Bruce B. Siegal brings more than 30 years of sports industry and intellectual property experience to Greenspoon Marder. As of counsel to the firm’s Entertainment & Sports practice group, Mr. Siegal focuses on sports brand protection and enforcement, licensing, contract negotiation, marketing, and business operations, helping brand owners maximize intellectual property value through licensing, sponsorship, and endorsement agreements, and assisting licensees on navigating the licensing marketplace.
With a strong sports business background, Mr. Siegal developed programs to protect the trademark rights of numerous sports clients, including organizing systems to protect the NCAA Final Four and College Football Playoff marks by clearing the marketplace of counterfeit and unlicensed merchandise in coordination with the event organizers, investigators and law enforcement officials.
Prior to joining Greenspoon Marder, Mr. Siegal served as counsel at a midsized business law firm in Atlanta, concentrating on brand protection, licensing, and intellectual property matters, primarily in the sports and entertainment industry. Mr. Siegal also served as the Senior Vice President and General Counsel for the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) and its related sports licensing entities. In his role, Mr. Siegal oversaw all litigation matters, including trademark enforcement actions and anti-counterfeiting efforts. He also established CLC as a founding member of CAPS, a trademark protection and enforcement alliance among CLC and the professional sports leagues such as the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL. While establishing and managing the CLC legal department, Mr. Siegal implemented company-wide policies and risk management procedures as well as advised on issues related to contests, social media initiatives, and promotions. Additionally, he drafted and negotiated contracts, including agency, license, and sponsorship agreements with clients, licensees, and sponsors in the collegiate business and related sports and entertainment clients.
Furthermore, Mr. Siegal played an essential role in developing and guiding the implementation of CLC’s labor code of conduct and monitoring program, and worked with collegiate institutions and licensees to implement Corporate Social Responsibility programs designed to ensure that licensed product bearing collegiate trademarks are produced under safe and fair working conditions.
Throughout Mr. Siegal’s career, he has shaped the sports and entertainment law community. Currently, he serves as Co-Chair for the Entertainment, Arts and Sports Committee of the United States Intellectual Property Alliance, former Chair for the Legal Advisory Committee of the International Collegiate Licensing Association, and past Vice-Chair for the Entertainment and Sports Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia. Mr. Siegal is also a frequent speaker and has authored a number of publications on trademark and licensing protection, as well as anti-counterfeiting best practices, especially surrounding sports branding and special events. Mr. Siegal serves as an Adjunct Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology where he teaches NIL rights and more. He is a highly sought-after speaker on NIL issues having presented at several conferences and events and has frequently spoken to the press on these issues.
Bar Admissions
- Georgia
Education
- J.D., University of Alabama School of Law, 1986
- B.A., University of Alabama, BA, 1982
Professional & Community Involvement
- Georgia Production Partnership, Member
- Intellectual Property Owners Association, Member
- International Anti-counterfeiting Coalition, Former Board of Directors and Legislative Task Force
- International Collegiate Licensing Association (ICLA), Former Legal Advisory Committee, Chair; Membership Committee
- International Trademark Association (INTA), Member
- Sports Lawyers Association, Member
- State Bar of Georgia, Former Vice Chair for Entertainment and Sports Law Section; IP Law Section; Corporate Counsel Section
- United States Intellectual Property Alliance, Board of Directors; Entertainment, Arts and Sports Committee, Co-Chair
- Atlanta Emory Ambassador
- Leadership Council of the Alabama Law Alumni Society
- Sponsor of Bruce B. Siegal IP moot court teams at the University of Alabama School of Law
- Georgia Institute of Technology, Sports Law and Public Policy, Adjunct Professor, 2022-Present
- This course provides a foundation in legal concepts within sports settings. The course will provide a practical overview of the laws governing college and professional sports by examining issues related to the various participants – the players, agents, owners, teams, NCAA, leagues, venues, fans and coaches.
Speaking Engagements
- Speaker, “The Current State of College Athletics and NIL,” LinkedIn Live, March 25, 2024
- Speaker, “How Do We Exist With AI in Entertainment, Arts, and Sports?” United States Intellectual Property Alliance – USIPA EAS Virtual IP Roundtable, September 27, 2023
- USIPA Annual Meeting, United States Intellectual Property Alliance, October 20, 2022
- The Value & Protection of Image in Entertainment, Arts & Sports, EAS Virtual IP Roundtable, United States Intellectual Property Alliance, September 14, 2022
- 10th Annual Mississippi Sports Law Review | NIL & IP Summit, October 25, 2022
- Georgia Intellectual Property Alliance (GIPA) Creators Community Virtual Gathering, “Opportunities and Lessons Learned in Entertainment, Arts, and Sports IP.” September 30, 2021
- “Change is Coming: Georgia’s Name Image and Likeness Legislation, Effective July 1, 2021,” Georgia Independent College Association, June 2, 2021
- Intellectual Property Issues and Protection in Games, Sports and Entertainment, Corporate IP Institute, October 30, 2019
- Corporate IP Institute, Georgia Intellectual Property Alliance, October 29, 2019
Recognitions
- U.S. News and World Report, “Best Lawyers in America,” Litigation – Intellectual Property, Trademark Law, 2023-2024
- International Collegiate Licensing Association (ICLA) Hall of Fame inductee
- Georgia Trend’s Legal Elite, Entertainment & Sports Law, 2012
- CLC Distinguished Service Award and Chairman’s Award of Excellence
- Bruce B. Siegal Award for Excellence in Advancing IP, Entertainment & Sports Award by Alabama State Bar (first recipient and now bestowed annually upon an outstanding IP attorney)
Publications
- Co-author, “Nearly Half of the Country Allows NIL Deals at the High School Level – Why it Should Matter to Colleges and Universities,” Lead1 Association, January 11, 2023
- “College Sponsorships in the Time of Covid-19 and What to Consider,” Sports Litigation Alert, November 20, 2020
- “Licensing Resource Book,” International Collegiate Licensing Association, October 16, 2020
- “From the Flea Market to the Online Marketplace: How Brand Owners Fight to Keep Infringers at Bay,” IPWatchdog, November 22, 2019
- “Top of their Game – Collective Licensing Scores for US College Sports,” Trademark World
- “Collegiate Licensing: State of the Industry,” The Licensing Journal
- “Legal Issues Facing Collegiate Licensing Administrators,” The Licensing Journal
- “From the Stadium Parking Lot to the Information Superhighway: How to Protect Your Trademarks from Infringement,” The Journal of College and University Law
- “Developments in Counterfeiting Legislation and Enforcement,” The IP Litigator
- “Colorful Trends in Trademark Protection,” Entertainment and Sports Lawyer
- Collegiate Licensing, The Licensing Journal (recurring columnist)
- “Collegiate Trademark Licensing,” The Management of Sport: Its Foundation and Application, Chapter 15, Times/Mosby
In the News
- Quoted, “The men’s college basketball Final Four teams earn $19.3 million in revenue. The women’s teams earn 27% of that.” Business Insider, April 6, 2024
- Quoted, “Student athlete bills could pave way for federal publicity rights,” ManagingIP, August 11, 2023
- Quoted, “EA SPORTS FOOTBALL REBOOT SPARKS $500 NIL DEBATE,” Sportico, May 17, 2023
- Quoted, “TikTok Sued by Reality Star and Influencer Over Scam Ads,” World IP Review, October 12, 2022
- Quoted, “Biggest Georgia Legislation Of 2021: Midyear Report,” Law360, July 8, 2021
- Quoted, “Breaking Down COVID-19’s Potential Financial Impact on Atlanta’s Pro Sports Teams,” Atlanta Business Chronicle, March 20, 2020
- Quoted, “NCAA Athlete Pay Debate: Why a Political Showdown Is Coming In 2020,” FOX Business, January 3, 2020
- OPINION: Level the Playing Field. Pay College Athletes, Too. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, November 14, 2019
- Quoted, “NCAA Clears the Way for Athletes to Earn Endorsement Money,” Atlanta Business Chronicle, October 30, 2019
- Quoted, “Free Labor From Georgia Student Athletes May Soon Come To An End,” Atlanta Business Chronicle, October 24, 2019
- Apr 17, 2023 College Athlete NIL: Guarding the Brand, An IP Perspective
- Feb 20, 2023 Patchwork of Rules Governing NIL Use
- Nov 16, 2021 Sports IP: College Athletes and Name, Image and Likeness
News
- Dec 8, 2023 Greenspoon Marder Attorney Bruce Siegal Attends the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum
- Aug 17, 2023 49 Greenspoon Marder Attorneys Listed in The Best Lawyers in America© 2024 Edition
- Dec 1, 2022 Greenspoon Marder Counsels Vanderbilt Name, Image, and Likeness Collective
- Aug 18, 2022 48 Attorneys At Greenspoon Marder Listed In The Best Lawyers In America© 2023
- Oct 19, 2021 Greenspoon Marder Attorney Bruce Siegal Featured Speaker at 10th Annual Mississippi Sports Law Review | NIL & IP Summit
- Aug 30, 2021 Greenspoon Marder Attorney Bruce Siegal Featured Speaker at the Georgia Intellectual Property Alliance Creators Community Virtual Gathering
- Aug 3, 2021 Greenspoon Marder Welcomes Bruce Siegal As Of Counsel In the Atlanta Office
