Sidley Represents Owners of the Premier Hockey Federation in the Launch of a New North American Women’s Professional Hockey League

In a groundbreaking transaction in women’s professional sports, Sidley represented the owners of the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF), the top international women’s professional hockey league, in the launch of a new North American women’s professional hockey league featuring the world’s best women hockey players. The new league was announced by business and philanthropic leaders Mark and Kimbra Walter, sports icon Billie Jean King, and PHF governors Johanna and John Boynton. The league will be supported financially by the Walters and led by board members, including King, sports executive Ilana Kloss, and Los Angeles Dodgers president Stan Kasten. The new league has acquired assets of the PHF and has negotiated a collective bargaining agreement with the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA), enabling it to move forward in unprecedented ways.

The Sidley team was led by New York partner and Entertainment, Sports and Media (ESM) co-chair Chuck Baker as well as Century City partner Mark Castiglia (M&A and Private Equity). The ESM team also included Century City senior managing associate Ryan Hicks, New York associate Dylan Sherwyn, Palo Alto associate C.J. Burton, and Century City associate Taylor Larson.