December 5, 2018 (New York) – Proskauer confirmed it is representing the National Hockey League in connection with the League’s expansion to Seattle, which was announced by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on December 4, 2018, following a unanimous vote of the NHL’s Board of Governors. The Seattle club, which will be owned by a group of investors led by David Bonderman, will be the 32nd member of the League.  

Proskauer advised the NHL on the formal expansion application process that began in 2017 and assisted the NHL in negotiating the definitive agreements with the owners of the new club.

The Proskauer team is led by Chairman and Sports Law Group co-head Joe Leccese and Sports Law partner Jon Oram and includes senior counsel Christine Lazatin and associates Andrew Nightingale, Krista Whitaker, Jason Joffe, Andrew Santana and Ben Freeman (Sports); partners Amanda Nussbaum and Alan Parnes, senior counsel Abraham Gutwein and associate Bowon Koh (Tax); partners Sandra Montgomery and Peter Young and law clerk Theresa Smith (Corporate); partner Christopher Ondeck and senior counsel John Ingrassia (Antitrust); partner Daryn Grossman (Intellectual Property); and partner Perry Cacace (Real Estate).

For more than 50 years, Proskauer has advised the world’s leading sports organizations on their most critical and complex matters. Lawyers in the Firm’s Sports Law Group play a pivotal role in the transactions, negotiations and litigations that transform the business of sports. Proskauer has represented sports leagues in numerous expansion transactions over the last 30 years, including the NHL’s expansion to Las Vegas in 2016 and MLS’s recently announced expansions to Cincinnati, Miami and Nashville.