Latest news with #OneTeamPartners
New York Times
3 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Union head Tony Clark, MLBPA hire separate lawyers in face of federal probe
In the face of a federal investigation, Tony Clark and the union he runs, the Major League Baseball Players Association, have hired separate lawyers. The Eastern District of New York is reviewing whether MLBPA officials used licensing money or equity to improperly enrich themselves, according to people briefed on the investigation who were not authorized to speak publicly. That could put the union and its membership in a place where they have divergent interests. Advertisement 'In close coordination with the players, MLBPA has hired outside counsel at Morrison & Foerster to respond to an investigation conducted by the Department of Justice,' the MLPBA said in a statement Tuesday. 'The MLBPA has, and will continue to, fully cooperate with law enforcement during this investigation.' Clark's outside counsel, Daniel Collins of Katten, Muchin and Rosenman, declined comment. The Eastern District of New York declined comment as well. The full scope of the probe is unclear, but investigators have also communicated with the National Football League's players' union and a licensing company co-founded by both unions, OneTeam Partners, the people briefed on the investigation said. In a statement it first issued last week, OneTeam positioned itself outside of investigators' crosshairs. 'We are aware of an ongoing investigation of allegations concerning our partners,' OneTeam said. 'We want to emphasize that OneTeam is not the subject of the investigation and has not been accused of any wrongdoing in any way. OneTeam is fully committed to cooperating with the investigation and remains steadfast in our commitment to following the best business practices, as has already been determined by the independent audit conducted earlier this year.' The NFLPA declined comment on Tuesday and said last week it would cooperate with investigators. The MLBPA co-founded OneTeam, a company that specializes in athletes' name, image and likeness rights, in 2019 alongside other sports unions and backers. Last year, an anonymous complaint was filed with the National Labor Relations Board alleging that Clark had wrongly received equity in OTP. The MLBPA has previously called that allegation 'baseless.' A similar concern, however, arose in football. The NFLPA in December hired the firm Linklaters to review, in part, whether OneTeam had improperly granted equity, said people briefed on that process who were not authorized to speak publicly. The NFLPA did not disclose its findings publicly, but Lloyd Howell, the head of the union, in March notified OneTeam's board of directors that Linklater's report found the NFLPA and OneTeam had been in compliance, per an email reviewed by The Athletic. Advertisement Collins, Clark's attorney, is a former federal prosecutor who 'regularly defends clients in investigations conducted by the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and other government agencies,' per his firm's website. Clark and Howell both sit on the board of directors at OneTeam. Two other MLBPA officials and three other NFLPA officials do as well, per the company's website. The MLBPA reported $44.5 million in revenue from OneTeam in 2024, per a filing with the Department of Labor. (AP Photo / Godofredo Vásquez )
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
MLB, NFL players contacted by federal agents in stunning licensing firm investigation
MLB and NFL pros have been contacted by federal agents as part of an investigation regarding a licensing firm owned by the league's unions, according to reports. Agents are looking into financial dealings regarding OneTeam Partners, created by the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) and private-equity firm RedBird Capitals in 2019, per ESPN. Players are not being targeted by the agents, according to ESPN, and at least three MLBers who are involved with 'union leadership' have been contacted. The FBI and Department of Labor (DOL) are partaking in the investigation, per The Athletic. '(OneTeam) is aware of an ongoing investigation of allegations concerning our partners,' it told ESPN in a statement. 'We want to emphasize that OneTeam is not the subject of the investigation and has not been accused of any wrongdoing in any way. OneTeam is fully committed to cooperating with the investigation.' OneTeam Partners' website claims 'we united Players Associations and elite athletes by giving them the platforms, resources and expertise necessary to maximize their collective value.' Both NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell and MLBPA boss Tony Clark are listed on the board of directors, and former NFLPA boss DeMaurice Smith helped found it. OneTeam Partners paid the MLBPA $44.5 million in 2024 and the NFLPA received $422.8 million over the past five years, per ESPN. ESPN described the partnership as a 'major financial boon' for both unions. Union executives told ESPN they had not been contacted, and the investigation is being run by the Brooklyn-based Eastern District of New York. 'We are aware of the investigation and fully prepared to cooperate if the NFLPA is contacted,' an NFLPA spokesperson told The Athletic. The MLBPA also said to the outlet: 'If the MLBPA is contacted by the government, we intend to cooperate fully with any investigation.' OneTeam has faced questions before regarding its operations with the NFL and MLB unions. An anonymous unfair labor practices complaint was filed in 2024 with the National Labor Relations board that alleged 'nepotism, corruption and mismanagement' within the MLBPA, per ESPN. The complaint alleges Clark 'improperly gave himself & other executives equity' in OneTeam, along with 'inadequate disclosures' about the alliance in the yearly union updates. The MLBPA denied those allegations, per ESPN. This past December, Richard Smith, the NFL's outside counsel, reportedly ran an audit to see whether the company has afforded equity options to executive directors of its union partners, including the MLBPA. The NFLPA audit revealed the union's involvement with OneTeam was 'in compliance with best governance practices,' a source told ESPN. '(OneTeam) remains steadfast in our commitment to following the best business practices, as has already been determined by the independent audit conducted earlier this year,' it told ESPN. 'We remain dedicated to upholding the highest standards of integrity and transparency in all that we do.'
New York Times
7 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Federal agents contacting NFL, MLB players as part of investigation related to licensing firm
Federal agents have contacted Major League Baseball and National Football League players as part of an investigation into financial dealings related to a group licensing firm, OneTeam Partners, that was created by both leagues' unions and other backers, people briefed on the investigation who were not authorized to speak publicly said. ESPN first reported the inquiry and that baseball players had been interviewed. Advertisement The players involved are not targets of the investigation, sources said. The FBI and the Department of Labor are both involved in the inquiries, which concern the financial structure and dealings of OneTeam. OneTeam secures media deals and leverages the name, image and licensing rights of players in the NFL and MLB and in several other sports, and makes payments to the respective unions. OneTeam paid the MLBPA $44.5 million in 2024, the MLBPA reported to the Department of Labor. MLBPA head Tony Clark is on the OneTeam Players Association Board of Directors, as is NFLPA leader Lloyd Howell. Clark and former NFLPA leader DeMaurice Smith co-founded OneTeam in 2019 in partnership with the private equity firm Redbird Capital, and it has since grown into a multibillion-dollar entity. Smith left the NFLPA in 2023; RedBird sold its stake in OneTeam in 2022. In a statement to ESPN, OneTeam said it is 'aware of an ongoing investigation of allegations concerning our partners. We want to emphasize that OneTeam is not the subject of the investigation and has not been accused of any wrongdoing in any way. OneTeam is fully committed to cooperating with the investigation.' NFL players received a communication from someone within the NFLPA on Friday with information about the investigation, though a person with knowledge of the NFLPA's actions who was granted anonymity to speak freely said that the communication did not actually come from NFLPA leadership. 'We are aware of the investigation and fully prepared to cooperate if the NFLPA is contacted,' an NFLPA spokesperson said. Said the MLBPA in a similar statement: 'If the MLBPA is contacted by the government, we intend to cooperate fully with any investigation.' ESPN reported that the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York is running the investigation. The Eastern District did not immediately return a request for comment. (Photo of Clark: AP Photo / Jose Luis Magana, File)
