Tulane's 5th Annual National Baseball Arbitration Competition

I would like to thank Tulane University Law School, Professor Gabe Feldman and T.J. Henry for inviting me to be a judge in the 5^th Annual National Baseball Arbitration Competition.  The participants were all outstanding, and it was an honor to judge them.  I wish all of the competitors the very best in their future endeavors.

Second International Conference on Sports Arbitration

I had a fantastic experience at the Second International Conference on Sports Arbitration that took place in Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, Russia on November 1, 2011.  I discussed relevant American sports arbitration cases and the role that arbitral precedent plays in professional and amateur sports in the United States.  There were many great panelists, including Roman Khodykin (Clifford Chance – Moscow), who represented French tennis player Richard Gasquet in his doping appeal.  We were also joined by Elena Migunova, the 2008 Beijing Olympics silver medalist in the 4x400 relay.

I would like thank Vadim Chubarov, Vice-President of the CCI of the Russian Federation, Shamil Ageyev, Chairman of the CCI of the Republic of Tatarstan, Thomas Firestone, Resident Legal Advisor, U.S. Department of State, and the many other panelists and guests of the conference for welcoming me so warmly.  I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Kazan, and it will make a great host for the 2013 University Games.

Open Letter to Mt. Lebanon's Commissioners

Commissioners:
As a lifelong resident of Mt. Lebanon, I strongly urge you to support Commissioner Dan Miller’s resolution on the pool and athletic fields improvement and development.  Very little has been done to improve and/or increase our athletic facilities since I graduated from Mt. Lebanon High School in 1987.  In the years since my 3 brothers and I were participants in Mt. Lebanon athletics, we have seen participation in youth athletics skyrocket, and there are simply not enough fields and facilities in Mt. Lebanon to accommodate this increase.  Further, the facilities and fields that we currently utilize are substandard.

My wife and I are the parents of 3 children, all of whom participate in Mt. Lebanon athletics.  As a result of their participation on travel teams, we have had the opportunity to personally witness what other municipalities have done with their athletic facilities, and most, if not all of these other municipalities have facilities far superior to ours.   It didn’t use to be this way.

Athletics have always been part of the fabric of Mt. Lebanon.  Athletics are an integral part of the sense and feeling of “community” that has always set Mt. Lebanon apart from other municipalities.  Further, the success that Mt. Lebanon has enjoyed in interscholastic athletics has raised the profile of Mt. Lebanon, which only serves to make our community a more attractive place to live and raise children.  Without improvement to our athletic facilities, we jeopardize our tradition of athletic success.

You have the opportunity tonight to make Mt. Lebanon a better place to live and raise children, and I strongly urge you to support Commissioner Miller’s resolution.

Second International Conference on Sports Arbitration - Kazan, Russia

I have been invited by the U.S. Embassy to the Russian Federation and the U.S. Department of Justice to participate as a panelist at the Second International Conference on Sports Arbitration in Kazan, Russia on November 1, 2011.  The conference is being hosted by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Tatarstan.  I will be joined by 2 time Olympic champion and 2 time Stanley Cup champion Vyacheslav (Slava) Fetisov, who is now the Chairman of the Russian Federation Council Commission for the Olympic Movement Development, and many other outstanding international panelists.  I sincerely appreciate the invitation, and I look forward to an informative and exciting conference as well as my first trip to Russia!

Suffolk Law School

I would like to thank Gary Langlais, Vice-President of the Suffolk Law School’s Sports Law Association and the students of Suffolk Law for inviting me to participate on the October 12, 2011 panel discussion on Major League Baseball salary arbitration.  I was joined on the panel by Brian O’Halloran, Vice-President of Baseball Operations for the Boston Red Sox.  The moderator was Professor Roger Abrams of Northeastern University School of Law.  I truly enjoyed the opportunity and the experience.

University of Pittsburgh Law School

I would like to thank Professor Larry Silverman, the students of the University of Pittsburgh’s  School of Law and Pitt’s Sports and Entertainment Law Society for inviting me to participate in the October 5, 2011 panel discussion Representing Athletes and Coaches: The Myriad of Roles of the Lawyer/Agent.  I was joined by an outstanding group of panelists including Ralph Cindrich, Eddie Edwards, Steve Reich and Jim Zeszutek.  It was a lively and entertaining discussion with great input from the students.  Thanks again!

Duquesne University Law School

I would like to thank Professor Larry Silverman, the students of the Duquesne Law School, and Duquesne’s Sports and Entertainment Law Society for inviting me to speak on the topic of Major League Baseball salary arbitration on October 4, 2011. I had a great time, and truly enjoyed the student participation.