On February 18, Jaia Thomas, Esq., of Diverse Representation, is hosting the 2022 NBA All-Star Brunch celebrating Black agents, attorneys, managers, publicists and other executives in the industry. The event is sponsored by WarnerMedia, Morgan Stanley Global Sports and Entertainment and Porter Wright. The goal of the event is to provide a powerful opportunity for Black athletes and sports professionals to meet new people, network, share brunch, and learn from a panel of speakers. Brunch will be followed by an insightful conversation about the state of diversity in the sports industry and pathways to ensuring a greater number of professional athletes, teams, leagues, and organizations are hiring and retaining Black professionals.
One sponsor of this year’s NBA All-Star Brunch is Luke Fedlam, a Partner at Porter Wright. Luke is passionate about supporting black athletes, advisors and sports industry professionals. “Anytime that you can bring together black agents, attorneys, managers, publicists, sports executives throughout the sports industry, it’s going to be a great time. We get involved because voices of black advisors need to be heard and relationships built to maximize the network and wealth of experience that we all have in this space and to help mentor younger professionals who are just getting started in the sports industry.”
Luke and Porter Wright have sponsored this event before, “It’s always like family. We typically will have around a hundred people networking and supporting each other.” He added, “As a partner in the event, we want to help shed light on Black professionals in the sports industry, to be able to help athletes and entertainers who are looking for qualified counsel and advisors who happen to also be black. This is one of those rare opportunities throughout the year to be able to bring a room full of those professionals from across the country together in one space.”
Luke believes in the power of connecting Black athletes to professionals in many different fields that can help them have a successful career during and after their time in the NBA. “Every year I’m always meeting new people. I love being able to build and grow my network, and that can lead to new professional relationships. I go into it from a mindset of, ‘How can I be a resource for other people who might need my services and how can I go find people who can be a resource for the clients that might need their resources?’”
To learn more about Luke Fedlam, Esq. and Event Sponsor Porter Wright visit: https://www.porterwright.com/luke-a-fedlam/
The NBA All-Star Brunch has lined up a powerful and diverse group of speakers to discuss the state of diversity in the sports industry this year.
2022 NBA All-Star Brunch Speakers
Olivia Scarlett, Director of Talent Relations at Turner Sports
Olivia Scarlett is an Emmy Award winning director of talent relations for Turner Sports. Scarlett manages talent requests for show productions, special features and special guest bookings for Turner Sports including NBA and special projects such as Capital One’s The Match and NBA Awards Show, as well as podcasts, digital and social media platforms.
Frederick Nance, Global Managing Partner at Squire Patton Boggs
Frederick R. Nance is the Global Managing Partner at Squire Patton Boggs. Fred has a leadership role in the firm’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiatives serving as the firm’s Global DEI Counsel. He serves as business counsel to NBA star LeBron James, comedian Dave Chappelle and other notable athletes and entertainers.
Josh Beauregard-Bell, Agent at Octagon Sports
Josh Beauregard-Bell is currently a sports agent within the Basketball Division of Octagon Sports. Josh assists in the management of top NBA players and overseas professional players.
Octavius (Ted) Reid III, Senior Vice President and Wealth Advisor with Morgan Stanley
Octavius T. (Ted) Reid, III is a Senior Vice President and Wealth Advisor with Morgan Stanley. As a Morgan Stanley Global Sports and Entertainment Director, he provides financial management services and helps guide many professionals through what can be an incredibly difficult space to navigate.
Event Moderators:
Jaia Thomas, Esq., Founder and CEO of Diverse Representation
Jaia Thomas, Esq. is a sports and entertainment attorney with over fifteen years of experience on both coasts. Her day-to-day consists of structuring, drafting, reviewing, and negotiating an array of agreements relating to the production, distribution, publishing and licensing of television and film content. Her clients range from artists, filmmakers, producers, production companies, social media influencers, and studios.
Luke Fedlam, Esq., Partner at Porter Wright
Luke Fedlam, Esq. is a protector, educator and national resource for athletes at all levels and phases of their career. With nearly 20 years of experience working with athletes, he leads Porter Wright’s Sports Law practice as a non-agent sports attorney.
