Jonathan Israel is an experienced sports and labor & employment attorney, advising and litigating for clients on a wide variety of traditional labor and general employment matters. He is a partner and co-chair of the firm’s Sports & Entertainment Group, representing clients in diverse industries, including professional and collegiate sports, esports, entertainment, media, financial services, hedge and private equity funds, manufacturing, and retail.
Jon represents sports industry and other corporate clients in matters involving equal employment litigation & counseling, wage and hour litigation & counseling, worker misclassification, restrictive covenants & trade secrets, employment contracts and separation agreements, federal and state agency investigations (e.g., Department of Labor), labor and employment issues in corporate transactions, WARN Act, and ERISA & employee benefits.
As the sports industry continues to evolve, Jon is assisting clients with novel legal issues and emerging areas. He launched and manages the firm’s College Sports: NIL Task Force, representing colleges, universities, and collectives as they navigate the legal issues involved in the commercialization of student-athletes’ names, image, and likeness. Additionally, he advises companies in the area of esports on employment issues related to investment and M&A activity in this space.
Jon also handles traditional labor law matters such as negotiating and administering collective bargaining agreements, including in professional sports and entertainment industries and in connection with corporate transactions and bankruptcy cases. He has arbitrated grievances and disputes, including for the for professional sports leagues and teams in connection with player discipline, contract disputes, and salary arbitration, and for various corporate employers in connection with the enforcement of collective bargaining agreements and work rules and litigates labor-management disputes before courts and the National Labor Relations Board.
Previously, Jon was assistant general counsel at the National Basketball Association where he served as in-house counsel to the NBA and its affiliated entities and teams on labor and employment, litigation, and general corporate matters.