Max Siegel Rejoins Baker & Daniels' Sports & Entertainment Practice

Max Siegel Rejoins Baker & Daniels' Sports & Entertainment Practice

INDIANAPOLIS – Max L. Siegel, former president of global operations for Dale Earnhardt Inc., is re-affiliating with Baker & Daniels LLP as Counsel to lead the expansion of the firm's sports and entertainment practice. Baker & Daniels and B&D; Consulting, the firm's consulting division in Washington, D.C., have a rich history in serving clients and communities in sports and entertainment, and Siegel's experience as an industry insider makes him ideally suited to head the legal team.

An Indianapolis native, Siegel is recognized and respected locally and nationally for his work in sports and entertainment. He currently represents a variety of entertainers and athletes who call on him for his sound advice, understanding of their industry and savvy business expertise. In addition to his role at Dale Earnhardt Inc. (which made him the highest ranking African-American executive in the NASCAR industry), Siegel served on the executive team that produced pop artists like Britney Spears, Usher and Justin Timberlake. Siegel also has worked with gospel stars Kirk Franklin and Donnie McClurkin, and he has represented sports athletes like Tony Gwynn and Reggie White.

"We are very pleased about Max's decision to return to Baker & Daniels to lead our sports and entertainment team," said chief executive partner Tom Froehle. "His understanding of the business and legal issues faced by companies and organizations in the sports and entertainment business as well as entertainers, coaches and athletes will be a tremendous asset to the clients we serve in this industry."

Baker & Daniels has a strong history of representing sports organizations, owners, athletes and entertainers across the country over the years. Recently, former partners Jack Swarbrick and Fred Glass accepted athletic director positions at the University of Notre Dame and Indiana University, respectively, after being leaders in the sporting community in central Indiana and beyond. Additional firm experience includes:

• Negotiating leases of major stadiums and other sports facilities as well as the purchase and sale of major and minor league sports franchises;
• Representing professional sports franchises, including serving as general counsel for a Major League Baseball franchise;
• Representing owners, organizations and athletes in a variety of matters, including ownership, contract negotiations, endorsements, license agreements, immigration, employment, litigation and intellectual property;
• Representing gold-record selling musician in negotiation of recording and publishing deals;
• Representing companies in production of documentaries for television networks;
• Protecting intellectual property rights of teams, governing bodies, leagues, events and players;
• Serving as general counsel for and representing numerous national governing bodies and other amateur sports organizations;
• Playing a key role in the City of Indianapolis' 2011 and 2012 Super Bowl bids that ultimately landed Super Bowl XLVI which will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis;
• Assisting the NCAA in relocation of its headquarters from Kansas City to Indianapolis in 1997, including financing of a portion of its facilities; and
• B&D; Consulting, the consulting division of Baker & Daniels, helping obtain more than $57 million in government funds for amateur athletic events (including the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta), assisting in bid preparation and local organizing committees, and creating economic development based sports strategies for national and international sports federations and committees.

"I'm thrilled to be rejoining Baker & Daniels in this capacity," said Siegel, who strengthened the firm's sports and entertainment practice from 1992-94. "The firm's experience in the sports and entertainment industry is an excellent foundation for this initiative, and I look forward to helping this area of practice continue to grow at the firm."

In addition to his role at Baker & Daniels, Siegel will be responsible for the management of NASCAR's Drive for Diversity Program. He will focus on building on the accomplishments of Drive for Diversity and taking the initiative to the next level.

ABOUT MAX SIEGEL

With more than 15 years of brokering deals and project management, Max Siegel is known in the industry as an accomplished entertainment executive, attorney, author, conference organizer, and television and film producer. Siegel speaks nationally on establishing diversity programs and other best practices in business management. He currently oversees NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program. To learn more, visit www.maxsiegel.com.

ABOUT BAKER & DANIELS

Founded in 1863, Baker & Daniels LLP serves clients in regional, national and international transactional, regulatory and litigation matters. More than 370 lawyers and legal professionals provide services from offices in Indiana, Chicago, Washington, D.C. and Beijing. For more information about Baker & Daniels, visit www.bakerdaniels.com.

ABOUT B&D; CONSULTING

B&D; Consulting, a division of Baker & Daniels, is a national advisory and advocacy firm based in Washington, D.C. since 1985. The firm's professionals serve clients across key sectors, advancing their objectives within increasingly complex policy environments. Whether developing a business or advancing a mission, the B&D; Consulting team has the multi-faceted skills to help clients succeed. For more information about B&D; Consulting, visit www.bakerdconsulting.com.