Arent Fox Counsels the Miami Dolphins in Naming Rights Deal with Hard Rock International

The newly renovated facility has been named “Hard Rock Stadium” and will serve as the home of the Miami Dolphins, University of Miami football team, Orange Bowl, Super Bowl LIV and the 100^th anniversary of the NFL, international soccer, and a host of world-class events. The Miami Herald reported that the long-term naming rights agreement is among the top three deals in the NFL by value.
 
Leading sports attorney Richard L. Brand, who heads Arent Fox’s Sports practice group and is the Managing Partner of the San Francisco office, represented the Miami Dolphins in this transaction.
 
As part of the agreement, Hard Rock Stadium — which is undergoing $500 million in upgrades to be completed in 2017 — will feature signage atop the shade canopy, at the facility entrance, on the VIP helipad as well as throughout the venue and other stadium and Miami Dolphins’ assets.
 
Arent Fox and Mr. Brand have a long history of working on major naming rights and sponsorship transactions. Late last month, Mr. Brand served as counsel to Inova Health System in advising them on a multi-year naming rights and sponsorship transaction with the National Football League’s Washington Redskins. Additionally, within the last 12 months, Mr. Brand served as counsel to Mercedes-Benz in a naming rights and sponsorship transaction with the National Football League’s Atlanta Falcons and Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United FC for Atlanta’s new iconic stadium that is slated to open in 2017—the largest marketing deal in Mercedes-Benz history. He also served as counsel to Golden 1 Credit Union in the historic naming rights partnership agreement with the National Basketball Association’s Sacramento Kings, among numerous other sports transactions.
 
Mr. Brand has been recognized as a leading sports attorney by Chambers USA, Legal 500 and US News & World Report. He is frequently featured on the Yes Network’s Forbes SportsMoney talk show, and he also has appeared on CNN, Fox Sports, and other national television and radio broadcasts. Mr. Brand focuses on naming rights, media rights, acquisitions of professional sports franchises, sponsorships, arena/stadium licenses, executive contracts, concession agreements, suite and club seat licenses, and financings for teams and facilities. He also represents numerous professional teams in all facets of their operations.
 
From coast to coast, Arent Fox boasts one of the most experienced and diverse sports law practices in the country, with clients spanning individuals and team sports in major league, minor league and amateur sports. The group regularly advises companies and organizations in football, baseball, basketball, tennis, cycling, hockey, soccer, wrestling, collegiate and high school sports and the Olympics on a wide array of issues, including those involving acquisitions and sales of teams, property and event companies, financings, media and technology agreements, intellectual property matters, and naming rights and other sponsorship transactions.