations through 2008, a nine-year tenure with only one losing record.  I presently serve as ESPN’sNFL Business Analyst, offering my unique perspective on a wide va-riety of off-field issues, in addition to teaching Sports Law and Ne-gotiations at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.I plan to apply my experiences as an agent, team executive,and media personality here at Villanova in leading a unique anddifferentiated Sports Law program.  Using my knowledge and expe-rience gleaned from twenty-five years in the business, I will help theCenter achieve the status that Jeffrey Moorad envisioned – a centerwhere students can look to for expert opinions and guidance in thehighly competitive world of sports business and law.IV. ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM: “CONCUSSION CONUNDRUM”Our 2013 “Concussion Conundrum” Symposium is just one ex-ample of the unique opportunities afforded by the Jeffrey S.Moorad Center.  We explored, debated, and educated the audienceon the key issues that athletes, teams, leagues, doctors, and lawyersencounter regarding head injuries and brain trauma in sports.  Itwas a transformative event in Sports Law and timely in light of theongoing NFL Concussion Litigation.  Local and national media out-lets including the Associated Press, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Sport-ing News, Philadelphia Daily News, 6 ABC, and KYW Radio werepresent to capture and report on this landmark event.The first panel, “Framing the Issue” featured commentary fromformer professional athletes such as Keith Primeau (former NHLCenter) and Brian Westbrook, offering their emotional personalexperiences and unique insights into the cultures of their respec-tive sports and all emphasized the need for concussion awareness inboth amateur and professional sports.  Panel Two, “Building the Case– A Legal and Medical Background,” allowed medical and legal schol-ars to lay the foundation for liability issues concerning concussioninjuries, paving the way for the third panel, “Concussion Injury Litiga-tion,” where leading attorneys including Sol Weiss, co-lead counsel2Jeffrey S. Moorad Sports Law Journal, Vol. 20, Iss. 2 [2013], Art. 2https://digitalcommons.law.villanova.edu/mslj/vol20/iss2/2\\jciprod01\productn\V\VLS\20-2\VLS202.txt unknown Seq: 3  5-JUN-13 14:29in the NFL Concussion Injury Litigation, provided first-hand in-sights into the NFL case three weeks prior to the April 9, 2013 oralarguments before Judge Brody of the U.S. District Court for theEastern District of Pennsylvania.  The final panel, “What’s Next?,”featured well-known media personalities that have debated the con-cussion issue over the years, and explored present and futuretrends surrounding sports-related concussions.V. LOOKING FORWARDThe future of the Center is full of bright opportunities for stu-dents, alumni, and local sports fans alike.  The Moorad Center isbacked by the support of its accomplished Board of Advisors, whocollectively provide critical advice and guidance to the Center’sleadership.  This renowned Board includes notables from numer-ous facets of the sports industry, including Major League Baseball,National Basketball Association, the National Football League, Na-tional Hockey League, player representation agencies, and sportsmedia.  Our Board members serve as resources for student oppor-tunities in the field, and also join me for panels, interactive discus-sions, and symposia.Some of our new initiatives include:(1) A destination web site to provide news, updates, legal analy-sis, and other commentary on breaking stories and trends in thesports industry.  The site features my commentary as it appears innational media as well as two student driven blogs – the MooradSports Law Journal Blog and the Sports Law Blog.  The MooradSports Law Journal Blog, with posts drafted by staff writers andboard members on the Journal, provides complete academic analy-sis along with legal citations on various topics.  The Sports Law Blogprovides similar legal and business analysis with the goal of keepingits audience abreast of the most current developments in the sportsindustry.(2) A Sports Law Competition to be hosted here at VillanovaLaw.  We recognize a need for a dynamic competition that adaptsto the pressing current issues in sports that vary from year to year.Rather than being locked into a specified topic, the Moorad com-petition – to be scheduled in conjunction with our annual, cutting-edge symposium – will address the most current issues in sportswith contestants judged by industry professionals who stand at theforefront of these very issues.(3) “Fireside chats” with leaders in the sports industry, as I sitdown in a comfortable relaxed setting with sports leaders to provide3Brandt: From the DirectorPublished by Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law Digital Repository, 2013\\jciprod01\productn\V\VLS\20-2\VLS202.txt unknown Seq: 4  5-JUN-13 14:29students opportunities to get to know the industry as well as its keyplayers.(4) Field application projects with Board members and otherindustry professionals.  Students will be asked to research and gen-erate comprehensive legal analysis of a given topic to be supervisedby a Moorad Center faculty member.  Not only will this unique op-portunity foster relationships between Villanova Law students andsports industry professionals, but it will provide students with thepractical, real-world experience that the Moorad Center strives toimpart.  In fact, professional sports leagues and teams have alreadyreached out to the Moorad Center for help in researching current,real-life legal issues and for job opportunities.(5) Online education to showcase our Center and bring myinsights and experience to a national audience.  Participants in thisonline course would be eligible for Villanova’s Sports ManagementCertificate Program.(6) Sports Business Camp.  In response to a strong interest byyounger students, the Moorad Center will host a sports businessand law summer camp to students from age 15-22 looking to get acompetitive edge on their peers in entering the sports industry.The Moorad Center, despite still being in its infancy stage, hasalready provided students with the opportunity to learn from andwork alongside sports industry leaders and current practitioners.As we grow, we will continue to explore sports-related legal matters,foster discussion of topical business issues, and provide various per-spectives of news in the sports world.  I truly believe that with theresources and brand name provided by the Villanova UniversitySchool of Law, compounded by the unique practical guidance thatI bring as the Center’s Director, and the unparalleled leadershipfrom our Board of Advisors, the sky is the limit for the youngMoorad Center.4Jeffrey S. Moorad Sports Law Journal, Vol. 20, Iss. 2 [2013], Art. 2https://digitalcommons.law.villanova.edu/mslj/vol20/iss2/2\\jciprod01\productn\V\VLS\20-2\VLS202.txt unknown Seq: 5  5-JUN-13 14:295Brandt: From the DirectorPublished by Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law Digital Repository, 2013

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