Alexander Steinberg is a standout partner and a recognized leader in sports law. His market insight, credibility with counterparties, and ability to manage complex, high-profile matters set him apart from peers. He combines strategic vision with hands-on involvement, which gives clients confidence and adds significant value to every engagement.
Alexander Steinberg has extensive experience advising sports, media and entertainment-related clients in a wide variety of transactional based matters. His practice focuses on:
Corporate transactional matters, including acquisitions, dispositions and strategic joint ventures
Content licensing and distribution matters and other complex licensing arrangements
Commercial matters, including sponsorship agreements (including naming rights agreements), ticketing agreements, concessions and merchandise agreements, and gaming related agreements
Financing transactions, and other matters relating to general corporate practice
Alex regularly provides counsel to programming networks, broadcast stations and other rights holders across a full spectrum of legal and strategic business matters, including domestic and international affiliation agreements (both with traditional distributors and "over the top" distributors) media rights agreement (both local and national), and distribution via emerging technologies.
Alex regularly represents buyers, sellers, financial investors (private equity funds, sovereign wealth funds, etc.) and sports franchises in the National Football League, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer and European football leagues. In addition to representing clients in strategic transactional matters, Alex acts as an advisor to the firm's sports and media clients on a wide range of general business law matters.
Alex previously worked in-house at ESPN, Inc. and the National Football League supporting their respective media businesses.
Alex rejoined DLA Piper as Of Counsel in October 2019. Prior to that, Alex was an attorney at the National Football League where he was responsible for a broad range of media-related transactional and strategic matters across broadcast and cable television, digital, social media and connected devices and Alex's role at the NFL included advising on the media strategy team on the NFL's content licensing business and partnerships social media platforms, the distribution of NFL Network and NFL RedZone programming services and the NFL's international media business. Alex also advised the NFL business team on commercial aspects of the NFL's Next Gen Stats initiatives as well as other League data licensing.
Prior to the NFL, Alex was an Associate at DLA Piper LLP (US) in the Media, Sports and Entertainment sector.
Alex's recent experience at DLA Piper LLP (US) includes:
The E.W. Scripps Company in connection with its Scripps Sports business, including media rights deals with the WNBA, NWSL, the NHL's Las Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) on various media related matters
A major streaming service in connection with its acquisition of NFL live game rights
A major digital video distributor in connection with its acquisition of MLB live game rights
Qatar Sports Investments in connection with its strategic partnership and investment transaction with Arctos Sports Partners in which Arctos acquired a minority stake in Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)
Portland Thorns FC in its sale to RAJ Sports, led by the Bhathal family
Qatar Investment Authority (QSI) in connection with its minority investment in Monumental Sports & Entertainment
San Diego FC, in connection with the acquisition of expansion rights from MLS for an MLS-record setting expansion fee as well as its entrance into a long-term lease with San Diego State University
NBA's Phoenix Suns and WNBA's Phoenix Mercury in connection with their sale to Mat Ishbia for an NBA record setting US$4 billion
Sorare SAS in connection with its agreements with the National Basketball League, NBA Players Association, Major League Baseball and Major League Baseball Players Association
A minority investor in connection with its investment in the NBA's Golden State Warriors
A minority investor in connection with its investment in the NHL's Tampa Bay Lighting
The founding investors of Bay FC in connection with their transaction with Sixth Street to related to the acquisition of expansion rights for an NWSL franchise in San Francisco
Sorare SAS in connection with its agreements with the NBA, NBA Players Association, MLB and Major League Baseball Players Association
The Tennessee Titans in connection with various commercial matters, including naming rights agreements, cornerstone sponsorship agreements and concession agreements
Paycor in connection with its stadium naming rights agreement with the Cincinati Bengals for the naming rights to Paycor Stadium
LAFC in connection in connection with its stadium naming rights agreement with BMO
Houston Dynamo and Houston Dash in connection with its stadium naming rights agreement with Shell Energy
For Soccer Ventures in various corporate and commercial matters
AS Roma SPV, LLC, the majority shareholder of Italian soccer club AS Roma in its sale of the controlling interest to the Friedkin Group
Northland Investment Corporation and Larry Gottesdiener in the acquisition of the WNBA's Atlanta Dream
A global social media platform in the launch of its first ever NFT collection
Ares Management Corporation in a US$150 million preferred equity investment in Major League Soccer's Inter Miami CF and its subsequent follow-on investment.
Ted Segal in the acquisition of a controlling interest in MLS' Houston Dynamo FC and the NWSL's Houston Dash
Los Angeles Chargers in various corporate and commercial matters
Richard Graham and Striker Partners in connection with various matters related to For Soccer and its affiliated companies
MLS' Houston Dynamo and NWSL’s Houston Dash in its partnership with Fubo Gaming
MLS' Austin FC in its partnership with PointsBet
Subaru of America on its naming rights agreement with Major League Soccer's Philadelphia Union for Subaru Park
A major sports and entertainment company in various licensing and sponsorship matters
A major sports and entertainment company in the launch of a new Latin America focused direct-to-consumer video platform
A major Korean media company in various commercial agreements and content license agreements
Representative Matters (2012 – 2017)
LAFC in connection with private financing of its new, 22,000-seat, soccer-specific stadium in South Los Angeles
Three existing minority investors in connection with their acquisition of controlling interest in LAFC
A leading New York-based global entertainment company's contribution of a video streaming service to a new joint venture with a Hollywood-based leading global entertainment studio
The sale of a US-based sports genre pay TV and OTT channel to a non-US media conglomerate, including advising on cross border structuring and media rights
Owners of Atlanta Hawks in sale of NBA team and operating rights to Philips Arena
ESPN, Inc. in connection with distribution matters including the launch of the SEC Network
Arthur M. Blank (Atlanta Falcons owner) in the acquisition of Major League Soccer's 22nd expansion team
AS Roma (Serie A) and Raptor Sports Group in connection with its equity capital raise and stadium development project
Abu Dhabi United Group in the acquisition, together with the New York Yankees, of MLS' 20th expansion club, NYCFC
Investors in the purchase of a minority interest in the Oakland Raiders football team
The buyers of minority ownership interests in LAFC
The San Francisco 49ers in the refinancing of their initial stadium construction loan for Levi's Stadium
Al Jazeera Media Network in its strategic acquisition of Current TV
Atlanta Spirit Group in connection with the sale of a minority interest in the Atlanta Hawks
The buyers of minority ownership interests in Los Angeles Football Club, Major League Soccer's expansion team, to play in Los Angeles in 2017
In addition, during law school, Alex worked in-house as the first project law associate in the legal department at ESPN Inc., where he assisted lawyers in the drafting, negotiating and review of contracts, and helped manage various litigation matters.
Additionally, prior to receiving his law degree, Alex worked for James Grant Sports (now YMU Group), a leading talent management agency, where he served as the marketing coordinator and managed all public relations and marketing opportunities for James Grant Sport's US soccer clients.
