Gregg Clifton Speaks to Law360 About Move to Lewis Brisbois

Phoenix, Ariz. (May 3, 2022) - Partner Gregg Clifton, who recently joined Lewis Brisbois’ Phoenix office as a partner in the firm’s Entertainment, Media & Sports Practice, spoke with Law360 for an article about his move to the firm.

As the article notes, Mr. Clifton has arbitrated salary disputes for professional athletes and represented university teams on collegiate athletics' most pressing labor issues. He spoke about how sports law has evolved to include more complex legal issues, as the industry has modernized and produced more questions around sports betting, brand deals for student athletes, and whether collegiate athletes should be considered employees.

Mr. Clifton mentioned how he wanted to join a firm with the resources to help him adapt and best serve his clients, because of sports law being interwoven with so many other employment related issues.

“One of the most exciting things about Lewis Brisbois is the platform that they have," he said to Law360. "It's an incredibly broad platform with expertise in an incredible number of specific areas of law which really gives me an opportunity to service my clients.”

As the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) reacts to legislative adaptations to name, image, and likeness laws on the state level that allow student athletes to profit off of their personal brands, Mr. Clifton said he thinks his clients are wary of the complexities brought on by this employee classification of student athletes.

"My concern is I don't think people realize the ramifications of what that would mean to have your student athletes be employees," he said to Law360.

You can read the full Law360 article, titled “Lewis Brisbois Snaps Up Sports Labor Expert As Partner,” here (subscription required) and learn more about Mr. Clifton's background in Lewis Brisbois' recent press release.