International law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP announced that leading sports, media and entertainment lawyer Steve Argeris has joined the Firm as a partner in the U.S. Private Equity Group, based in the Washington, D.C. and New York offices.
“As we continue to add partners strategically to meet market demand and build on our existing strength in key industries, we are delighted to welcome Steve to Weil,” said Weil Executive Partner Barry Wolf. “Steve has deep experience in sports, media and entertainment, and he will help us expand our capabilities in these areas of importance to our clients.”
“We are committed to providing world-class advisors across the major sectors and industries in which our clients are active, and Steve’s extensive sports, media and entertainment expertise will offer new opportunities for our clients in these dynamic investment spaces,” said Michael J. Aiello, Chairman of Weil’s Corporate Department. “His arrival will be an immediate benefit to all of our transactional teams.”
“We are excited to welcome Steve at a time when our private equity clients are focused on investments in sports and adjacent areas, such as media rights, real estate development and talent representation,” said Kyle Krpata, Co-Head of Weil’s U.S. Private Equity Group. “By combining Steve’s experience and Weil’s rich history in sports, media and entertainment with our transactional expertise, we will enhance our strategic offerings to our clients across the sports landscape.”
Steve joins Weil from Hogan Lovells LLP where he was a partner in the Corporate & Finance practice, representing leagues, teams, universities, brands and investors across the sports, media and entertainment sectors. He has advised multiple high-profile sports teams and owners in bet-the-company matters, including record-setting M&A transactions in the National Football League, Major League Soccer and the National Women’s Soccer League, and helped grow emerging leagues such as Major League Cricket and Major League Pickleball. Steve has also led private company investments, handled billions of dollars in naming rights and enterprise sponsorship agreements, defended league-facing investigations, and advised on key sporting operations employment matters, helping teams hire dozens of coaches and front office personnel across multiple professional sports leagues.
Earlier in his career, Steve spent five years with Tepper Sports & Entertainment, the organization that owns the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, most recently serving as its general counsel. He currently serves as vice chairman of the board of directors for USA Rugby.
Weil’s cross-disciplinary domestic and international platform has played a leading role in numerous industry-changing sports engagements, including recent litigation for Major League Baseball All-Star Shohei Ohtani, the Major League Baseball Players Association, the National Women’s Soccer League Players Association and National Basketball Association star Zion Williamson, among others.
“I am very excited to join the outstanding team at Weil as the sports, media and entertainment landscape continues to evolve and generate new investment opportunities,” said Steve. “Weil has an outstanding heritage of guiding private equity clients in these sectors, and I look forward to working alongside my colleagues across the Firm to meet the needs of our clients in this exciting and rapidly developing area.”
This news story was originally published on the firm’s website.