House v. NCAA – Potential Future of Name, Image and Likeness
Date: May 8 Time: 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Cost: This event is being offered as a free education session.
Woburn, MA 01801
On September 5, 2024, Judge Claudia Wilken declined to grant preliminary approval of the House v. NCAA settlement. Fast forward to April 7, 2025, Judge Wilken recently held a hearing on the proposed final House settlement. During the hearing, Judge Wilken challenged the settlement in certain aspects and challenged the attorneys to prove the settlement is sufficiently fair, reasonable and adequate in order for her to grant final approval. Will the plaintiffs and the NCAA revise their settlement agreement after Judge Wilken’s recent comments from the April 7th hearing? Will they wait for Judge Wilken to rule on the current version of the proposed settlement? When will Judge Wilken rule on such settlement? These are the questions everyone is looking for answers to.
Please join us for a panel discussion on the status of House v. NCAA settlement, Judge Wilken’s recent comments from the April 7th hearing, and what the future of NIL will look like in 2025 and beyond. Panelists include:
- John DeWispelaere – Corporate attorney and Vice Chair of McLane Middleton’s Sports Law Practice Group
- Michael McCann – Founding Director of the Sports and Entertainment Law Institute at UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law
- Scott Mutryn – Founding member of Friends of the Heights, the Boston College NIL collective
- Frances Reimers – Founder and CEO of Firestarter, an athlete brand and NIL consultancy
Presenters
John is a corporate transactional attorney who advises businesses and business owners on a range of transactional matters. In addition, he is also the Vice-Chair of the Sports Practice Group, a practice group that assists individuals, businesses, schools, non-profit organizations, and other individuals involved in the sporting landscape. John is a subject matter expert on Name, Image and Likeness matters for both academic institutions and student-athletes. In addition to assisting schools and student-athletes in Name, Image and Likeness agreement transactions, John works with professional athletes in reviewing contracts and prospective business opportunities, and counsels’ businesses in the sports landscape on governance and mergers and acquisition matters.
Professor Michael McCann is the Founding Director of the Sports and Entertainment Law Institute at UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law and is one of the nation’s leading experts in sports law. In 2021, he testified before the United States Senate in a Commerce Committee hearing that included NCAA president Mark Emmert and centered on name, image and likeness and other reforms. Michael is also an award-winning journalist and a best-selling author – he and former NBA player Ed O’Bannon co-authored “Court Justice: The Inside Story of My Battle Against the NCAA” (Diversion Books, 2018), and he is additionally the Editor and co-author of “The Oxford Handbook of American Sports Law.” He frequently appears as a legal expert on national TV programs, and is currently on the staff of Sportico while also teaching numerous courses focusing on sports law at UNH Law.”
Scott Mutryn is a Vice President at Bernstein Private Wealth Management, where he utilizes his extensive experience in finance to provide strategic investment advice and wealth management services to high-net-worth individuals, business owners, and athletes. Before joining Bernstein, Mutryn built a successful career in finance, applying the analytical skills and leadership abilities he honed as a collegiate athlete.
Frances Reimers is the founder and CEO of Firestarter, a premier personal brand consultancy based in Alexandria, VA, specializing in developing, managing, and protecting the brands of some of the nation’s most prominent high school, collegiate, and professional athletes, coaches, and sports executives. Under Frances’ leadership, Firestarter has built a distinguished client roster that includes the Denver Nuggets, Las Vegas Raiders, Washington Commanders, and the University of Pittsburgh’s Alliance 412. Her agency has also worked numerous collegiate athletic programs, and many individual high school, college, and professional athletes, coaches, and professional service providers.