Richard Brand Listed Among Daily Journal’s ‘Top 100 Lawyers’ for Fourth Year

Rich was previously recognized in 2017, 2022, and 2023.

Rich, who leads the Sports group, specializes in a “hybrid” practice that encompasses a number of transactional areas, including: naming rights transactions; media rights agreements; sponsorship agreements; advertising agreements; procurement agreements; promotional agreements; food and beverage agreements; suite and club seat licensing; purchases and sales of professional sports franchises; entertainment facilities, player, coaches, and executive contracts; license agreements; arena and stadium licenses and leases; and financings for professional sports teams and owners of sports and entertainment facilities.

Daily Journal’s profile highlighted Rich’s current sponsorship and promotional deals for LIV Golf, five Major League Soccer teams, the Tampa Bay Rays, and other high-profile venues.

“I’ve probably done close to 40 naming rights agreements over the years,” Rich told Daily Journal. Rich’s naming rights portfolio includes high-profile venues like SoFi Stadium, YouTube Theatre at Hollywood Park, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Hard Rock Stadium, Barclays Center, Levi’s Stadium, Snapdragon Stadium, Climate Pledge Arena, Golden 1 Center, TQL Stadium, Q2 Stadium, New York City Football Club’s new stadium, and the Richmond Flying Squirrels’ new stadium.

Rich’s work extends beyond sports, including his instrumental role in naming San Francisco’s state-of-the-art transit center, known as the Salesforce Transit Center. Currently, he is part of a team from AFS representing the Tampa Bay Rays in the development of a new stadium, including sponsorships, naming rights, and other agreements.

Rich enjoys the complexity of deals involving new sports and entertainment venues.

“It’s a naming rights deal. It’s dozens of sponsorship agreements for that stadium. It’s concession services agreements, ticketing agreements, food and beverage agreements, suite and premium licensing. It’s not just one thing, it’s everything. And being a part of it — soup to nuts and start to finish — is incredibly exciting” Rich told Daily Journal.

When one visits a stadium where Rich and his team have worked on the sponsorships and other promotional and operational matters “all around you will be the fruits of our labor,” he said.

Handling deals from either side “gives me the necessary perspective of what each side is going to want,” he said. “It’s actually an asset for me to be able to think like a sponsor and think like a venue owner, regardless of which side I’m on.”

In 2024 alone, Rich was recognized as a leading sports attorney by Chambers USA and Legal 500, and was listed among the “Best Lawyers” for real estate and sports law by Best Lawyers in America. In past years, he has been recognized by SportBusiness Journal, is a two-time SportBusiness Journal Power Player, and was named “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers for his high-profile sports work.

Daily Journal’s annual ranking lists attorneys throughout California who have made a difference to their clients, their firms, and their profession.

Read Rich’s profile here. (Subscription required)