Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLC partner Angela de Cespedes has been appointed Vice-Chair of the ABA Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries’ Litigation Division. In her role, Ms. de Cespedes will contribute to the Forum’s goal of providing members with in-depth knowledge, resources and networking opportunities within the legal aspect of the entertainment and sports fields.
A partner in Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr’s Miami office and one of the leaders of its National Sports & Entertainment Practice Group and Crypto & Blockchain Task Force, Ms. de Cespedes – who is admitted to practice in both Florida and New York – maintains a practice focused on litigating disputes involving threatened or active complex tort, commercial litigation and business disputes in state and federal courts, arbitration and before administrative agencies. Representing professional sports leagues, federations, teams, stadiums, arenas, hospitality, entertainment, restaurant and food service providers, Ms. de Cespedes also advises clients in an array of other industries including technology, digital currency, gaming and social media. Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr is a national full-service law firm with 400+ attorneys and offices in 18 locations nationwide.
“I am honored to have been named Vice-Chair of the ABA Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries’ Litigation Division and happily accept this appointment,” said Ms. de Cespedes. “I look forward to taking on this new role and working closely with the ABA’s leadership and membership to enhance the knowledge and resources it offers to help attorneys within the entertainment and sports industries develop traditional and non-traditional solutions to legal disputes.”
Ms. de Cespedes’ capabilities include advising clients facing a potential or actual exposure to liability in order to minimize the risk of litigation and providing crisis management and counsel regarding the collection and preservation of evidence and data in order to all-together avoid or minimize the impact of litigation. Her strategic approach to reducing litigation risks and resolving disputes also includes liaising with government agencies and third parties on behalf of clients.
Her experience within the sports and entertainment industries includes representing the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium for a variety of matters as outside counsel for the past 18 years. She serves as outside counsel to DIMAYOR – Major Division of Colombian Professional Football (Soccer). She also represented the City of Miami as its outside counsel in connection with the development of Freedom Park, a soccer stadium and mixed-use project that will serve as the future home of David Beckham’s Major League Soccer (MLS) team, Inter Miami CF.
Further enforcing her knowledge and experience in the sports and entertainment industries, Ms. de Cespedes is the co-creator and co-host of Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr’s Youtube podcast “Lawyers With Game,” where she discusses and analyzes current legal topics and trends in video gaming, eSports, NFT’s and all things metaverse.
From April 7 through April 9, the ABA Forum hosted the Entertainment & Sports Industries Spring 2022 CLE Program and Governing Committee meeting in Atlanta, Georgia at the landmark Kimpton Sylvan Hotel, where Ms. de Cespedes participated in her new role.
