On February 20, 2026, Loyola Law School’s Entertainment Law Review held its annual symposium, where various “power players” throughout the entertainment legal profession spoke on their current functions and expectations for their practice areas moving forward. The symposium’s first panel was Women Winning in Sports, featuring Marjorie Williams, Head of Business Affairs for Skydance Sports; Lauren Brock, Associate General Counsel for the Los Angeles (LA) Clippers; and Carmen Izquierdo-Oliva, Associate Counsel for the LA Dodgers. While the panel included some discussion about women playing professional sports, it primarily focused on the power players’ and women’s administrative presence in professional athletics—from legally advising professional sports teams to content creation—and emphasizing the importance of diverse perspectives.
At Skydance Sports, Williams described her role as producing content surrounding sports as opposed to sports producing content. As a result, she frequently navigates conflicts of ownership, requiring her to determine which various entities hold rights to the relevant content. Despite the complexities that arise from multiple ownership interests, Williams noted that the relevant sports league’s support often helps streamline the process and initiate productive dialogue with teams and athletes. However, intellectual property rights represent only one aspect of her work. She described her role as resembling a law school exam, where multiple areas of law intersect and require consistent issue spotting.[1]
With the LA Clippers, Brock regularly handles complex legal matters involving various practice areas, in addition to complying with the NBA’s internal policies and regulations. She analogized the NBA to the federal government, the teams to the states, and the CBA to the Constitution, explaining how each party’s involvement can complicate matters. She emphasized that success often depends on collective effort and collaboration with colleagues. For example, Brock discussed the legal complexities surrounding the opening of Intuit Dome, particularly due to its use of biometric technology and the collection of user data.[2] She stressed the team’s priority of remaining current on data privacy laws, especially those in Illinois and California.[3]
At the LA Dodgers, Izquierdo-Oliva explained that her current role focuses primarily on transactional law, in contrast to her previous position at Cozen O’Connor, where she practiced commercial litigation. She described commercial litigation as “law school 2.0,” because it required her to continually learn and apply a wide range of legal concepts.[4] Transitioning into a purely transactional role presented a significant adjustment. Nonetheless, she credited the Dodgers with providing strong training and learning opportunities that helped her strengthen her skills in transactional practice.[5]
Beyond describing their day-to-day responsibilities, the panelists reflected on how working in professional athletics, a historically male-dominated industry, has shaped their careers. Williams emphasized the importance of perspective, noting that her varied professional experiences have informed her approach. She explained that women’s experiences in athletics often differ from men’s, but those differences do not create conflict. Instead, she views them as an asset and as evidence of why women’s presence in professional sports is essential. She referenced her work on a story about the UConn women’s basketball team, stressing the importance of narratives told by women.[6]
Brock echoed this sentiment, underscoring the value of diverse experiences and backgrounds, as well as collaboration between men and women who bring different perspectives to problem-solving. She praised the diversity within the NBA’s legal community and highlighted the importance of flexibility and maintaining a strong point of view. She noted that speaking up and asking questions remains critical not only for individual development but also for effective client representation. In her experience, there are no foolish questions; often, others share the same uncertainty.[7]
Izquierdo-Oliva discussed her experience as a young Latina attorney who graduated in 2021 and serves as the only woman on a team of three lawyers. She reiterated the importance of diverse perspectives and described the unique theatrics involved in negotiating contracts in sports law, which require her to adopt different roles depending on the situation. At times, the circumstances demand an aggressive approach. Although she acknowledged the pressure associated with working in the sports industry as a young woman attorney, she expressed confidence in her qualifications and role with the Dodgers.[8]
Although the panelists highlighted the presence of women succeeding in sports, they also recognized the need for continued progress, particularly in redesigning leadership roles for women within the professional sports industry. Each emphasized the importance of leadership experience and programs that provide young women attorneys with leadership training and opportunities. Brock and Izquierdo-Oliva specifically noted the value of conferences that connect women and leadership committees dedicated to advancing women in the field. From an athletics perspective, Izquierdo-Oliva also pointed to the rapid expansion of the PWHL, a top tier professional women’s ice hockey league, and suggested that similar growth could occur throughout sports, including baseball.[9], [10]
[1] Marjorie Williams, “Women Winning in Sports,” Presentation, Power Players 2026 Symposium, Loyola Law School, Feb. 20, 2026.
[2] Megan Jamerson, At Intuit Dome, Your Face is Your Ticket and Credit Card, KCRW (Oct. 9, 2024), https://www.kcrw.com/shows/kcrw-features/stories/intuit-dome.
[3] Lauren Brock, “Women Winning in Sports,” Presentation, Power Players 2026 Symposium, Loyola Law School, Feb. 20, 2026.
[4] Carmen Izuquierdo-Olivia, “Women Winning in Sports,” Presentation, Power Players 2026 Symposium, Loyola Law School, Feb. 20, 2026.
[5] Id.
[6] Williams, supra note 1.
[7] Brock, supra note 3.
[8] Izuquierdo-Olivia, supra note 4.
[9] PWHL Continues to Rise With Sold-Out Madison Square Garden, Reuters (Mar. 25, 2026), https://www.reuters.com/sports/pwhl-continues-rise-with-sold-out-madison-square-garden-2026-03-05/#:~:text=The%20PWHL%20smashed%20that%20milestone,expected%20in%20the%20near%20future.
[10] Williams, supra note 1; Brock, supra note 3; Izuquierdo-Olivia, supra note 4.