Paul Hastings Adds Baltimore Ravens General Counsel to Leading Entertainment, Sports and Media Platform

Paul Hastings LLP today announced the addition of former Baltimore Ravens’ senior vice president and general counsel and NFL assistant labor relations counsel Brandon Etheridge as a partner in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. Etheridge started his career with Covington’s Band 1-ranked Sports Law Group.

Etheridge’s extensive experience advising one of the most respected franchises in sports — and previously, as the NFL’s in-house assistant labor relations counsel, representing the league, its teams and its executives — uniquely positions him to counsel major athletic teams, sports leagues, asset managers and other sports-related clients through the lifecycle of sports investments and ownership, including the evaluation, acquisition, operation, growth, and protection of sports assets. The move further solidifies Paul Hastings’ destination global sports platform as a premier full-service advisor to teams, leagues, investors, sponsors and media companies operating at the intersection of sports, business and global capital, as franchise valuations continue to rise and attract institutional and private equity investment.

“Expanding our Sports practice is a priority for our firm, and premier talent at the top of the professional sports world like Brandon — who brings both an insider’s perspective and network of elite industry contacts — is key to our continued growth,” said firm Chair Frank Lopez. “As sports further evolves into its own asset class, Brandon’s arrival marks a significant step in positioning Paul Hastings to best serve clients and substantially increase market share in this fast-growing sector.”

Drawing on experience at both the league and club level, Etheridge advises on the commercial, operational, and economic factors that drive franchise value and profitability, as well as high-value commercial transactions, public-private partnerships, and complex real estate, stadium and practice facility development projects. His sports-sector experience includes leading significant capital projects and developing new revenue streams for ownership, such as the development and monetization of stadium-adjacent media and advertising assets. 

Etheridge was named in Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list as one of the “Sports World’s Brightest Young Stars” [in 2014] and was included in Baltimore Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” class [four years later]. He also was named to the Sports Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” in 2024.

Etheridge’s arrival at Paul Hastings follows the addition of preeminent partners to the firm’s sports platform including M&A partner Mark Zerdin in London, Investment Funds & Private Capital and sports partner Chidi Oteh, corporate partner Benjamin Stein in Boston, and M&A partner Tim Fesenmyer and global Hospitality & Leisure attorney Todd Fieldston in New York.

“Paul Hastings has an impressive foundation in the sports world from which to grow its presence and market share, and I look forward to leveraging my experience to contribute to its momentum,” said Etheridge. “Over the course of my career at both the league and club level, I’ve had the opportunity to work at the center of many of the strategies, transactions, and long-term operational decisions that drive sports asset value creation.  Working alongside firm’s broader Entertainment, Sports & Media platform, I’m excited to collaborate with the firm’s bench of premier lawyers to continue serving clients on their most pivotal opportunities and matters in this dynamic space.”

Paul Hastings’ Sports practice brings deep industry experience and strategic dealmaking capabilities to athletes, teams, leagues, investors, brands, media companies and rights holders across the global sports ecosystem. The firm advises on high-profile transactions, commercial partnerships, media rights, venue development and emerging technologies shaping the future of sports. It handles the full spectrum of sports-related transactional, financing, operational and dispute matters, working seamlessly across corporate, tax, capital markets, real estate, IP and litigation disciplines to help clients navigate the rapidly evolving sports landscape.

About Paul Hastings

With widely recognized elite teams across 17 core practices, Paul Hastings is a premier law firm with a culture of excellence focused on providing intellectual capital and superior execution globally to the world’s leading investment banks, asset managers and corporations.