Jon H. Oram is a Partner in the Corporate Department and a member of the Sports Law Group. Jon has a broad-based transactional practice with an emphasis on clients in the sports industry. He represents both established and early-stage companies, as well as investors, financial institutions and private equity funds, in a variety of transactions.
Since joining Proskauer, Jon has represented the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, the ATP Tour, the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour and other sports leagues and tours in various corporate matters, including team ownership transfers, financings, expansions and relocations. In 2007, he advised MLS in its negotiations with David Beckham and the NBA in connection with the formation of NBA China, L.P. and its $253 million private placement. More recently, he helped NBA China structure its joint venture with Anschutz Entertainment Group to develop and operate the Shanghai World Expo Performing Arts Center and other sports arenas throughout China.
In addition, Jon regularly advises professional sports teams, including the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Jets, the New York Yankees, the Washington Nationals, and the New Jersey Devils, in a wide array of transactional matters, including team acquisitions and financings, employment contracts with coaches and other key executives, and the sale of sponsorship, naming rights, seat licenses, apparel, television, Internet and other new media rights. Among these transactions have been the Eagles’ $140 million naming rights agreement with Lincoln Financial Group, the Devils’ $105 million naming rights deal with Prudential Financial, and the WTA Tour’s $88 million global sponsorship with Sony Ericsson.
In recent years, Jon has counseled a variety of teams, leagues and owners seeking to develop new stadiums, arenas and other sports facilities. He has worked with, among others, the Eagles in connection with the lease and development of Lincoln Financial Field, the Jets with regard to the financing of the new Meadowlands stadium, the Devils in their efforts to construct and finance the Prudential Center, and NBA China in negotiations relating to the Shanghai World Expo Performing Arts Center.
Jon also represents both borrowers and financial institutions, such as JPMorgan Chase Bank, Goldman Sachs, Citibank, Bank of America and Société Générale, in financing transactions involving sports properties. These have included the NBA’s $1.9 billion league-wide credit facility, a $650 million bond issuance by an affiliate of the Jets, a $450 million senior secured credit facility to fund the acquisition of the Chicago Cubs and Wrigley Field, private placements of $250 million and $140 million by an affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and a $225 million loan to the owners of the Houston Texans.
Jon and his wife, Lisa Rubin, live in Manhattan.