Adam is a trusted litigator and counselor in all areas of labor and employment law, with a particular expertise representing professional sports leagues and teams.
Clients count on Adam to handle their most complex, sensitive and high profile matters. Whether it is a dispute involving a superstar athlete, bargaining with powerful labor unions, defending class and collective actions, or litigating discrimination and harassment claims, Adam knows how to deliver results for his clients efficiently and effectively.
Recently, Adam has defended Major League Baseball and its member Clubs in class and collective actions, and the National Hockey League in concussion-related and wrongful death claims brought on behalf of former players. Outside of the courtroom, Adam has advised numerous sports leagues in connection with collective bargaining negotiations with players and in-game officials.
Adam also heads up the Firm’s Major League Baseball Salary Arbitration practice, representing a number of Clubs during contract negotiations and at arbitration hearings.
Adam’s practice extends far beyond the world of sports, as he has extensive experience representing financial services, healthcare, media and entertainment, telecommunications, energy, retail and hospitality clients in a wide variety of labor and employment law matters in state and federal court, and before administrative agencies.
Adam has lectured on sports and the law at Cornell University, and frequently represents the Firm and the Sports Law Group on panel discussions and at career seminars for current and prospective lawyers.
Education
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New York University School of Law, J.D.
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Cornell University School of Industrial & Labor Relations, B.S.
Admissions & Qualifications
- New York
Court Admissions
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- U.S. District Court, New York, Eastern District
- U.S. District Court, New York, Southern District
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
Memberships
New York City Bar
Awards & Recognition
Sports Business Journal Power Players: Outside Counsel 2021
Acritas Star Lawyer 2019-2021
The Legal 500 United States: Labor & Employment: Labor & Employment Litigation 2015-2018
The Legal 500 United States: Labor & Employment: Disputes (including Collective Actions): Defense 2019-2021
The Legal 500 United States: Labor Management Relations 2020-2021, 2023
The Legal 500 United States: Industry Focus: Sports 2018
Law360 Rising Star 2014
Benchmark Labor & Employment Stars 2019
Matters
Representative Matters
- Major League Baseball in the labor dispute with the Major League Baseball Players Association and the negotiation of a new collective bargaining agreement.
- Angel Hernandez v. Major League Baseball (S.D.N.Y.) in successfully defending against race and national origin discrimination claims brought by a current Major League umpire.
- Alex Rodriguez v. Major League Baseball et al. in playing a leading role on the trial team that defended the grievance arbitration and related litigation challenging the suspension of then-New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez.
- Senne et al. v. Office of the Commissioner of Baseball et al. (N.D.Cal.) in a putative class and collective action lawsuit brought on behalf of current and former minor league players who allege minimum wage and overtime violations.
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Wyckoff et al. v. Office of the Commissioner of Baseball et al. (S.D.N.Y.) in obtaining a complete dismissal of the class and collective action complaint brought on behalf of baseball scouts.
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Boogaard et al. v. National Hockey League (N.D.Il.) in the complete dismissal of wrongful death claims brought by the estate of Derek Boogaard, a former player for the New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild.
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In re National Hockey League Players' Concussion Injury Litigation (D. Minn.), a multidistrict litigation brought by retired NHL players who allege to suffer from the effects of concussions.
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Salary arbitration proceedings against players such as Josh Donaldson, Marcus Stroman, Dansby Swanson, Austin Riley and Joc Pederson.