Maidie E. Oliveau

Representative Work

Maidie has worked in the sports industry for more than 30 years. She has negotiated and/or administered hundreds of transactions, including:

• Counsel Intel in connection with various sports rights transactions, including its worldwide partnership agreement with the International Olympic Committee and promotional rights agreement with the National Football League. 
• Conduct review and assessment investigations for the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee of compliance by national governing bodies with their own Bylaws, the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, and the USOPC Bylaws.
• Counseled Under Armour in connection with various sponsorship relationships with pro leagues and colleges.
• The successful bid by the New Orleans College Football Host Committee, and its member, the Sugar Bowl, to host the College Football Playoff national championship game in 2020 and the Sugar Bowl’s hosting of the College Football Playoff semifinal game every four years.
• The negotiation of Sugar Bowl’s sponsorship agreements and various game-related issues. The Sugar Bowl’s participation in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) format, and its title sponsorship deal with Allstate (and previously with Nokia and USF&G).
• Big Ten Media Properties’ sublicense of the media rights to the Big Ten Conference’s sports events, for $2 billion-plus, to ESPN, CBS and FOX.  This included the drafting of the media rights agreements taking into account the complex media market, multiple telecasters, and sports, as well as the negotiations with the counterparties.
• Acting as Pro Bono General Counsel for the successful Special Olympics World Summer Games held in Los Angeles in 2015, dealing with all legal matters for the Organizing Committee, from the bid to the hosting of the Games, such as the grant of telecast rights to ESPN, sponsorship and venue agreements and all major event-related issues
• Epson America’s major September 2015 promotion “Swimming in Ink” in Times Square, New York, featuring the U.S. Synchronized Swim team.
• CineSport’s sale of its leading sports video digital network to One Up.
• The acquisition of multiple endurance events by Southland Events LLC.
• Epson America’s negotiation of endorsement agreements with celebrities for its Pulsense™ product.
• Tampa Bay Lightning’s long-term exclusive media rights agreement with the Fox Sports-owned Sun Sports regional sports network.
• The acquisition of the BNP Paribas Open, the most attended tennis tournament in the world outside of the four Grand Slams, and the 55 acres of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
• Seiko Epson’s worldwide sponsorship of the English Premier League club, Manchester United.
• Numerous NHL Enterprises sponsorship-related transactions.
• Matters involving the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and multiple compliance-related sport governance investigations.
• The original Oracle Park naming rights agreement (formerly AT&T Park, SBC Park, and Pacific Bell Park), home of the San Francisco Giants, on behalf of Pacific Bell.
• CineSport’s agreements with numerous local media affiliates and content licensors.
• The Detroit Pistons and Oklahoma City Thunder’s grant of telecast rights to their local regional sports networks.
• The Tennis Channel’s acquisition of rights to two Grand Slam tournaments, Roland-Garros and the related media rights agreement with the French Tennis Federation, as well as the US Open and related transactions involving ESPN.
• AstraZeneca and its CRESTOR brand sponsorship of the PGA Tour.
• Numerous professional athletes’ matters, including for Arthur Ashe, Stan Smith, Tracy Austin, Mitch Kupchak, and Tai Babilonia.

In 1990, Maidie established LawSports, a boutique firm in Los Angeles. Prior to founding LawSports, Maidie was senior vice president and general counsel to DelWilber + Associates (DWA), where she administered sponsorship contract commitments and handled the general legal affairs of DWA. She came to DWA from the Women’s International Professional Tennis Council (now the WTA Tour) where she was its managing director. Prior to that, she was part of the team that organized the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1984.

Professional Activities

Maidie is on the Board of Directors of the Sports Lawyers Association, and the editorial board of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Entertainment and Sports Forum. She is also a frequent contributor and speaker to conferences in the business of sports and entertainment, including the Sports Lawyers Association annual conference, the ABA’s Entertainment & Sports Forum, the Court of Arbitration’s periodic Seminars and various other law schools and conferences. She also serves on the Advisory Board of the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission and sits on the Board of Advisors of the National Sports Law Institute.

Maidie was appointed as one of 12 arbitrators worldwide on the ad hoc Division of the CAS during the Olympic Games in 2012 in London, 2004 in Athens and in 2000 in Sydney, where she was on the panel of arbitrators which decided the controversial case involving the Romanian gymnast, Andreea Raducan, who lost a gold medal after testing positive for pseudoephedrine, a common cold medicine. She was also appointed as one of nine arbitrators worldwide on the ad hoc Division of the CAS during the Olympic Winter Games in 2002 in Salt Lake and in 2006 in Turin. 

Life Beyond the Law

Maidie was a member of the Board of Directors of the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games Organizing Committee, which successfully held the privately financed largest sports and humanitarian event in Los Angeles in 2015.

She speaks fluent French with native capability and understands several other languages. She is very fond of outdoor activities, participates in triathlons, and is a frequent hiker and swimmer.

Publications, Presentations & Recognitions

Maidie has been consistently ranked in Chambers USA. Who’s Who Legal has recognized Maidie as one of the “Most Highly Regarded Individuals” in Sports Law. Maidie has been named a “Game Changer” by Sports Business Journal and was honored with the Woman Sports Lawyer Award at the 2012 Sports Lawyer Association conference in San Diego. In 2014, Maidie was honored with the Trailblazer Award at the 6th Annual Kids in Sports (KIS) Circle of Excellence Awards reception. Maidie has also been recognized by Best Lawyers as one of the “Best Lawyers” for 2024 in Sports Law.

Maidie has authored articles and been profiled in various publications, such as:

• “The evolution of digital media strategies in Major League sports and the legal issues they raise,” LawInSport; January 7, 2019
• “Reflections on the Olympic Arbitration System,” ADR Times: Vlog; June 22, 2012
• “Olympic Arbitration Timelines,” ADR Times: Vlog; June 22, 2012
• “Olympic Eligibility Requirements and Arbitration,” ADR Times: Vlog; June 22, 2012
• “Olympic Sports Law Round Table,” ADR Times: Vlog; June 22, 2012
• “Apolo Ohno and Paul Hamm Olympics Arbitration Cases,” ADR Times: Vlog; June 22, 2012
• “Navigating the Labyrinth of ‘Amateur’ Sports ADR Procedures,” Dispute Resolution Magazine; 2007
• “Hot Trends In Sports, The ‘New Media,’” Entertainment and Sports Lawyer; 2006
• “An Inside Look at Dispute Resolution on the Occasion of The Olympic Games,” LCIA Arbitration and ADR Worldwide; 2006
• “What’s in a Name? Or, Why Pay Millions to Name a Building?” ABA’s Entertainment and Sports Lawyer; 2005
• “Paul Hamm Wins Fight to Keep Gold Medal – An American Arbitrator on the Court of Arbitration for Sport Explains How it All Works,” ABA’s Entertainment and Sports Lawyer; 2004

Maidie’s speaking engagements include:

• Sports Lawyers Association Conference
  Topic: Insider Perspectives from Behind The Scenes at the Olympic Games, May 2022 (Atlanta, GA)
• Sports Lawyers Association Conference
  Topic: The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Update: Recent Developments in Procedure and Disputes Involving the Olympic Games, Soccer, Doping and Sport Governance, May 2019 (Phoenix, AZ)
• Sports Lawyers Association Conference
  Topic: Global Update on Anti-Doping, May 2017 (Denver, CO)
• Los Angeles County Bar Association Entertainment Law and Intellectual Property Section
  Topic: Hot Topics in the Sports Industry: An Evolving Business and Legal Landscape, April 2017 (Los Angeles, CA)
• PLI, “Technotainment” 2014: Distributing Content Across Multiple Platforms
  Topic: How Do I Get My Sports? TV, TV Everywhere and Brand Extension, September 2014 (San Francisco, CA) and October 2014 (New York, NY)
• Lim Ruger Presents Women@theTable
  Topic: How Women Approach Business Relationships, September 2014
• Intellectual Property Institute – State Bar of California
  Topic: The World of College Athletics and Their IP, November 2013
• Ketchum Sports & Entertainment (Public Relations Firm)
  Topic: Briefing re Olympic Restrictions, November 2013
• NAFTA Advisory Committee on Private Commercial Dispute Resolution Outreach Program
  Topic: Entertainment, Media and Sports Industries’ Current and Future Use of ADR, September 2013
  Los Angeles, CA
• American Bar Association (ABA) Annual Meeting
  Topic: What’$ in a Name? Rights of Publicity and Trademarks in Social Media and the Tool of Valuation, August 2013
  San Francisco, CA
• The State Bar of California IP in Entertainment and Media Program
  Topic: Protecting the Image and Brand of Entertainers and Athletes, June 2013
  Los Angeles, CA
• United States Olympic Committee Best Practices NGB Seminar
  Topic: Arbitrations – Understanding the Process, November 2012
  Colorado Springs, CO
• ISDE LLM Program in International and Comparative Sports Law
  Topic: Case Study – 2012 London Olympic Games, October 2012
  New York, NY
• National Sports Law Institute’s 2012 Fall Conference: Current Legal and Business Issues Affecting International and Professional Sports
  Topic: Olympic and International Dispute Resolution, October 2012
  Milwaukee, WI
• Media Law Resource Center
  Topic: Sports and Intellectual Property, October 2012
  Los Angeles, CA
• ABA Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries
  Topic: From Behind the Scenes at the 2012 London Olympic Games, October 2012
  Las Vegas, NV
• Sports Lawyers Association Conference
  Topic: The Olympic Games as a Showcase–Anticipated Issues, May 2012
  San Diego, CA
• USC Conference on Sports: The Olympics
  Topic: Selling the Games: Marketers and Executives Discuss the Business of the 1984 Olympic Games, February 2012
  Los Angeles, CA
• ABA Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries – Annual Meeting
  Topic: Right of Publicity and Social Media Legal Update in Professional & Amateur Sport, October 2011
  New York, NY
• Dodger Blue in the Red Ink
  Topic: Recent Dodger Bankruptcy Filing – Legal and Business Implications, July 2011
  Los Angeles, CA
• United States Olympic Committee Best Practices NGB Seminar
  Topic: Arbitration, Perspective of the American Arbitration Association, 2011
  Colorado Springs, CO
• Sports Lawyers Association Conference
  Topic: Treating Your Fans Well While Preserving Your Revenue Streams! Blogs, User Generated Content, Fair Use, Data Protection, Content Integration – Lessons Learned, May 2011
  Washington, DC
• Los Angeles County Bar Association
  Antitrust and Unfair Business Practices Section Topic: Joint Ventures and Brand Licensing following American Needle, April 2011
  Los Angeles, CA
• Loyola Sports Law Symposium
  Topic: The Business of Sports in a Troubled Economy, October 2010
  Los Angeles, CA
• ABA Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries
  Webinar: Network to Blog – Old vs. New Media: What You Need to Know in Sports Deals, June 2010
  Los Angeles, CA
• Sports Lawyers Association Conference
  Topic: Report From Vancouver: Legal Issues in Olympic Sport, May 2010
  Phoenix, AZ
• ABA International Section Annual Meeting
  Topic: So You Want to be an Arbitrator? 2010
  New York, NY
• University of Southern California Sports Law Class
  Topic: Arbitration in Sports Disputes, 2010
  Los Angeles, CA
• ABA Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries
  Topic: Negotiating Sponsorship, Media and New Media Transactions, October 2009
  New York, NY
• ABA Dispute Resolution 2009 Annual Meeting
  Topic: Taking Stock After the Olympics: The Role of Sports Arbitration
  New York, NY
• Arbitrating Sports, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution
  Topic: Dispute Resolution at the Olympic Games, February 2009
  Los Angeles, CA
• 11th ALI-ABA Course of Study: Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law
  Topic: The Sports Industry: Negotiating Marketing and Broadcast Agreements
  Topic: Sports Litigation and Arbitration, January 2009
  Los Angeles, CA
• Human Growth Hormone Conference, UCLA Office of Continuing Medical Education
  Topic: Regulation of HGH by Amateur and Professional Sports Leagues, 2008
  Los Angeles, CA
• Sports Lawyer Association Annual Conference
  Topic: Road to the Beijing Olympic Games: Legal and Business Issues in Staging Major Sports Events
  Topic: The Globalization of Sports: Legal Issues in Negotiating International Sports Deals, May 2008
  San Francisco, CA
• ABA Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries
  Topic:The Road to Beijing – The Latest Issues in Olympic and Amateur Sport, 2007
  New York, NY
• Court of Arbitration for Sport Seminar
  Topic: The CAS Ad Hoc Division from the Arbitrator’s Point of View, 2007
  Lake Naivasha, Kenya
• U.S. Olympic Committee Legal Best Practices
  NGB Seminar
  Topic: Arbitration of Complaints; and Disciplinary/Discrimination/Harassment Investigations, 2007
  Colorado Springs, CO
• Sports Events Marketing Experience
  Topic: Sports Law and Athlete Representation, 2007
  Los Angeles, CA
• International Seminar on Arbitration for Sports
  Topic: U.S. Sports Arbitration Procedures – A General Overview, 2006
  Wuhan, China
• Sports Lawyers Association Conference
  Topic: Torino 2006: Overview of Court of Arbitration for Sport Cases; and Arbitrating and Litigating Disciplinary Issues and Penalties in Professional Sports (Arbitration of Olympic Sport Disciplinary Issues), 2006
  Toronto, Ont., Canada
• ABA Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries
  Topic: Current Legal Issues in Amateur & Olympic Sport; and The Digitization of Sports: A Legal and Business Affairs Perspective, 2006
  Los Angeles, CA
• Women in Sports Business Symposium
  Warsaw Sports Marketing Center, University of Oregon
  Topic: Sponsorship Trends, 2005
  Oregon, USA
• Loyola Sports Law Institute Symposium
  Topic: Drug Issues in Amateur and International Sports, 2004
  Los Angeles, CA
• ABA Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries
  Topics: Resolving Athlete Eligibility and Compensation Disputes in the Olympic, NCAA and Professional Sports World; Ethics & Economics of Maintaining an Entertainment Law Practice, 2004
  Los Angeles, CA
• Sports Lawyers Association Conference
  Topic: Negotiating Sports Broadcast Agreements, 2003
  Phoenix, AZ
• Georgetown University Law Center West Coast
  Women’s Forum
  Topic: Global Economy: The Role of the Lawyer as Substantive Expert, Deal Maker & Negotiator, 2003
  Los Angeles, CA
• International Bar Association Annual Meeting
  Topic: Sport as an Entertainment Business, 2003
  San Francisco, CA
• London Court of International Arbitration
  Topic: Luncheon speaker on the Court of Arbitration for Sport, 2002
  Tylney Hall, UK
• College Athletic Directors Conference
  Topic: Ins and Outs of Successful Naming Rights Deals, 2001
  San Pedro, CA
• IEG Conference
  Roundtable Topic: Ins and Outs of Negotiating Naming Rights Agreements, 2001
  Chicago, IL
• IEG Conference
  Topic: Ins and Outs of Negotiating Naming Rights, 2000
  Chicago, IL
• Teams Conference & Expo
  Topic: The Sponsor’s View: What Every Event Organizer Needs To Know, 2000
  Dallas, TX