Overview
Brandon Etheridge is a partner in the Sports practice at Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. He is a strategic advisor to investors, ownership groups, leagues, teams and other participants across the sports industry, helping clients evaluate opportunities, navigate complexity and create long-term value throughout the lifecycle of sports asset ownership—from evaluating and acquiring opportunities to operating, protecting, growing and ultimately realizing value from sports assets.
Before joining Paul Hastings, Brandon served for a decade as Senior Vice President & General Counsel of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens, where he worked closely with ownership and executive leadership on many of the organization’s most significant strategic, commercial and operational initiatives. Earlier in his career, he served in the NFL’s Labor Relations department, advising the League, its clubs and senior executives on collective bargaining, labor relations, CBA compliance, player contracts, player discipline, and league governance.
Throughout his career, Brandon has worked at the intersection of governance, strategy, risk management, operations, and capital deployment. He has evaluated opportunities, aligned stakeholders, structured and negotiated complex transactions, and led cross-functional business initiatives designed to drive growth and enhance enterprise value. Drawing on more than a decade of experience spanning both the league and club levels, Brandon brings clients a practical perspective informed by firsthand experience navigating the governance, commercial, operational, financial and reputational considerations that define the sports industry.
His experience includes advising on ownership structures, league governance, stadium and venue development, public-private partnerships and economic incentive strategies, major capital projects, media and commercial rights, naming rights, premium hospitality, infrastructure investment, sponsorship strategy and other strategic initiatives that influence the long-term performance of sports assets.
Accolades
- 40 Under 40, Sports Business Journal
- Leadership in Law In-House Counsel, The Daily Record
- 40 Under 40, Baltimore Business Journal
- 30 Under 30 — Sports, Forbes Magazine
Education
- Harvard Law School, J.D., 2011
- Yale University, B.A., 2007
Representations
- Stadium and venue development, including stadium lease negotiations, practice facility development, major capital improvement projects and related infrastructure investments.
- Public-private partnerships, including legislative initiatives, public financing, economic incentive strategies and negotiations with state and local governmental entities.
- Commercial transactions and strategic partnerships, including naming rights, media rights, sponsorships, ticketing, payment processing, concessions and premium hospitality.
- Revenue optimization and business growth initiatives, including premium seating, venue monetization, year-round venue activation, advertising and media assets, and the development of new business ventures.
- League governance, ownership structures, constitutional and bylaw matters, and other governance issues affecting professional sports organizations.
- Collective bargaining, labor relations, CBA compliance, player contracts, player discipline, executive and football personnel matters, and arbitration proceedings.
- Enterprise risk management, corporate governance, compliance, internal investigations and crisis management.