During the 2025-26 and 2026-27 NCAA seasons, Gulla Sports Law Group advised on over $19.96 Million in NIL and revenue-sharing agreements involving institutions across the country and student-athletes from around the world. This figure includes $12.08 million in institutional revenue-sharing agreements and $7.88 million in third-party NIL opportunities.

• Advised on student-athlete compensation matters involving institutions from more than 20 NCAA conferences, including the SEC, ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Big East, Mountain West, American Athletic, A-10, and Conference USA.

• Counseled 15+ international student-athletes on F-1 visas regarding NIL contracts, immigration and tax considerations, and cross-border compliance issues.

• Worked with both men’s and women’s student-athletes, as well as the agents and agencies representing them.

• Counseled dozens of agencies on Athlete-Agent and NIL laws across various state jurisdictions, SPARTA Act requirements, and the potential implications of the proposed Protect College Sports Act.

• Drafted, negotiated, redlined, and revised NIL agreements, revenue-sharing agreements, licensing agreements, and related athlete compensation contracts.

Gulla Sports Law Group has drafted, negotiated, and advised on hundreds of sports, business, and commercial agreements for athletes, agents, agencies, coaches, universities, professional clubs, and commercial clients throughout the United States and around the world.

• Drafted a variety of agency-related agreements for more than 10 sports agencies operating in the United States and abroad, including NIL Representation Agreements, FIBA Representation Agreements, partnership agreements, purchase agreements, merger agreements, and loan/advance agreements.

• Drafted agent employment agreements, independent contractor agreements, separation agreements, and compensation structures involving commissions, revenue-sharing, non-solicitation provisions, and restrictive covenant considerations.

• Negotiated and advised on hundreds of athlete playing contracts involving professional clubs and leagues across North America, Europe, Asia, South America, Africa, and Oceania.

  • Advised on player agreements involving leagues and competitions such as the Japan B.League, Spain Liga ACB, Germany BBL, Turkish BSL, CEBL Canada, Basketball Africa League (BAL), Mexico LNBP, FIBA Europe Cup, ABA League, and other international competitions.

• Negotiated and advised on sponsorship, endorsement, licensing, appearance, and influencer agreements involving nationally recognized brands and organizations, including AT&T, Reebok, Amazon Music, Topps, La Fe Foods, Razer, Juju Energy, TED Talks, and other commercial partners.

• Negotiated and prepared settlement agreements and dispute-resolution documents involving athletes, agencies, coaches, universities, professional clubs, and sports-related businesses.

Gulla Sports Law Group has represented athletes, coaches, agents, agencies, and sports organizations in high-stakes disputes involving contract rights, NIL compensation, athletic eligibility, disciplinary proceedings, and tax liabilities. Our experience spans NCAA investigations, FIBA arbitration proceedings, professional contract disputes, settlement negotiations, and litigation strategy across the collegiate and professional sports landscape.

• Represented a professional basketball player in proceedings before the FIBA Basketball Arbitration Tribunal (BAT), successfully asserting counterclaims that resulted in a net award exceeding €40,000 despite the affirmative claims initially brought by the player’s club.

• Successfully represented a student-athlete during an NCAA enforcement investigation involving allegations concerning a fraudulent academic transcript, including preparation for recorded interviews conducted by NCAA enforcement staff.

• Advocated for sports agent in a contractual dispute involving a EuroLeague player who improperly terminated an exclusive representation agreement and signed with a competing agency, resulting in a favorable settlement approaching six figures.

• Represented a professional athlete in a disciplinary matter involving alleged violation of club conduct standards, successfully negotiating a resolution that avoided threatened contract termination and reduced the sanctions implemented to a brief paid suspension.

• Represented multiple student-athletes in disputes arising from the implementation of the House Settlement and institutional revenue-sharing programs, including challenges to unilateral contract modifications of previously negotiated NIL compensation schedules.

• Successfully advocated on behalf of a professional athlete in a dispute involving unpaid tax obligations exceeding $62,000 arising from evolving tax enforcement practices within Japan.

• Negotiated a favorable termination and release arrangement for a professional coach following an attempted premature contract termination by his club prior to the completion of the applicable term.

• Negotiated a buyout and release agreement that secured full contractual compensation of $200,000 while preserving the professional player’s ability to immediately sign with a new club.

• Counseled athletes, agents, and agencies regarding dispute-resolution options involving the College Sports Commission, NIL approval processes, and proposed arbitration proceedings.

• Advised more than 20 student-athletes regarding NCAA eligibility challenges, waiver strategies, and potential litigation seeking injunctive relief.

Experience includes pre-dispute counseling, settlement negotiations, arbitration proceedings, internal investigations, disciplinary matters, and litigation strategy.

Gulla Sports Law Group has advised athletes, agents, and agencies on international transfers, immigration compliance, visa strategy, and cross-border mobility issues affecting athletic careers. Experience includes F-1, P-1, and O-1 visa considerations, FIBA transfer matters, Schengen-area (EU) travel restrictions, international player movement, and cross-border compensation issues.

• Represented an American professional athlete who was detained by immigration authorities in the Czech Republic after his club failed to secure required immigration status, successfully protecting the athlete’s compensation rights while ensuring compliance with immigration requirements.

• Represented an American professional athlete who was denied re-entry into Bulgaria due to club immigration failures, securing all $29,832 in remaining compensation and return of athlete’s personal property at the club’s expense.

• Successfully resolved a FIBA Letter of Clearance (LOC) dispute after a professional club improperly withheld transfer approval in an effort to force the athlete to waive compensation claims.

• Counseled more than 15 international student-athletes regarding F-1 visa implications of NIL and revenue-sharing opportunities, including restructuring proposed agreements to reduce immigration risk.

• Advised sports agency on immigration issues affecting a professional athlete facing Schengen-area (EU) entry restrictions arising from club immigration compliance failures.

• Advised multiple internationally accomplished student-athletes regarding potential transitions from F-1 visa status to P-1 or O-1 classifications, including evaluation of immigration, athletic, and NIL-related considerations.

Representative matters have involved athletes and sports agencies operating throughout North America, Europe, and international collegiate athletics.

Gulla Sports Law Group advises athletes, agents, and agencies on business growth, organizational development, strategic partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, and long-term planning. Experience includes agency expansion, staff compensation structures, succession planning, partnership evaluation, and competitive positioning.

• Counseled an international sports agency regarding a proposed merger and acquisition transaction with a larger US-based agency, including valuation, ownership structure, and acquisition strategy considerations.

• Guided a rapidly growing sports agency through operational expansion, including development of staff commission structures, contractor arrangements, and complex performance-based compensation models.

• Advised a sports agency regarding succession and exit planning in anticipation of a future sale of agency assets and business relationships.

• Assisted multiple agencies in evaluating strategic partnerships, business opportunities, and emerging technology platforms, including assessment of operational, regulatory, and commercial considerations.

• Counseled agencies regarding competitive recruitment disputes involving represented athletes, including contractual enforcement strategies, FIBA regulations, and protection of agency business interests.

• Guided hundreds of amateur and professional athletes regarding representation decisions, contract strategy, career advancement, and long-term professional planning.

Gulla Sports Law Group has advised athletes, agents, agencies, and sports organizations on NCAA, CSC, FIBA, and athlete-agent regulatory compliance matters. Experience includes licensing requirements, NIL reporting obligations, regulatory investigations, and risk management guidance across multiple jurisdictions.

• Counseled multiple sports agencies regarding House Settlement compliance issues, including third-party payment of NIL agent fees, permissible NIL transaction structures, and related reporting obligations.

• Advised athletes, agents, and agencies regarding CSC and NIL Go reporting obligations, including transactions involving multimedia rights companies and warehoused NIL rights.

• Counseled sports agencies regarding significant FIBA regulatory changes affecting athlete-agent agreements, termination rights, and permissible compensation structures between clubs, agents, and athletes.

• Counseled sports agencies regarding SPARTA and state athlete-agent licensing statute requirements, including multi-state registration strategies and risk mitigation for nationwide representation practices.

• Counseled a sports agent regarding document production obligations arising from a FIBA-related investigation involving allegations of match-fixing.

• Assisted a sports agent in responding to Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission enforcement warnings concerning allegations of unlicensed recruiting activities.

Gulla Sports Law Group works alongside clients and their accounting professionals to identify tax issues early, structure transactions thoughtfully, and help minimize unnecessary tax exposure. Experiences include international tax treaty planning, business entity structure planning, planning for tax withholdings and VAT requirements, and generating contract language that protects tax allocation and indemnification interests.

 ❖ Advised 15+ international student-athletes regarding the tax implications of United States’ income tax treaties with countries such as France and Germany, helping structure NIL arrangements to maximize treaty benefits, reduce withholding exposure, and protect against potential tax reporting and accounting errors.

❖ Counseled clients on tax planning involving countries without applicable U.S. tax treaties, including Brazil, evaluating contract structures, sourcing of income, immigration considerations, and payment provisions designed to improve overall tax efficiency across multiple jurisdictions.

❖ Collaborated with certified public accountants and tax professionals across multiple jurisdictions to help clients understand tax obligations, satisfy filing requirements, and coordinate legal strategies involving cross-border transactions.

❖ Assisted international student-athlete clients regarding planning for mandatory U.S. withholding obligations and the individual tax implications associated with those requirements.

❖ Assisted clients in structuring NIL payment schedules across multiple tax years to improve tax efficiency while remaining consistent with the parties’ business objectives and contractual requirements.

❖ Drafted contractual provisions allocating tax responsibilities, addressing withholding and cooperation obligations, and providing indemnification protections designed to reduce the risk of future tax-related disputes between contracting parties.

❖ Worked with international athletes to evaluate the use of business entities as part of broader legal and tax planning strategies designed to improve operational flexibility and potential tax efficiency.

❖ Advised clients regarding the application of European Value Added (VAT) to professional playing contracts and sports image rights agreements, including strategies designed to better manage and shift VAT obligations.

❖ Advised a growing sports agency regarding compensation structures for employees and independent contractors, including tax-related considerations affecting salary, commissions, contractor classifications, and protective contractual provisions.