Richard L. Brand

San Francisco Managing Partner

Rich is the firm’s San Francisco Managing Partner and Sports Industry Group Co-Leader.

Richard Brand Portrait

Rich focuses on sports law, real estate and corporate transactions, e-commerce, hospitality and leisure, and partnership and corporate law.

Rich is recognized as a leading sports attorney by Chambers USA and as a “Leading Lawyer” in sports and real estate by Legal 500 and Best Lawyers. Best Lawyers has also recognized Rich as a “Lawyer of the Year” for his high-profile sports work. Chambers USA notes, “he is highly regarded for his expertise in representing both sellers and purchasers of sports teams,” and he is “really practical and resourceful,” according to client testimony. Legal 500 client sources say he is “one of the very best transactional sports lawyers in the country.” Rich is also recognized as a SportsBusiness Journal Power Player and has been consistently named one of the Daily Journal’s “Top 100 Lawyers” in California. Rich serves on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Sports Council, a prestigious group made of individuals and corporate members of the sports business community.

Rich speaks extensively on many aspects of sports, real estate, and hospitality law at major industry conferences. He is frequently featured on the Yes Network’s Forbes SportsMoney sports talk show and has appeared on CNN, Fox Sports, and other national media programs. Rich is also an adjunct professor at UC Berkeley School of Law, where he teaches a course on sports law transactions. Rich regularly guest lectures at prominent undergraduate and graduate Sports Administration programs.

Rich’s practice encompasses several main transactional areas, including:

Sports

  • Representation of professional sports franchises, owners of sports and entertainment facilities, sponsors and service content providers in connection with naming rights transactions, media rights agreements, sponsorship agreements, advertising agreements, promotional agreements, food and beverage agreements, suite and club seat licensing, and financings for professional sports teams and owners of sports and entertainment facilities;
  • Representation of prospective purchasers and sellers of professional sports franchises and sports and entertainment facilities; and
  • Player, coaches, and executive contracts, license agreements, salary cap and collective bargaining interpretation, and related matters for professional sports teams.

Real Estate/Hospitality & Leisure/Corporate

  • Representation of local and national owners, developers, and users in all aspects of real estate transactions, including hotel, office, and industrial acquisitions and dispositions, leasing, development, construction, financing, and management of commercial properties;
  • Joint ventures and related equity financings;
  • Formation of start-up entities and the sale of existing businesses; and
  • Representation of lenders and borrowers in complex debt and equity transactions, consensual real estate workouts, restructurings, and reorganizations.

Representative Sports Transactions

  • Representing SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park in a ten-year naming rights transaction with YouTube for “YouTube Theater,” a 6,000-seat performance venue at the Hollywood Park sports and entertainment complex. YouTube will be the exclusive video services and music streaming services partner of YouTube Theater, SoFi Stadium, Hollywood Park, and the Rams and Chargers;
  • Representing Credit Karma in a multi-year jersey patch sponsorship transaction with the Houston Rockets, which includes substantial in-arena and online presence and support of team community engagement efforts, along with Credit Karma Money becoming the presenting partner of the Rockets’ “First Shot” pre-game program;
  • Representing the Los Angeles Lakers in a long-term lease extension with AEG, the owner of Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center), ensuring that the defending World Champions will remain in their downtown Los Angeles home arena through the 2041 season;
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Representative Real Estate/Hospitality & Leisure/Corporate Transactions

  • Representing Corten Real Estate Partners in a capital investment transaction in connection with Sheraton Imperial Raleigh-Durham, a full-service upper-scale hotel in Raleigh-Durham, NC;
  • Representing Corten Real Estate Partners in a preferred equity investment transaction in connection with Margaritaville, a full-service resort in Palm Springs, Ca;
  • Representing Corten Real Estate Partners in a preferred equity investment transaction in connection with the acquisition and financing of the Meriwether Place Apartments, a new property in Durham, NC;
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Publications, Presentations & Recognitions

Rich speaks extensively on many aspects of sports and hospitality law. Several of his most recent speaking engagements include:

  • Served as a panelist on “Current Issues in Sports Media: Back to the Future?” at the 2024 Sports Lawyers Association Annual Conference on May 10, 2024.
  • Served as a panelist on “Game Changers: Navigating the New Era of Sports NIL” at the 9th Annual Berkeley Law Sports & Entertainment Conference on April 5, 2024.
  • Served as a moderator on “State of Play: The Realities of Revenue Generation for Southern California Sports Teams and Venues” at the LA Sports Innovation Conference on October 17, 2023.
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Rich is also a frequent commentator for publications including the San Francisco Business Times, Fox Sports News, CBS Radio, LawInSport, the Baltimore Sun, and Forbes Sports Money. He has also penned several legal analyses and recently published the following articles:

A few of Rich’s media mentions include: