Guide to Hiring a Sports Attorney

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Guide to Hiring a Sports Attorney
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Who is a sports lawyer?

• A sports lawyer practice law in a plenty of
  fields related to the sports industry such as
  contracts, intellectual property, bargaining
  agreement, endorsement, etc.
• Sports attorneys client base is quite extensive
  
• athletes,
• coaches,
• sports managers,
• sports league official,
• Merchandisers,
• and many other sports professionals who need
  legal advice and representation.
  

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• If a sportsman feels uncomfortable trying to
  negotiate some kind of agreement, it is a sign he
  or she needs to hire a sports attorney.
• An experienced sports attorney knows all clients
  abilities, expenses, spending habits and can
  adapt some contract to an athletes needs. Except
  negotiating, sports attorneys consult in all
  aspect of a sportsmans life.

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If you want to hire a sports attorney, you should

• Ask your friends, family, and colleagues like
  coaches or other athletes who can recommend you
  an attorney. You can trust these people who know
  your needs and can advise better NFL attorney
  than youll find on your own.

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Online Research

• Look through online attorney directories.
  Research different websites such as American Bar
  Association (ABA) with a list of lawyers who
  practice sports law. Another alternative reach
  online NBA lawyers services with high-quality
  professionals.

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• If selected attorneys have their own websites,
  check them and find out about attorneys
  background and law practice.

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• Pay close attention to kinds of sports the
  attorney focuses on because athlete sponsorship
  contract and bargaining agreements distinguish
  between different professional sports. Find out
  in what areas of law this attorney has
  experience.

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Select candidates

• Select at least three attorneys to interview.
  Dont forget to find out whether they have clean
  records and specialize in those areas of law you
  need help. Choose only those who will benefit you
  most and comply with all your legal needs.

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Meet selected attorneys

• Make appointments with chosen sports lawyers.
  Some of them can meet with you for free, others
  offer the first consultation and charge a small
  fee. Dont be embarrassed as attorneys have a lot
  of work to do and the fact that they pay you the
  full attention is a sign that every client is
  important for them.

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Ask questions

• Dont be afraid to ask any questions related to
  attorneys practice and experience. Ask about
  cases a lawyer has managed. You can ask to look
  through athlete endorsement contract that a
  lawyer has signed for his current clients.

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Attorneys skills and the fee

• You need to find out how good sports attorneys
  negotiating skills are, not only how much money
  he or she charges. If a lawyer works at a low
  price, there is no guarantee he or she can
  negotiate a high and profitable contract amount
  for you. In some cases, it is better to hire a
  more expensive attorney with outstanding
  abilities in athlete endorsement deals.

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Trust

• You should feel comfortable while working with an
  attorney you are choosing as he will represent
  you and influence on your career. He must be a
  great businessman as well as a person. Your
  interests must be a number one priority for an
  attorney. If you dont trust him, its time to
  look for a different lawyer.

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Reputation

• One of the main factors is an attorneys
  reputation. Pay attention to it! Some sports
  lawyers have reputation for being hard to
  cooperate with athletes and bring about only
  problems. Other attorneys can easily work with
  clients and improve sportsmans career. Research
  and look for a lawyer only with a good reputation.

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Accessibility

• Accessibility is also very important. Extremely
  busy and overloaded sports attorney can never
  find enough time for your needs and its almost
  impossible to reach them. Look for an attorney
  who can anytime give you a consultation, answer
  your questions or help with emergent problems.

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• You are as important as all other attorneys
  clients even if some of them are high-profile
  athletes. Decide for yourself whether you want a
  lawyer who works for you or with for his famous
  professional athletes.

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Money

• Discuss money. Dont be shy in cost-related
  questions. Some of the attorneys are charging by
  the hour so it is important how much your
  representation will cost for you.

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Lawyers behavior

• Pay attention to lawyers behavior during an
  interview. How did he treat you as well as other
  people in the office? With respect and interest?
  Can you feel like you were a priority for him? Do
  you think youve got a decent attention? How
  often did an attorney interrupt during an
  interview? Answer these questions and youll
  understand what kind of professional this lawyer
  is.

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Choose the best one

• Compare all interviewed attorneys. Make a list of
  characteristics that you want your representative
  must have. Which attorney does cover all of them
  completely?

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• Inform all attorney about your decision. Be
  polite and respect others. Dont let them
  hanging. Make an appointment with your chosen
  lawyers and discuss all details of the
  representation. More information about sports
  attorneys you can find in this Google book.

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