Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP has harnessed the collective competitive video game and esports experience of a core group of attorneys to create a multi-office, cross-practice team that can serve the legal needs of clients involved in the billion-dollar-plus industry.
Greenberg Traurig’s newly established Video Game and Esports Group will be led by David I. Schulman, a technology and corporate shareholder in the firm’s Atlanta office, and by P. William Stark and Steve Walkowiak, litigation shareholders in the firm’s Dallas office.
The new group, founded with approximately 20 attorneys from across the firm, will leverage the firm’s deep industry knowledge in several areas, including information technology, intellectual property, corporate and securities, real estate and stadium development, media rights, litigation and immigration. The Video Game and Esports Group will also draw upon the experience of Greenberg Traurig’s Global Gaming and Sports Law Practices to address the industry’s many facets.
“This type of cross-pollination enables the firm to provide tailored solutions while proactively navigating opportunities or challenges that can arise,” Stark said.
“We have worked with leading companies in the industry for many years. We are focused on leveraging our knowledge to deliver quality service and value to our clients,” Schulman added.
The group currently represents multiple video game studios, esports teams, publishers, content and rights owners, and hardware developers. Members of the team have led complex transactions at the forefront of the industry. The work has included strategic transactions such as acquisitions, international joint ventures and venture capital financings, commercial transactions such as publishing and development agreements, esports league management and tournament production, employment and immigration matters, and governmental regulation and policy initiatives.
“Esports is estimated to be a billion-dollar industry and growing,” Walkowiak said. “As the business and legal landscape of this exciting industry continues to evolve, our goal is to expand on what we can offer clients with a broad range of experience and resources drawing on our expansive knowledge with this industry-specific focus.”
Esports involves multi-player video gaming played competitively for spectators, typically by professional gamers. The industry has attracted global audiences in the hundreds of millions.
Stark said he believes “the legal needs of clients are dynamic, and it is important for the firm to be adaptive and strategic in how we solve those needs. Establishing the Video Game and Esports Group allows us to draw from our existing expertise and develop viable solutions for clients involved in this sector.”
