On May 24, 2010, the Supreme Court decided 9-0 against the National Football League (NFL) in American Needle v. NFL, one of the most important legal decisions in U.S. sports.

The case stems from the NFL's decision to enter into an exclusive, long-term apparel license with Reebok and not to renew its license with American Needle. For antitrust counsel, the decision is important because the Court found that the NFL did not constitute a single entity under the Sherman Act because "the NFL teams do not possess either the unitary decision-making quality or the single aggregation of economic power characteristic of independent action." This decision also affects intellectual property counsel who need to direct clients to tread lightly with exclusive licensing deals. Labor or employment lawyers should take note of the potential effects that such decisions have on collective bargaining negotiations, notably the NFL's negotiations with its players for play beginning in 2011.

Who Should Attend

Attorneys representing product manufacturers and sports entities

Intellectual property attorneys

Antitrust counsel

Labor and employment lawyers

Any counsel with an interest in professional sports and the legal issues involved with the same

What You Will Learn

Background on the American Needle case

Licensing basics for merchandising and products, including the benefits and drawbacks for exclusive licenses

Current state of antitrust law

How the courts treat professional sports leagues

Collective bargaining basics as related to professional sports leagues