Holland & Knight Expands Sports & Entertainment Practice with Addition of Nationally Recognized Team

NEW YORK (September 7, 2022) – Holland & Knight has ushered in a new era for its Sports and Entertainment Law practice with the hiring of Partners Keith Carroll, Anthony Mulrain and O'Kelly E. McWilliams III, along with recent lateral Partner Tyrone Thomas. The attorneys were previously partners at Mintz Levin, where Mr. Mulrain and Mr. Carroll co-chaired the firm's Sports and Entertainment practice.

Mr. Carroll, Mr. Mulrain and Mr. Thomas will be the new co-chairs of Holland & Knight's Sports and Entertainment Law Practice. Mr. Carroll resides in Boston, Mr. Mulrain is in New York and Atlanta, and Mr. McWilliams and Mr. Thomas are in Washington, D.C.

Through the hiring of Mr. McWilliams, the firm has also boosted its growing private equity practice. In addition to advising clients in the sports and entertainment industry, Mr. McWilliams works directly with private equity firms and hedge funds. He is also a member of the National Association of Investment Companies, a network of more than 160 diverse-owned and emerging private equity firms and hedge funds in the country.

"Given the firm's significant and growing opportunities in the sports and entertainment industries, there was no better time to commit increased resources to take the firm to new and higher levels," said Christopher G. Kelly, leader of Holland & Knight's Litigation Section. "With Ty, Tony and Keith and their national reputations in sports and entertainment law, our abilities to service clients in these multibillion-dollar industries are demonstrably enhanced. Just as importantly, their collective track record, national recognition and extensive contacts present a fantastic opportunity for the firm to develop and attract talented lawyers in these areas."

"The team has built an impressive practice, and, just as important, they share our philosophy of working collaboratively across multiple disciplines to deliver world-class client service," said Jose Sirven, leader of Holland & Knight's Business Section. "They each have different strengths and backgrounds, but together they are a powerhouse team that can handle everything from finance and marketing deals to high-profile disputes. With their help, we can build an industry-leading team that understands how the industry is evolving and innovates alongside our clients."

Mr. Carroll regularly advises prominent professional sports franchises, senior executives and athletes with regard to league investigations, business disputes, and other sensitive and high-profile matters. He has been trial counsel for more than 20 matters taken to verdict, decision or award in numerous state and federal courts and arbitration forums, and has also successfully represented multiple clients in investigations conducted by Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA). He has also been trial counsel in multiple sports-related arbitrations and conducted internal investigations for sports industry clients. Mr. Carroll has been recognized as a leading sports law practitioner by Chambers USA and as a Sports Business Journal "Power Player," and has consistently been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America, Benchmark Litigation as a Litigation Star and Massachusetts Super Lawyers. Mr. Carroll earned a J.D. degree from Georgetown University Law Center and a B.A. degree from Georgetown University.

Mr. Mulrain handles a broad range of matters for creatives, talent, studios, networks, executives, agencies, teams, leagues and companies in the entertainment and sports industries and beyond. He has been named a "Sports and Entertainment Industry Trailblazer" by the National Law Journal, a "Power Player" by Sports Business Journal and is ranked for both Sports Law and eSports by Chambers USA. He initially began working with entertainment clients when he was engaged by a publicly traded multibillion-dollar mass media company to handle litigation. His successful resolution of disputes for that client led to representing actors, writers, producers and directors in the motion picture and television businesses in transactions with studios and production companies. He has extensive experience advising and counseling professional athletes, sports agencies, sports leagues, Olympic sport governing bodies and boxing promoters, as well as regularly representing players in the NBA, National Football League (NFL) and MLB, including at least one No. 1 overall draft pick in all three major sports. In addition to traditional entertainment and sports law representation, he also serves as a trusted adviser to a number of healthcare, life sciences and technology companies. Prior to joining Mintz Levin, Mr. Mulrain served as the founding and managing partner in the Atlanta office of Gordon & Rees. Mr. Mulrain earned a J.D. degree from Rutgers Law School and a B.B.A from Iona University.

Mr. McWilliams collaborates with some of the world’s leading companies, asset managers and emerging businesses to advance their business objectives and mitigate risk. He primarily handles the employment aspects of M&A and other corporate transactions as well as employment disputes, internal investigations and compensation matters. Mr. McWilliams previously served as chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Virginia Retirement System, a pension plan valued at more than $105 billion. He is recognized as a leading labor and employment attorney by The Best Lawyers in America and Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers. Mr. McWilliams earned a J.D. degree from George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School, and a B.B.A. degree from Longwood University.