In a bold move uniting law and sports business, Fisher Phillips Partners With Profluence, marking a strategic collaboration designed to equip fast-scaling sports organizations with top-tier legal counsel and compliance strategies in an industry racing toward transformation.

The employer-side labor and employment law firm Fisher Phillips announced Tuesday that it will join forces with Profluence, a Florida-based sports business association that connects founders, investors, and executives across the global sports ecosystem.

A Legal Playbook for a Rapidly Changing Sports Landscape

Fisher Phillips said the partnership aims to “build a trusted network to provide the legal counsel and compliance advice needed for sports organizations to scale to success in a complex and rapidly evolving industry.”

“Innovation is one of our firm’s cornerstones,” said Adam Sloustcher, co-chair of the firm’s sports industry team, in a Wednesday email to Law360 Pulse. “We believe our team’s workplace experience and knowledge can greatly benefit sports companies of all sizes—especially those in the Profluence community focused on rapid growth.”

Profluence’s Vision: Smarter, Faster, Stronger

Profluence, which calls itself “the official association for sports business,” serves as a hub where industry professionals can network, share insights, and access exclusive resources.

Co-founder Scott Garber expressed excitement over the collaboration, emphasizing its potential impact on emerging sports enterprises.

“We’re thrilled to collaborate with a legal powerhouse like Fisher Phillips,” Garber said. “Their ability to reduce risk through compliance and strategic counsel is a game changer for our members who need the right legal support to build faster, smarter, and more efficiently.”

Tackling the Legal Challenges of Modern Sports

Sloustcher, who helped lead the firm’s Dallas office relocation in 2024, highlighted the mounting legal and operational challenges facing the modern sports industry.

He cited worker classification, unionization, AI-driven changes, payroll compliance, and intellectual property protection as pressing issues. Teams and leagues, he noted, must also build robust HR infrastructure and cross-border compliance systems to sustain global expansion.

“As the industry becomes increasingly global, organizations are grappling with complex international compliance requirements,” Sloustcher added.

A Team Built by Athletes, for Athletes

Fisher Phillips’ sports practice group, co-led by Sloustcher and Todd B. Scherwin, includes more than 35 attorneys who were once collegiate or professional athletes—a distinction that gives them first-hand insight into the unique pressures of the sports world.

“Because our team focuses exclusively on labor and employment law, and includes former athletes among our ranks, we are uniquely positioned to help Profluence members stay ahead,” Sloustcher said. “We understand the nuances of the industry and how to develop practical, business-minded solutions that keep our clients competitive and compliant.”

Legal Innovation Meets Athletic Ambition

The Fisher Phillips-Profluence partnership represents a powerful alignment of legal innovation and sports industry ambition — a dynamic pairing poised to redefine how teams, leagues, and startups navigate compliance and growth.

As the sports world continues to expand beyond borders and into new technologies, the collaboration offers a legal lifeline to an industry in motion, ensuring that innovation doesn’t come at the expense of integrity.